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420 THEAFRICAN ORIGINS OF 11-IE MISSIOAI\ITIQUA ambassador and of Pedro de la Madre di Dios, were seeking to renew the Car– melite mission to Kongo. When it became obvious that the .authorities in Lls– bon would prevent the departure of that mission, Vives, at the behest of Paul V, summoned to Romea man who had been pouring his wealth and energies into the establishment of the Discalced Carmelites in France and the Nether– lands. Brought into contact with St Teresa's refonn by Gracian in Seville in 1582 and subsequently infonned that a young Kongo princess had expressed a desire to enter the Order, Jean de Brétigny had preserved the dream of establislùng Carmelite nuns in Kongo and had written to the ambassador in June 1607 tell– ing him of this plan and offering his assistance3 8 • Jean set out for Rome in Match 1612 and stayed with Vives until September, offering Paul V very con– siderable financial assistance for a mission to Kongo. His generosity could not immediately be accepted, but his presence in Rome strengthened curial interest in Kongo, and the following year in a letter to Paul V, the king of Kongo for– mally appointed Vives as his ambassador in order that he could render obedi– ence to the Holy See '\vith ali the solemnity that is customary for royal ambas– sadors"39. It was nearly two years before Alvaro's letter was acted on in Rome, but on 11 January 1615 Vives wrote to King Philip III of Spain informing him that on that day the pope had declared him to be the ambassador of King Al– varo II. Vives explained that he would most willingiy undertake this office "since this embassy deals soieiy with the propagation of the faith" and he re– quested Philip's assent to this appointment. Spanish approva} was given finally in January 1616, and not until July 1618 did Rome receive a letter from Alvaro III, who had succeeded to the throne in August 1615, renewing the Kongo king's intention to render formai obedience to the papacy through Vives 40 . Even before the arrivai of Alvaro III's letter, however, Vives had taken two major initi.atives. On 18 April 1618 he wrote to the ruler of Ethiopia pro– posing that he should ca-operate with the king of Kongo in opening a route between the two states 41 • Unfortunately there is no indication from the copy of his letter of the reasons which led Vives to raise this matter at this particular 38 P. Sérouet,Jean de Brétig'!)I (1556-1634). Allx origine.; dtt CaT7JJel de France, de Beigiqt1e et du Co11go, Louvain 1974. See also R. Gray, A Ko11goprincess, the Ko11go a,nbassadors and the Papaçy, in ]011rnal oj &ligion in Africa, forthcoming in 1999. 39 Alvaro II to Paul V, 27.XI.1613, in A. Brasio, Mo1111menta Miuionaria Afiica11a. Afiica Occidenta!, [I serie] VI, Lisboa 1955, 128-130. 40 A. Brasio, Mon11mentaMiJsio11ana Africana, VI, 186 and 288. 41 A. Brasio, Mon11menta MissionariaAfiica11a, VI, 277s.