Antoine Thomas
Encyclopedia
Antoine Thomas was a Belgian Jesuit priest, missionary and astronomer in China
.
(Belgium) in 1644, he joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1660 and first taught in the schools of Armentières, Huy
and Tournai
. Equipped with a thorough training in Mathematics and Astronomy he was sent, at his own request as missionary to China (1677). After a long and difficult sea journey - passing through Goa
, Siam (Thailand) and Malacca - he reached Macau
in 1682 just in time to observe an eclipse of the Sun (1683).
, who had just found himself appointed 'Vice-President of the Tribunal of Mathematics', a very important and influential post in the Chinese empire, to join him in Peking. At the death of Verbiest (1688) Thomas took his place as the main mathematician and astronomical expert of China. For twenty years he was then a close adviser to the emperor Kangxi who, beyond scientific questions, consulted him also on moral and religious matters. In 1692 he obtained an 'edict of tolerance' that gave to the missionaries almost complete freedom to preach Christianity.
was raging in Europe. Charles-Thomas Maillard de Tournon
, a papal legate, arrived in Peking in 1705 purportedly to inquire on the orthodoxy of the Chinese rites (particularly the 'Veneration of Ancestors
' ritual, accepted by the Jesuits). In fact Tournon's mind was made up. By disregarding completely Chinese customs and etiquette, he offended the emperor who had first received him well. No pleading of Antoine Thomas, then Superior of the Jesuits in China, could prevent Tournon from issuing a decree from Nanking (1707) obliging the missionaries under severe penalties to abolish those rites. A last desperate attempt of Thomas, beseeching the legate to defer the implementation of the decree till further news were received from Rome, fell on deaf ears. Antoine Thomas died soon after (1709 in Peking), and was buried close to his friend and predecessor Ferdinand Verbiest in the Jesuit cemetery of Peking.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Early life
Born in NamurNamur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
(Belgium) in 1644, he joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1660 and first taught in the schools of Armentières, Huy
Huy
Huy is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the sillon industriel, the former industrial backbone of Wallonia, home to about two-thirds of the Walloon population...
and Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
. Equipped with a thorough training in Mathematics and Astronomy he was sent, at his own request as missionary to China (1677). After a long and difficult sea journey - passing through Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Siam (Thailand) and Malacca - he reached Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
in 1682 just in time to observe an eclipse of the Sun (1683).
At the Chinese Imperial Court
He was called by the aging Father Ferdinand VerbiestFerdinand Verbiest
Father Ferdinand Verbiest was a Flemish Jesuit missionary in China during the Qing dynasty. He was born in Pittem near Tielt in Flanders, later part of the modern state of Belgium. He is known as Nan Huairen in Chinese...
, who had just found himself appointed 'Vice-President of the Tribunal of Mathematics', a very important and influential post in the Chinese empire, to join him in Peking. At the death of Verbiest (1688) Thomas took his place as the main mathematician and astronomical expert of China. For twenty years he was then a close adviser to the emperor Kangxi who, beyond scientific questions, consulted him also on moral and religious matters. In 1692 he obtained an 'edict of tolerance' that gave to the missionaries almost complete freedom to preach Christianity.
The Chinese Rites Controversy
At a time when the future of Christian faith seemed to be bright in China the Chinese Rites controversyChinese Rites controversy
The Chinese Rites controversy was a dispute within the Catholic Church from the 1630s to the early 18th century about whether Chinese folk religion rites and offerings to the emperor constituted idolatry...
was raging in Europe. Charles-Thomas Maillard de Tournon
Charles-Thomas Maillard De Tournon
Charles-Thomas Maillard De Tournon was a papal legate and cardinal to the East Indies and China.-Biography:...
, a papal legate, arrived in Peking in 1705 purportedly to inquire on the orthodoxy of the Chinese rites (particularly the 'Veneration of Ancestors
Ancestor Veneration in China
Ancestral veneration in Chinese culture is the practice of living family members who try to provide a deceased family member with continuous happiness and well-being in the afterlife. It is a way of continuing to show respect towards them, and it reinforces the unity of family and lineage. Showing...
' ritual, accepted by the Jesuits). In fact Tournon's mind was made up. By disregarding completely Chinese customs and etiquette, he offended the emperor who had first received him well. No pleading of Antoine Thomas, then Superior of the Jesuits in China, could prevent Tournon from issuing a decree from Nanking (1707) obliging the missionaries under severe penalties to abolish those rites. A last desperate attempt of Thomas, beseeching the legate to defer the implementation of the decree till further news were received from Rome, fell on deaf ears. Antoine Thomas died soon after (1709 in Peking), and was buried close to his friend and predecessor Ferdinand Verbiest in the Jesuit cemetery of Peking.
See also
- List of Belgians
- Religion in ChinaReligion in ChinaReligion in China has been characterized by pluralism since the beginning of Chinese history. The Chinese religions are family-oriented and do not demand the exclusive adherence of members. Some scholars doubt the use of the term "religion" in reference to Buddhism and Taoism, and suggest "cultural...
- Christianity in ChinaChristianity in ChinaChristianity in China is a growing minority religion that comprises Protestants , Catholics , and a small number of Orthodox Christians. Although its lineage in China is not as ancient as the institutional religions of Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism, and the social system and ideology of...
- Jesuit China missionsJesuit China missionsThe history of the missions of the Jesuits in China is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of...
- Roman Catholicism in ChinaRoman Catholicism in ChinaRoman Catholicism in China has a long and complicated history...