Bridging Faiths and Empires:The Assumptionists and the Mission d’Orient (1863–1923)

This paper examines the Assumptionists’ mission, known as the Mission d’Orient, initiated in 1862 with the aim of uniting the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches against the backdrop of a changing political and religious landscape. Despite their aspirations, the mission encountered numerous challenges and obstacles, leading to its ultimate failure. The paper focuses on the Ottoman response to Roman Catholic missions, using the Assumptionists as a case study. It explores the factors contributing to the Mission d’Orient’s failure and scrutinizes the Assumptionists’ efforts to foster unity between the two churches. The study argues that the failure can be attributed to complex power dynamics between the Ottoman Empire and Western powers, resulting in a hostile environment for Christian communities. The Ottoman response encompassed state-level actions driven by political conflicts and the direct targeting of Catholic missions as symbols of Western imperialism. The paper examines historical sources and primary documents to shed light on the challenges faced by the Assumptionists and their impact on interfaith relations and diplomacy during this significant chapter in Christian missions’ history

Nurturing Faith and Enlightening Minds:Assumptionist Education in the Ottoman Empire

The text explores the educational activities of French Roman Catholic missions in the nineteenth century, as they evolved from serving local Catholic needs to becoming crucial assets in advancing France’s religious–cultural influences and the Holy See’s efforts to unify Eastern Christian Churches under Rome. Focused on the Mission d’Orient, initiated during Pius IX’s papacy, this study delves into the Assumptionists’ educational activities in the Ottoman Empire (1863–1914), which aimed to inculturate the Christian communities of the Ottoman Empire, achieve union with Rome, and build a bridge of knowledge between the Ottoman Orient and Europe. Employing a transnational historical approach, this research utilizes primary sources from the Holy See and the Assumptionist Order, examining religious and educational interactions with Ottoman millets. This article argues that Assumptionist institutions succeeded in inculturation and acted as bridges for cultural exchange. The context includes the French protectorate of the Ottoman Empire, the protégé system, and the Capitulations of 1740, demonstrating the Holy See’s use of political and religious alliances. The Assumptionists, influential in advancing the Holy See’s interests, are studied regarding their engagement in France and the Orient. Despite valuable insights from existing research, this article seeks to fill gaps by using Assumptionists as a case study, exploring the specific impacts of their education on various religious groups within the context of France’s religious–cultural imperialism

Religious Belonging and Multinational Encounters in “Infidel Izmir”:Past and Present

In Turkey, the Roman Catholic Church faces an uncertain future as it lacks official recognition of its legal status. Thus, the survival of the small parishes signifies the survival of the Catholic Church in contemporary Turkey. This article focuses on the perseverance of the multicultural Roman Catholic community of Our Lady of Lourdes (Notre Dame de Lourdes) of Göztepe (in Izmir) after the arrival of Father Gabriel Ferone in 2008. The revival of Our Lady of Lourdes resulted from people of different backgrounds (i.e., Europeans, African students, Turks) moving to Izmir and joining this parish. The paper also explores the change in the demography of the parish during its transformation throughout the years

Religious Discrimination in the service of secular nationalist politics; The Roman Catholics of Turkey

In this thesis I will examine the change in the status of Istanbul’s Roman Catholic Church and its community as a result of nationalism evolution in the Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic: the change in status of Roman Catholics from multicultural and theoretic Ottoman Empire to secular Turkey where citizenship is based on single religion (Sunni sect of Islam) and single language (Turkish)

Making assumptions

Ediz Hazir explains how Lausanne marked the end of a French religious order’s attempt to unify the churches of the Ottoman Empire

Making assumptions

Ediz Hazir explains how Lausanne marked the end of a French religious order’s attempt to unify the churches of the Ottoman Empire

Making assumptions

Ediz Hazir explains how Lausanne marked the end of a French religious order’s attempt to unify the churches of the Ottoman Empire