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420 THE AFRICAN ORIGINS OF THE MISSIO ANTIQUA ambassador and of Pedro de la Madre di Dios, were seeking to renew the Car– melite mission to Kongo. '\X?hen it became obvious that the _authorities in Lis– bon would prevent the departure of that mission, Vives, at the behest of Paul V, summoned to Rome a 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 reform by Gracian in Seville in 1582 and subsequently informed that a young Kongo princess had expressed a desire to enter the Order, Jean de Bretigny had preserved the dream of establishing Carmelite nuns in Kongo and had written to the ambassador in June 1607 tell– ing him of this plan and offering his assistance 38 • Jean set out for Rome in March 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 "with all 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 willingly undertake this office "since this embassy deals solely with the propagation of the faith" and he re– quested Philip's assent to this appointment. Spanish approval was given finally in Januru.-y 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 formal obedience to the papacy tl1tough Vives 40 • Even before the arrival of Alvaro III's letter, however, Vives had taken two major initiatives. On 18 April 1618 he wrote to the ruler of Ethiopia pro– posing that he should co-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. Serouet, Jean de Bretig1!:)I {1556-1634). Aux origines du Carmel de France, de Belgique et du Congo, Louvain 1974. See also R. Gray, A Kongo princess, the Kongo ambassadors and the Papary, in Journal of Religion in Africa, forthcoming in 1999. 39 Alvaro II to Paul V, 27.XI.1613, in A. Brasio, Monumenta Missionaria Africana. Africa Occidental, [I serie] VI, Lisboa 1955, 128-130. 40 A. Brasio, Monumenta Missionaria Africana, VI, 186 and 288. 41 A. Brasio, Monumenta Missionaria Africana, VI, 277s.