Quotes of St. Francis Xavier on Hindus based on the book The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier by Henry James Coleridge.
For many Goans, St. Francis Xavier is Goencho Saib—the Protector of Goa. But Gautam Khattar's rhetoric was based on a specific reading of history—one that claims the missionary's methods were anything but saintly.
To understand the roots of this anger, we have to go back to 1542. We have to look at the words of the Jesuits themselves. Specifically, the book The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier by Henry James Coleridge.
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Coming up: The Saint’s Shadow: Gautam Khattar and the Letters of St. Francis Xavier
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This special podcast episode is based on the contents from the book The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier by Henry James Coleridge.
On 24th April, 2026, a man named Gautam Khattar—a YouTuber and founder of the Sanatan Mahasangh—was tracked down and arrested in the quiet hills of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. He hadn’t committed a physical crime in those mountains; he was running from a fire he started 2,000 kilometers away in Goa.
Khattar’s crime? A speech. A speech where he called one of the most revered figures in Christian history—St. Francis Xavier—a 'terrorist.'
To some, Khattar is a provocateur inciting communal tension. To others, he is a man pointing at history and asking uncomfortable questions. Today, we aren’t just looking at the arrest; we are looking at the book that likely fueled the fire.
It began in Vasco, Goa, during the Parshuram Jayanti celebrations. Khattar stood before a crowd and didn't just critique a saint; he attacked a symbol. For many Goans, St. Francis Xavier is Goencho Saib—the Protector of Goa. But Khattar's rhetoric was based on a specific reading of history—one that claims the missionary's methods were anything but saintly.
But where do these claims come from? Are they 'fake news,' or are they documented in the Church's own archives?
To understand the roots of this anger, we have to go back to 1542. We have to look at the words of the Jesuits themselves. Specifically, the book The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier by Henry James Coleridge.
In these pages, we don't find a soft-spoken mystic. We find a man on a mission of total spiritual conquest. When Xavier arrived in India, he didn't speak Tamil or Konkani. He used a bell, a translated catechism, and a very specific target: children.
QUOTE
'These children, I trust heartily, by the grace of God, will be much better than their fathers. They show an ardent love for the Divine law... Their hatred for idolatry is marvellous.'
UNQUOTE
Xavier wasn’t just teaching them prayers. He was training an army of iconoclasts. He wrote about taking these 'bands of children' to the homes and temples of their own parents.
QUOTE
'Whenever I hear of any act of idolatrous worship, I go to the place with a large band of these children, who very soon load the devil with a greater amount of insult... The children run at the idols, upset them, dash them down, break them to pieces, spit on them, trample on them, kick them about...'
UNQUOTE
The controversy Khattar tapped into isn't just about theology; it’s about the destruction of physical heritage. Xavier's letters don't hide the joy he felt in the demolition of Hindu temples.
QUOTE
'When all are baptized I order all the temples of their false gods to be destroyed and all the idols to be broken in pieces. I can give you no idea of the joy I feel in seeing this done.'
UNQUOTE
He identified the Brahmins as his greatest obstacle—calling them 'liars and cheats to the very backbone.' He said this about them: “The Brahmins are the most perverse people in the world.” This historical friction is exactly what Gautam Khattar brought to the stage in 2026.
Khattar’s argument is that the 'saint' status ignores the 'hammer.' He claims Xavier didn't need to swing the hammer himself because he had successfully turned a generation of children against their own ancestors' faith.
Here are a few more quotes by St. Xavier mentioned in the book:
“All the invocations of the pagans are hateful to God because all their gods are devils.”
“Hindus are an unholy race and liars and cheats to the very backbone.”
“Hindu gods and their idols are as dirty as they are ugly and horrible to look at.”
“The great majority of their idols are as black as black can be, and moreover are generally so rubbed over with oil as to smell detestably, and seem to be as dirty as they are ugly.”
“I can give you no idea of the joy I feel in seeing this done, witnessing the destruction of the idols by the very people who but lately adored them.”
“If it were not for the opposition of the Brahmins, we should have them all embracing the religion of Jesus Christ.”
“Hindu rituals, marriages, festivals, and even wearing traditional attire are scandalous and idolatrous practices that must be suppressed.”
The Goa Police booked Khattar for 'hurting religious sentiments.' In a pluralistic India, the law seeks to maintain harmony. The Church in Goa called his remarks 'venomous' and 'laced with falsehoods.'
But this leaves us with a haunting question for our modern age: How do we handle historical truth when it conflicts with modern peace? If a primary source—Xavier’s own letters—describes actions that today we would call 'radical,' is it 'hate speech' to talk about them? Or is the way Khattar talked about them—using terms like 'terrorist'—the line that shouldn't be crossed?
Gautam Khattar is currently in custody, facing the consequences of his words. Meanwhile, the relics of St. Francis Xavier remain in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, attracting millions, mostly Hindus. The history is written in stone and ink; the peace, however, is written in how we choose to talk about it.
Thanks for listening to this special episode. Really grateful. Please don't forget to subscribe to the Historylogy podcast on your favourite podcasting app and also feel free to leave a review. Also, please check historylogy.com for all previous episodes. Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you. Take care and bye!