Chinese Ritual Dispute And Louis XIV Of France (1640-1710): Chinese Catholic History Of The Hook

The Chinese Rites Controversy is one of the most important historical events in the Chinese Catholic history. It is also an important event in the Sino-foreign relations’ history during Ming and Qing Dynasties. This paper focuses on the important role of France in the course of the Chinese Rites Controversy.thetwo main points about the research objectives and significance are: first, after Kangxi Emperor issued an edict of toleration of Christianity in 1692, why did Pope Clement XI send a Papal Legate to Kangxi Emperor in the early 18 th century to communicate with him about the interdiction of Chinese rites? There are some historical narratives about this that Chinese scholars don’t know clearly, therefore this study hopes to fill gaps in the Chinese scholars study, especially about the role of France in the course of the Chinese Rites Controversy. Second, by studying the relationship between the Chinese Rites Controversy and France,we can rethink the Chinese Catholic history during Ming and Qing Dynasties in the perspective of the Sino-French relations and the Chinese-French contrast? In addition, we can reflect on the Catholic missionary in china during Ming and Qing Dynasties that would be of great importance in the early globalization. This paper discusses the following six aspects: 1. French missionaries and the French mission societies intervened in the process of the Chinese Rites Controversy, including: Alexandre de Rhode who was the first missionary entering into china; Mgr.Fran?ois Pallu who led the Paris Foreign Missions Society into china in 1684;Mgr.Maigrot who played one of the important role in the Chinese Rites Controversy; the Paris foreign Missions that became the main opponents of the Jesuits instead of the Dominicans and Franciscans in the late 17 th century;The French missionaries Louis Le Comte and Charles le Gobien who were attacked in France during the 1700. In consequence, the Chinese Rites Controversy took place mainly in France between the late 17 th century and in the early 18 th century. 2.Personages of all social circles in France discussed or were involved in the Chinese Rites Controversy. Among them, the jansenists always disagreed with the Policy of Accommodation and they opposed always the Jesuits. Louis Antoine Noailles and Jacque-Bénigne Bossuet also disagreed with the jesuits, but Fran?ois de Salignac de la Mothe Fénelon stood by the jesuits, and at the same time Le confesseur du roi P.de la chaise and Madame de Maintenon also involved. The Sorbonne examined the Chinese Rites Controversy in 1700 and censured the books of Louis Le Comte and Charles le Gobien, and this examination made the Chinese Rites Controversy become a hot spot of public opinions in France and Europe in 1700, which influenced the interdiction of Chinese rites by the Holy See. Therefore it is indispensable that the France should play an important role in the course of the Chinese Rites Controversy. 3. When the jesuits explained the Policy of Accommodation,it is likely for them that they recognized the Chinese history was longer than the history recorded in the "Bible”,and that they also recognized the Chinese civilization is superior to the Christian civilization, but in the 17 th and 18 th century it cannot be accepted by the Christians and it cannot be integrated into the core value of the Christian civilization. This is the main reason why most people in France and Rome did not accept the Chinese Rites. 4. The power struggle within the french Church, the power struggle between the mission societies, the conflict between France and Portugal in the Far East and so on are the other major reasons for the Chinese Rites Controversy much more difficult to control,from which we can see the rise of nationhood,the dependence of the mission societies on the national states, and the fall of the Holy See during the Renaissance. 5. The study on the role of the France in the Chinese Rites Controversy makes us see the difference between the influence of the western learning spreading to the east on China and the eastern learning spreading to the west on France and Europe. The french played an active part in the Chinese Rites Controversy with the foundation and the development of the French Sinology, which has influenced the Enlightenment. However, In the reign of Kang Xi Emperor,the number of Chinese Catholics in the Chinese literati has sharply decreased, and the Chinese was not interested in the western learning like before. At last, in view of the Chinese Rites Controversy,this paper will discuss the influence of the exchange and the different historical developments between the East and the West during Ming and Qing Dynasties and the different historical developments in the perspective of the early globalization from the 15 th century to the 18 th century. 5. The translation of some original french documents about the Chinese Rites Controversy might benefit the study of the Chinese Rites Controversy.