Fiamingo, G.M.

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CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AND EUROPEANPOLITICS IN CHINA.BY PROF. G. U. KIAMINGO.THE reference which Lord Salisbury, in the speech which hepronounced at Exeter Hall, made to the involuntary responsi-bilities incurred by missionaries as indirect causes of the Chineserevolt against Western civilisation, still continues to afford amplefood for comment and discussion in the European press.It would be impossible even for the most zealous supporter ofmission work to maintain that Lord Salisbury's accusation is whollyunfounded. For missionaries in the Far East a certain amount of/>us/i and of self-assertion is a necessary condition to success, andone which Catholic missionaries, above all, take good care not toneglect. Even at the Paris Exhibition may be seen the gorgeousand really interesting pavillion of the Catholic missions, on theTrocadero, for these up-to-date apostles ignore none of the secretsof a modern mise-enscetie.But far more interesting and important than the showy pavil-lion at the Exhibition is the magnificent Palace of the Propagandaat Rome, rising majestic over the Piazza di Spagna, for it is inthis sombre and imposing building that all the complicated ma-chinery of Catholic missions throughout the world is worked byable and ever-watchful prelates.It was Sixtus v., that giant among Popes, who first conceivedthe idea of a separate and independent organisation for the pur-pose of spreading the Catholic religion to the uttermost ends of theworld. Indeed the Propaganda Fide may be compared to a sort ofecclesiastical Foreign Office, whose duty it is to maintain friendlyrelations not between the Holy See and foreign governments, butbetween the Church of Rome and the faithful scattered all overthe orbis ierrarta/i, the number of which faithful it endeavors to in-690 THE OPEN COURT.crease by every means in its power, regardless of sacrifices both oflives and treasure.Long before this powerful institution for the spreading ofCatholicism was founded, however, Catholic missionaries hadpitched their tents in the vast empire destined to become the sceneof endless labor, suffering, and glory to themselves and their fol-lowers for many centuries.And it is to Italy that the honor of having first violated themystery of the Middle Kingdom is due. As early as 1288 FatherJohn of Montecorvino, of the Minor Franciscans, founded a mis-sion in North Chi-li, not far from Peking. But even in those timesthe missionaries fared no better than they do now, and persecu-tions were both frequent and violent. Under the dynasty of theYiiens, Christianity was practically stamped out, and it was notuntil 1582, when the Yiiens were driven from the throne, that thecelebrated Jesuit Father Picci succeeded in re-establishing a mis-sion at Peking.The famous emperor, K'ang-hi, allowed a wider scope of actionto the Italian missions, which were thus enabled as early as 1688to extend their jurisdiction into Mongolia, Manchuria, Schan-tung,and Corea. An era of rapid progress then began in all the prov-inces of the Celestial Empire. It was not before 1783 that theFrench commenced to work by means of the priests of the mis-sions, more commonly known under the name of Lazarists, whosoon began to compete successfully against the Italians, convertingto their own advantage the pioneer work so successfully begun bythe latter. Up to i860, however, the Italians could still be con-sidered as sole masters of the missions, as they far outnumberedany other nationality.But when the present deplorable conflict between Church andState arose, the Vatican began to seek the support of foreign pow-ers, with the result that the Italian missions in China underwent averitable disaster. At a moment when funds became more urgentthan ever, in view of the ever-increasing activity of the mission-aries of other nationalities, the Vatican suddenly withdrew its sup-port from the Italian missions, whose place was gradually taken bynewcomers. Although the Holy See has often protested that thequestion of nationality has nothing whatever to do with missionwork, still it is a well-known fact that the Vatican has done every-thing in its power to support French influence in the Far East.For it is France, the fille auK'e de P^glise, that the Vatican hasalways recognised as holding a protectorate over all Catholic mis-CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AND EUROPEAN POLITICS IN CHINA. 69Isions, of whatever nationality, in China, in the same manner asAustria-Hungary, by an equally ancient privilege, claims the rightof protection over the missions in Egypt.But while Austria-Hungary has never taken advantage of herrights, France, on the contrary, has systematically made use ofher protectorate over Catholic missions for political purposes. In-deed it cannot be denied that France owes her present strong po-sition on the shores of the Mediterranean and in Tunisia to hermissionaries, and more especially to Cardinal Lavigerie.As recently as the 22nd of May, 1888, the Sacred Congrega-tion of the Propaganda Fide formally reasserted this privilege ofFrance in the circular letter Aspera rerum conditio. "It is a well-known fact," says this document, "that for many centuries past theFrench Protectorate has been established over the East, and thatit has been confirmed in the various treaties with other nations.No change whatever must be introduced in this matter, and wher-ever the protectorate of this nation is established it must be reli-giously respected by the missionaries, who, when in need of help,must turn to the French consuls or other agents of the same na-tion."It cannot be denied that France has enjoyed the privilege ofprotectorate over missions in the East for a long time, when theconditions of Europe were very different from what they are atpresent, but this privilege conferred by the Holy See on the "eldestdaughter of the Church" has never amounted to a positive right,for the simple reason that, contrary to the affirmation of the Propa-ganda Fide, it has never been recognised by international treatiesor in any way sanctioned by diplomacy.The French government and the Holy See interpret the Treatyof Paris of 1856 in their own way when they assert that this priv-ilege, first granted as a reward to St. Louis and to his braveknights, was reconfirmed and sanctioned in homage to so ancienta tradition. Besides, the Treaty of Berlin of 1878 contains anarticle (art. 62), which stipulates that "the rights acquired byFrance are expressly reserved, and it is understood that no changebe introduced in the status quo of the Holy Land." But here toowhile mention is made of the Holy Land there is no allusion toSyria or to China which might warrant the extension of Frenchprivileges to those regions. As a matter of fact, therefore, noEuropean nation has ever consented to recognise the privilege con-ferred by the Vatican on France, and the Emperor William II. notlong ago openly rebelled against the strange pretension that Ger-692 THE OPEN COURT.man missionaries should divest themselves of their nationality toembrace the French. It will be remembered that the occupationof Kiao-chou was justified by the Emperor as an act of reprisalsfor the murder of two German Catholic missionaries in Shan-tung.William II. appreciates at its full value the enormous political influ-ence wielded by the humble missionaries who start from the Propa-ganda Fide, and he has lost no time in declaring both to Franceand to the Vatican that the German missionary, of whatever de-nomination he may be, shall always travel under the protectingwing of the German eagle. With his quick diplomatic perceptionthe Kaiser has immediately understood that the missionaries placedby the Vatican under French protectorate accomplish the samerole which is fulfilled by those politico-religious ministers whohave been christened in Europe "the Jesuits of England's colonialexpansion," and therefore persists in turning a deaf ear to the pro-tests of the Vatican, which would have France alone as the pro-tecting genius of the missions in the East.That the missionaries, to whatever nationality they belong,carry on a beneficial and highly important propaganda for theircountry, is now an undeniable and well-known fact, and this beingthe case, it is not surprising to find them under the accusation ofbeing more or less directly concerned in political events.It is interesting to learn what a Catholic prelate, Mgr. LuigiPiazzoli, Bishop of Hong-Kong, who was recently interviewed bythe Osservatore Catholico during a short stay in Milan, had to sayon the subject : " I cannot deny, " began his Lordship, "that thereis some truth in the accusation brought against the missionaries ofhaving indirectly caused the present troubles in China. But theirsis an indirect, a very indirect, responsibility. There was a time inwhich the missionaries were held in the greatest consideration andesteem and were almost beloved by the Celestials. For instance,in one of the squares of Pekin there stood a statue to Father Mat-thew Ricci with the inscription Li-ma-to, meaning Grandee ofChina. But in those times the missionaries were not hamperedwith the protection of European powers. For the important pointof the question lies here : the missionaries ought not to he protecieaby anybody! They are and should always remain voluntary vic-tims, men ready to sacrifice everything. By being protected theylose their prestige and gain nothing. Formerly they died the deathof martyrs, now they are killed merely because they are Europeans.The protection of the powers merely serves the latter as a pretextto acquire a firm footing in the Celestial Empire every time thatCHRISTIAN IMISSIONS AND EUROPEAN POLITICS IN CHINA. 693some missionary is killed or ill-used. The consequence is that theChinese have come to hate the missionaries; they no longer con-sider them in the light of ministers of a religion, but as spiescharged with preparing the ground for the invasion of the foreigndevils. Now you will understand why I said that the missionariesare indirectly the cause of the present revolt against Europe."But the real direct cause of the trouble is that the Chinesewill never forgive the Europeans for having established themselvesin their ports and for gradually acquiring an undeniable influencealmost amounting to dominion over their country. And they cannever forget or forgive the profound difference which separates themanners and customs of the two races. It was madness to hopethat we could win them over to our civilisation by means of rail-ways and cannons. Besides, it must be owned that the specimensof European civilisation down there are not always as edifyingfrom a moral point of view as might be desired. I repeat that theonly chance of gradually winning China for Western ideas liesin the patient, slow, peaceful work of the missionaries, of the mis-sionaries left wholly to themselves. Everything has been spoiledby this political interference. You see that the Chinese are nowmurdering their own countrymen whom they suspect of havingbeen hopelessly corrupted by the missionaries, of being Chineseno longer. The Catholic edifice raised up stone upon stone withsuch infinite patience by thousands of martyrs during a long vistaof centuries is now threatened with utter destruction. When willit be possible to set foot again in China? And will it not be neces-sary to begin the whole work over again from the very beginning?Oh ! it is sad, believe me, it is a very sad prospect."Mgr. Piazzoli did not deny, however, that many of the so-called converts to Christianity, especially in Canton, a city famousfor its thieves and robbers, are not bo7iafide converts at all, but feignconversion merely in order to obtain better employment from Eu-ropeans and to carry on their thieving under more auspicious cir-cumstances. Those scoundrels naturally throw discredit on themissionaries and contribute to increase the suspicion in which theyare already held by the great majority of the Chinese.All things considered, therefore, it cannot be doubted thatthose missionaries, the protectorate over whom is disputed byFrance and the other powers, all anxious to exploit them for theirown political ends, have no small share in the tremendous loadof responsibility which has brought about the present revolt ofChina against Western civilisation.

Christian Missions and European Politics in China.

http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1248&context=ocj

Christian Missions and European Politics in China.

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