The Sacred Basilica of "Saint Francis" in Malacca.

The sun grew increasingly hot, causing beads of sweat to form on the writer's brow as they stood before the grand Christian church. Built in the Gothic architectural style of the Middle Ages, it was known among the Malacca locals as the sacred church of Saint Francis Xavier. This saint had embarked on a long journey from his homeland to the lands of Asia to spread the teachings of his faith before passing away centuries ago.

This new church was built in 1849, 151 years after the death of Saint Francis.

The Church of St. Francis Xavier is located behind Dutch Square. If you are walking from the red-brick Christ Church, you will reach the church before entering the red-brick buildings. If you are driving on the one-way road that leads to the historic Dutch Square, the church will be on your right before you reach the red-brick buildings. There is only a small side street separating the church from the square.

Follow the road that cuts through the historic red-brick buildings to the front, which is "Dutch Square". Then look up to the top, where there is a gate with a name written on it, at the same corner as the red buildings that say "STADTHUYS". This is the path that will lead everyone up to the hill above, which is the sacred land of Malacca's past, known as "St. Paul's Church". It is said that the Christians in Malacca built it to worship the spirit of St. Francis Xavier, when his body was brought ashore here.

According to legend, during the era of Christian missionary expansion, a priest named Saint Francis Xavier embarked on a journey from his native Spain to spread the faith in Southeast Asia. He eventually traveled to China, where he met his demise.

Prior to his death, Saint Francis often expressed his wish to his disciples that if he were to pass away, his body should be buried in Goa, a port city in southern India.

The disciples, upon his passing, placed his remains on a ship bound for India. However, during the voyage, a miraculous event occurred. The ship was caught in a violent storm and was miraculously driven back to the port of Malacca, where he had resided for some time.

Historical records dating back to 1511 recount that after the Portuguese captured Malacca, Albuquerque ordered soldiers and slaves to transport stones from the island of Pulau Batu, where the Sultan was buried, to construct a formidable fortress. The fortress, named A Famosa, meaning "the most famous" in Portuguese, faced the coastal plain and served as a symbol of Portuguese prestige.

The fort was destroyed when the Dutch besieged and attacked Malacca, defeating the Portuguese. They attempted to demolish the fort completely. Fortunately, Sir Stamford, the English commissioner at the time, intervened and preserved it, leaving it as we see it today.

According to legend, when the Malays of the city of Ayutthaya sent an army to fight the Portuguese in Malacca, the Portuguese had only two small ships at their disposal, as the main body of their forces had not yet arrived. At that time, Saint Francis was still alive and was teaching religion in Malacca.

Inspired by the words of their chaplain, the Portuguese soldiers resolved to take their two small ships into battle against the Achaean fleet. They were emboldened by the prophecy of Saint Francis, who had assured them that they would triumph over their enemies through their own strength.

A Portuguese ship had been lost at sea for so long that everyone believed its crew had perished. However, Saint Francis Xavier, while preaching in a church, assured the congregation that they would return victorious. His prediction proved accurate, and the people of Malacca held him in high esteem and faith.

Thus, when the ship carrying his body was driven ashore in Malacca by a storm, the townspeople believed that he had returned to bid them farewell. They went out to greet him, and Captain Duarte Coelho ordered a church to be built on the hill above the A Famosa Fort. His body was temporarily buried there until the ship could sail on to Goa.

Upon exhumation, the body of the saint was found to be remarkably preserved, defying the natural process of decay. This extraordinary discovery astonished the townspeople and disciples, who subsequently severed one of Saint Francis' wrists and sent it to Rome in pursuit of sainthood recognition according to Christian canon law.

To everyone's astonishment, when the executioner severed the saint's wrist, a gush of blood erupted from the wound. This extraordinary event solidified the belief among the people of Malacca that Saint Francis was a sacred and devout follower of Christ.

Following Malacca's rise to prominence, the Church of St. Francis Xavier was constructed to commemorate the saint. Simultaneously, the Church of St. Paul on the hill where his remains were interred was preserved. A statue of the saint was erected atop the hill as a sacred memorial.

However, the unthinkable happened again when the statue of St. Paul in front of St. Paul's Cathedral was struck by lightning, severing one of its wrists, just as the saint's body had been severed at the wrist and sent to the cathedral in Rome.

As the author ascended the hill along the narrow road leading to St. Paul's Cathedral, the area surrounding the cathedral had undergone significant landscaping improvements. Previously, the steep climb had been challenging, but now there were comfortable stairs for ascending and descending. Additionally, a walking path had been constructed around the cathedral, providing a convenient shortcut for tourists traveling from Dutch Square across the hill to Fort Formosa on the other side.

On that day, numerous pilgrims from distant lands journeyed to the temple to pay their respects at the tomb of the revered figure, their hearts filled with faith.

From this vantage point, we can ascend to the summit of the ancient temple of Malacca. If time permits, we can stand here and admire the panoramic view, which extends to the vast expanse of the sea. Below the temple, on the other side of the hill, lies the A Famosa Fort, which stands sentinel over the new city of Malacca, known as "Malacca Raya."

Thank you.

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