Andrew of Perugia (ca. 1308-1332)

by Andrew Brooke (See Chinese translation)

Little is known about the life of Andrew of Perugia (also known by other alternative names), except for his mention in the letters of Peregrine and Montecorvino, his own letter, and a tombstone discovered on the site of the old walls of Zayton (Quanzhou), now stored in Peking, with a copy in the local Maritime Museum. The date of his death is estimated at 1332, since the only other possible reading of the tombstone engraving, 1322, corresponds to a date during which he was certainly still alive.

The other dates of his career are disputed, a good discussion thereof contained in Hosten (1930). Of the several suffragan bishops sent by Pope Clement to consecrate John of Montecorvino archbishop, he and Peregrine alone seem to have survived the journey through India, albeit later joined by other churchmen. They must have reached Peking in 1308/1313.

Whilst Peregrine succeeded Gerard as the second bishop of Zayton, Andrew is supposed to have remained in Peking to assist Montecorvino. After the death of Peregrine in 1322, he became the third bishop of Zayton, followed by Peter of Florence.

The Letter from Andrew, Bishop of Zayton, in Latin, is dated January 1326, Zayton, addressed to the Brother Guardian of the Convent of Perugia. In the opening paragraph he implies that he had dispatched many other letters to him, though he is sceptical of their safe passage due to distance.

He mentions his arrival, along with Peregrine, in Peking some years back, robbed of all belongings along the way, of being given an ‘alafa’ by the Great Khan, which appears to have been a sort of pension regularly handed out to soldiers, ambassadors, craftsmen and others. The letter also contains a paragraph, akin to those of Montecorvino and Peregrine, lauding the riches and greatness of the Chinese empire.

The founding of the cathedral of Zayton, by the endowment of an Armenian lady, is noted, and how four years before the death of Peregrine, Andrew was able to convince the emperor to relocate his pension to Zayton, on whose outskirts he consecrated another church and stayed, until his succession to the See of Zayton.

The Jews and Muslims, he adds, reject conversion, whilst many of the ‘idolators’ have been baptised and yet do not adhere strictly to Christian rites. It is the way, or error (he says), of this land that each is allowed to practise his own faith. The letter ends with a summary of the fate of the other bishops sent by Pope Clement (now all dead).