Pierre-Marie-Alphonse Favier-Duperron C.M.(Chinese: 樊國樑 Pinyin:''Fan Guoliang'' Wade-Giles: ''Fan Kouo-Léang'') (born 22 September 1837 at

Marsannay-la-Côte Marsannay-la-Côte () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Geography Marsannay-la-Côte contains a strip of vineyards on the slope of the Côte d'Or. The vineyards are the most no ...

, France; died 4 April 1905 in Beijing) was the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

(Chinese: 天主教; Pinyin: Tianzhu jiao; Lord of Heaven Religion)

Lazarist , logo = , image = Vincentians.png , abbreviation = CM , nickname = Vincentians, Paules, Lazarites, Lazarists, Lazarians , established = , founder = Vincent de Paul , fou ...

Vicar Apostolic A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of Northern Chi-Li (直隸北境) (later Chihli; now

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...

), China (now incorporating the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Beijing The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Beijing ( la, Archidioecesis Pechimensis) is a Metropolitan Latin archdiocese in the People's Republic of China. Special churches Its cathedral is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (South Church) l ...

) and titular bishop of Pentacomia from 13 April 1899 until his death in 1905. During the

Boxer Uprising The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

of 1900, Favier was responsible for the defence and preservation of the

Xishiku Cathedral The Church of the Saviour ( zh, t=救世主堂, s=救世主堂), also known as the Xishiku Church ( zh, t=西什庫天主堂, s=西什库天主堂) or Beitang ( zh, t=北堂, s=北堂, l=the North Church, links=no), is a historic Roman Catholic ...

(西什库天主堂), commonly referred to as the Beitang (北堂, the North Cathedral) in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 2 ...

, and the protection of thousands of Chinese Roman Catholic Christians. In the aftermath of the Boxer Uprising, Favier was accused of

looting Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...

.Mgr. Favier Denies Charges
''The New York Times'' (10 February 1901); accessed 9 January 2009.Death of Bishop Favier; Head of Catholics in China – Unjustly Accused of Looting in 1900
" ''New York Times'' (5 April 1905):9. Retrieved 8 January 2009Bishop Favier Denies Charges of Looting
, ''The New York Times'' (1 December 1901);. Retrieved 9 January 1901.

Biographical details

Pierre-Marie Alphonse Favier-Duperron (french:

Alphonse Favier Pierre-Marie-Alphonse Favier-Duperron C.M.(Chinese: 樊國樑 Pinyin:''Fan Guoliang'' Wade-Giles: ''Fan Kouo-Léang'') (born 22 September 1837 at Marsannay-la-Côte, France; died 4 April 1905 in Beijing) was the Roman Catholic, Catholic (Chines ...

) was born on 22 September 1837 at

(

Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or (; literally, "Golden Slope") is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.Witek, ''Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity'', http://www.bdcconline.net/en/stories/f/favier-pierremarie-alphonse.php . Retrieved 9 January 2009.

Education

Before entering the ministry of the Roman Catholic Church, Favier trained as an architect. He was able to use that training to design and supervise the construction of Beijing's North Cathedral, the Beitang. After Favier studied literature at the seminary at

Plombières Plombières (; german: Bleyberg or ''Bleiberg'', nl, Blieberg; wa, So-on-Mont-d'-Plomb) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2006, Plombières had a total population of 10,401. The total are ...

, he transferred to the

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlie ...

seminary where he studied philosophy and a year of theology.

Religious Preparation

Favier entered the Roman Catholic Church's Congregation of Mission (known as the

Lazarists , logo = , image = Vincentians.png , abbreviation = CM , nickname = Vincentians, Paules, Lazarites, Lazarists, Lazarians , established = , founder = Vincent de Paul , fou ...

Vincentians Vincentian can refer to: *A citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *A person from Saint Vincent (island), the largest island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *A member of one of the orders or societies in the Vincentian Family, both Roman C ...

) in Paris on 5 October 1858. On 6 October 1860 he indicated his desire to be a priest. At the General Assembly of the Congregation of Mission held from 27 July to 4 August 1861, Monsigneur Joseph-Martial Mouly (孟振生), C.M. (born 2 August 1807; died 4 December 1868), the then Vicar Apostolic of China's North Chihli province, which was centred on Beijing, attended and spoke of the new possibilities of evangelisation in China after the

Convention of Peking The Convention of Peking or First Convention of Peking is an agreement comprising three distinct treaties concluded between the Qing dynasty of China and Great Britain, France, and the Russian Empire in 1860. In China, they are regarded as amon ...

of 1860. Mgr Mouly wanted missionaries and sisters to accompany him on his return to China.Bernard Scott,
Pére Jean Pierre Armand David CM
", 59;. Retrieved 14 January 2000. Favier was one of those who responded affirmatively to Mouly's invitation. Alphonse Favier was ordained a priest on 19 October 1861 in the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse by bishop Mouly.

Missionary service in China (1862–1905)

Missionary priest 1862–1897

Alphonse Favier sailed from

Toulon, France Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is the ...

on 20 February 1862 on the ''Descartes'', travelling with Bishop Mouly, and three other missionaries (including Jean Pierre

Armand David Father Armand David (7 September 1826, Espelette – 10 November 1900, Paris) was a Lazarist missionary Catholic priest as well as a zoologist and a botanist. Several species, such as Père David's deer, are named after him — b ...

C.M. (1826–1900)), two lay-brothers, and fourteen Daughters of Charity. After sailing east across the Mediterranean to

Alexandria, Egypt Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, the missionary band travelled overland to the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...

, where they embarked on the ''Japon'' for their journey to China. After passing the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...

and entering the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...

, their little ship sprang a leak and was beached (probably on the northern coastal tip of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

). After their ship was repaired, they continued to China. Favier arrived in Peking (now

), China on 5 July 1862. In China Favier had an active pastoral ministry. At the time of the

Tianjin Massacre The Tientsin Massacre (), was an attack on Christian missionaries and converts in the late 19th century during the late Qing dynasty. 60 people died in attacks on French Catholic priests and nuns. There was intense belligerence from French diploma ...

of 21 June 1870, Favier was director of the Lazarist work in the district of Suanhwafu (now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Xuanhua,

), about 180 kilometres northwest of Beijing. In the absence of the Vicar Apostolic, Favier negotiated with the Chinese authorities to ensure the re-building of the damaged church property.http://ricci.rt.usfca.edu/institution/view.aspx?institutionID=431 . Retrieved 11 January 2009. Later Favier became the principal administrative assistant in Beijing, and in that capacity was able to successfully facilitate the introduction of the

Trappists The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...

into China in April 1883, and the

Marist Brothers The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic religious institute of brothers. In 1817, St. Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from France, founded the Marist Brothe ...

into China in 1891. Favier was also appointed architect and supervisor of construction for the new Cathedral of the Holy Saviour (usually known as the Beitang or Northern Cathedral) in Beijing, which was constructed for $160,000 at the Emperor's expense and completed by 1887. After meeting Favier in 1895, Sir Henry Norman (1854–1939) described Favier as "the finest specimen of a priest I have ever met, a ''beau sabreur'' of the Church, who wears Chinese dress and his hair in a queue, who speaks Chinese perfectly, who has even been decorated with a sapphire button by the Emperor." In 1897 Favier wrote ''Peking, histoire et description'', a general history of Peking that included reproductions of photographs of the city by artists such as Thomas Child, which was subsequently revised after the Boxer Uprising.

Titular Bishop of Pentacomia (1897)

On 12 November 1897, Favier was appointed Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Northern Chihli, China, as well as the

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Pentacomia. As a result of "direct representations made by the Emperor" to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

, Favier was

consecrate Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

d Titular Bishop of Pentacomia, in Beijing on 20 February 1898 by Bishop Jules Bruguière C.M. (12 August 1851 – 19 October 1906), the then Vicar Apostolic of Southwestern Chihli. Favier was responsible for negotiating the imperial decree of 15 March 1899 that placed Catholic bishops on a par with the Chinese governors and governors general, an unpopular move with a number of Catholics, Protestants and the Chinese. According to the ''Catholic Encyclopedia'':

An important imperial decree of 15 March 1899, established on an official basis the relations between the Catholic clergy and the local authorities of China; the bishops were placed on an equal footing with the viceroys and the governors, the vicars—general ranked with the treasurers, provincial judges and Tao—t'ai, priests with prefects. This decree was signed at the suggestion of Bishop Favier of Peking, but its wisdom has been much disputed.
Henri Cordier Henri Cordier (8 August 184916 March 1925) was a French linguist, historian, ethnographer, author, editor and Orientalist. He was President of the Société de Géographie ( French, "Geographical Society") in Paris.

As a consequence, the

Qing Government The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

granted him the official uniform of the second rank as an indication of courteous reception."China's Tragic Years, 1900-1901, Through a Foreign Lense", http://www.china.org.cn/e-8guo/2/3.htm. Retrieved 9 January 2009. The second rank wore "a red coral button and robe embroidered with a golden pheasant; the girdle clasp of gold set in rubies".

Vicar Apostolic of Northern Chihli (1899–1905)

Upon the death of his predecessor, Bishop Jean-Baptiste-Hippolyte Sarthou, C.M. (24 April 1840 – 13 April 1899), Favier became Vicar Apostolic of Northern Chihli on 13 April 1899. In that capacity Favier played a big part in keeping the

n and China apart, in that he influenced the

to abandon its plan to send a

nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

(apostolic delegate) to China who would exercise powers independent of the Western Powers. Favier was in favor of maintaining the ''

status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. ...

'' of the French

Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its inter ...

. In 1900, Favier wrote in an updated edition of his ''Peking, histoire et description'':

Once again we have seen the necessity of French protection of the Catholic missions as it has always been exercised and which the Church has never wanted to end. Accordingly, one will always see a consulate next to a church. The building where the French tricolor flies will always protect the Catholic cross."

According to Camps, "China has never forgotten that Church and imperialism thus worked together." According to John G. Birch (ca.1846–1900), who visited Favier in early 1899 in Beijing, Favier "is a delightful old gentleman, with a tall burly figure, but seemed hardly

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

, as, clad ''a la chinoise'', and smoking a long

cheroot The cheroot is a filterless cylindrical cigar with both ends clipped during manufacture. Since cheroots do not taper, they are inexpensive to roll mechanically, and their low cost makes them popular. The word 'cheroot' probably comes via Portugu ...

." According to E.G. Ruoff, "Father Favier ...was a friend of Prince (''sic'') Jung-Lu, and was considered by many to be the best informed European on Chinese affairs." However, Favier argued that "one should talk with the Chinese with 'a stick in one hand and a dollar in the other' – only then would they understand everything one told them!"

Favier's warning letter of 19 May 1900

George Ernest Morrison George Ernest Morrison (4 February 1862 – 30 May 1920) was an Australian journalist, political adviser to and representative of the government of the Republic of China during the First World War and owner of the then largest Asiatic library ...

, the correspondent for ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fo ...

'', no great fan of missionaries, "was full of praise for the foresight and preparedness of Bishop Favier." "No one knew more about the Boxer menace than Monsignor Alphonse-Pierre Favier, Roman Catholic Bishop of Peking." John Stuart Thomson agreed: "No foreigner in China was as accurate in his prophecies of coming political and massacres as the Roman Catholic bishop of Peking, Monsieur Favir 'sic''." In a letter of 19 May 1900 to

Stéphen Pichon Stephen Jean-Marie Pichon (10 August 1857 – 18 September 1933, Vers-en-Montagne) was a French journalist, diplomat and politician of the Third Republic. The Avenue Stéphen-Pichon in Paris is named after him. Life Stephen Jean-Marie Pichon ...

, the French Minister to China (1897–1900), Favier reported increased persecution of Christians in Paoting (now

Baoding Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...

), including the murder of local Christians, and that he believed there was imminent danger of anti-European and anti-Christian activities by the

Boxers Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe eel ...

. He indicated the Boxer uprising would spread to

, and that both churches and the foreign Legations would be attacked. He requested guards to protect the Pei-t'ang (Beitang) cathedral (North cathedral). Favier's letter read:

" The situation is becoming daily more and more serious and threatening. In the Prefecture of Pao-ting-fu more than seventy Christians have been massacred, three other
neophyte A neophyte is a recent initiate or convert to a subject or belief. Neophyte may also refer to: Science * Neophyte (botany), a plant species recently introduced to an area As a proper noun Arts and entertainment * Neophyte, a character class ...
s have been cut to pieces. Several villages have been looted and burnt, a yet greater number of others have been completely deserted. Over 2,000 Christians are fugitives, without food, clothes, or shelter; in Pekin alone about 400 refugees — men, women, and children — have already been given shelter by us and the Sisters; in another week's time we shall probably have several thousands to look after; we shall be obliged to disband the schools, colleges, and all the hospitals, to make room for these unfortunate people. On the east, pillage and incendiarism are imminent; we receive more and more alarming news every hour. Pekin is surrounded on all sides; the Boxers are daily approaching the capital, being only delayed by the measures they are taking for destroying all the Christian settlements. I beg you will be assured, M. le Ministre, that I am well informed, and am making no statements at random. The religious persecution is only a blind; the main object is to exterminate the Europeans, and this object is clearly indicated and written on the Boxers' standards. Their accomplices in Pekin are awaiting them; they are to begin by an attack on the churches, and are finally to assault the Legations. For us, indeed, here at Pe-tang, the day of attack has actually been fixed; the whole town knows it, everybody is talking about it, and the popular excitement is clearly manifest. Last night, again, forty-three poor women, with their children, flying from massacre, arrived at the Sisters' home; over 500 people accompanied them, telling them that, although they had succeeded in escaping once, they would soon all perish here with the rest. I will not speak of the numberless placards, M. le Ministre, which are posted in the town against Europeans in general; new notices appear daily, each more clearly expressed than the last. People who were present at the massacres in
Tientsin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popula ...
30 years ago are struck by the similarity of the situation then with that of to-day; there are the same placard's, the same threats, the same notices, and the same want of foresight. Then also, as to-day, the missionaries wrote and begged, foreseeing the horrible awakening. In these circumstances, M. le Ministre, I think it is my duty to request you to send us, at least to Pe-tang, 40 or 50 sailors, to protect us and our belongings. This has been done on much less critical occasions, and I trust you will favourably consider my humble application.

In 1901 Favier's diary of the siege in the Beitang was published as ''The Heart of Pekin: Bishop A. Favier's Diary of the Siege, May–August 1900'', as was his article, ''Siège de la mission catholique du Pé-tang''.

The siege of the Beitang

The Catholic Church of the Holy Savior (known colloquially then as the Peitang, and later as the Beitang, and now as

(西什库天主堂)), located in the Xicheng district of Beijing, was under siege by an estimated ten thousand Boxers from 14 June 1900 until 16 August 1900. Professor Joseph Esherick recounts that "the Boxers concentrated most of their energy on the siege of the Catholics' Northern Cathedral. This was the last remaining church in the city, and some 10,000 Boxers joined in the siege" According to Mei Qianli, the Boxers assaulted the church for sixty-two days, and the siege was not stopped until foreign armies marched into Beijing to restore peace. According to W.A.P. Martin, "the defence of that cathedral forms the most brilliant page in the history of the siege."W.A.P. Martin, "A Western Account of the Boxer Rebellion at Peking", from ''The Siege in Peking, China against the World'' (New York, F. H. Revell Company, 1900); http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/bxr2.html . Retrieved 12 January 2009. Favier's "successful defense of Peking's Peitang Cathedral was nothing short of a Christian miracle." According to Martin, "The new, or northern, cathedral, standing in an open ground by itself, was considered capable of defence. Monsignor Favier bravely resolved to hold it at all hazards, and thus preserve the lives of three thousand converts who had there taken refuge." As the cathedral was located inside the

Imperial City, Beijing The Imperial City () is a section of the city of Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the Forbidden City at its center. It refers to the collection of gardens, shrines, and other service areas between the Forbidden City and the Inner City ...

near the western Gate, about three kilometres (2 miles) from the Legation Quarter, it was isolated from the foreign Legations."Beijing (Peking) Legations, China, Siege (1900)", 48-52, in ''The War of 1898 and U.S. Interventions, 1898-1934: An Encyclopedia'', ed. Benjamin R. Beede. Taylor & Francis, 1994. Martin explains:

Not until the siege was raised, however, had we any conception of the severity of the conflict that devoted band had to wage in order to keep the enemy at bay; for from us, though separated only by an interval of two miles in a direct line, they were cut off from communication as completely as if they had been situated at the north pole.

The Eastern (Tong Tang) and Southern (Nan Tang) Cathedrals were destroyed, as were all other Roman Catholic properties in Chihli. Favier estimated that during the Boxer Uprising that between 15,000 and 20,000 members of his 'flock' and that three-quarters of the chapels were destroyed. Bishop Favier accepted compensation for destroyed buildings, but nothing for the loss of human life. During the siege, more than 3,900 people (including about one hundred Europeans, primarily women and children, and 850 orphans) sought sanctuary within the stone walls of the cathedral, which was defended by only forty-one French and Italian marines, led by an Italian and a French officer. Believing the cathedral would be attacked by the Boxers, from mid-May Favier was able to collect huge stores of food, weapons and ammunition, but the large numbers of refugees necessitated severe rationing until the siege was lifted on 16 August 1900 by the Japanese military. During his trip to China in the summer of 1901, missionary statesman

Arthur Judson Brown Arthur Judson Brown (December 3, 1856 – January 11, 1963) was an American clergyman, missionary and author. Brown was born in Holliston, Massachusetts, and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1883. Brown preached in various cities throug ...

(1856–1963) interviewed Favier, who gave detailed description of the damage inflicted during the siege:

I called on the famous Bishop. He was, for he has since died, a burly, heavily-bearded Frenchman of about sixty-five apparently. He received us most cordially and readily talked of the siege. He said that of the eighty Europeans and 3,400 Christians with him in the siege, 2,700 were women and children. Four hundred were buried, of whom forty were killed by bullets, twenty-five by one explosion, eighty-one by another and one by another. Of the rest, some died of disease but the greater part of starvation. Twenty-one children were buried at one time in one grave. Beside these 400 who were killed or who died, many more were blown to pieces in explosions so that nothing could be found to bury. Fifty-one children disappeared in this way and not a fragment remained.

After the Boxer uprising (1900–1905)

Mgr Favier in 1900. In 1901 the Roman Catholic Church conferred the title "Religious Guard " on Favier, for his role in defending the Beitang, and the preservation of the lives of many Roman Catholic Christians. the

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, wi ...

honoured Favier by awarding him the red button of the first mandarins. Additionally, in 1901 Favier was made a

Chevalier of the Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

. In 1905 Favier wrote ''

Yanjing Ji or Jicheng was an ancient city in northern China, which has become the longest continuously inhabited section of modern Beijing. Historical mention of Ji dates to the founding of the Zhou dynasty in about 1045BC. Archaeological finds in sout ...

kaijiao lue'', which was a short history of the founding of the Church in Beijing.

Death (1905)

On 4 April 1905, Favier died in Beijing at the age of 67, and was buried in the Beitang Cathedral.

Criticisms of Favier

Critique by Lanxin Xiang

Lanxin Xiang, Professor of International History and Politics at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in

Geneva, Switzerland , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ...

, believes Favier contributed greatly to the anti-foreign and anti-Catholic feelings of Chinese villagers prior to the Boxer Uprising. Xiang in his ''The Origins of the Boxer War'' is sceptical of Favier's statistics, accusing Favier of distorting the facts (186) and exaggerating the situation. For example, after an incident on 12 May 1900 in Kaolo (now Gao Luo) village in Laishui County,

Mgr. Favier immediately claimed that 68 converts were killed, all the houses owned by the Church and the converts were burnt. However, the Chinese investigators who arrived at the village reported the burning of churches and houses, but cited a much lower number of casualties than that given by Bishop Favier. The death toll was not more than five.Xiang, 193.

Xiang adds: "After the rampage, the Gao Luo Boxers went to a neighboring county and burnt several houses belonged to the converts, but killing nobody. Favier again claimed that 'all houses were burnt there and the converts killed were countless." Favier's report implied, for the first time, that the actions of the Boxers had the official authorisation of the Chinese government. "Thus the Chinese government's complicity at once became self-evident to the diplomatic corps." According to Xiang,

Favier's version of a great 'massacre' in Laishui sent a shock wave through the foreign community in Beijing. It was unanimously accepted as the truth by the diplomats and the other foreign residents.... Favier's exaggeration brought about a psychological turning point at the Legations. As no one doubted its authenticity.

Further, Xiang asserts that Favier's myopic view of riots distorted his perception of the causes, only blaming the non-converts for disputes, and insisting that only they be punished, thus creating increased resentment: "The relationship between the government soldiers and the local population deteriorated rapidly. Worse still, the government soldiers were often indiscriminate in their military operations". As Favier was close to Pichon, "the picture given to Pichon was inevitably dark and extremely pessimistic."Xiang, 191.

Critique by d'Addosio

One of Favier's subordinates, Vincentian Father P. Pasquale Raffaele d'Addosio (born 19 December 1835 in

Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label=Eastern Lombard, Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes ...

, Italy; martyred 15 August 1900 by the Boxers in Beijing), often criticised Favier to Marquis Giuseppe Salvago-Raggi, the Italian minister to China since 1899, accusing him of being power-hungry, thus confirming "the Italian minister's suspicions about the insincerity and ulterior motives of the Catholic missionaries."

Looting controversy

Despite pillage and the confiscation of private property being prohibited explicitly in the Hague Conventions of 1899, which each nation of the Eight-Nation Alliance had signed, James Hevia indicates that "looting in 1900 was a major point of contention and public debate in China, the United States, and Western Europe." Historian Thoralf Klein explains the paradoxical nature of the actions of the Eight-Nation Alliance:

The
Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
Empire had been represented at the Hague Peace Conference in 1899, but the Chinese delegate had not signed its most important document, the Laws and Customs of War on Land. The ensuing legal insecurity made it possible for violations not only of
international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
, but also of national military penal law ... to go unpunished. One of the few critics who explicitly denounced the disregard for international law shown by the Allied troops was the journalist George Lynch (1901: 303 ff.). Legal discourse thus created a double ambivalence on the Allied side: at a theoretical level, the intervention was designed to enforce international law in a country that refused to acknowledge it. At a practical level, the method of enforcing international law consisted in its constant violation.

Favier condemned the international relief expedition's excessive use of force against the Chinese rebels, however

was commonplace and extensive in the aftermath of the Boxer Uprising. Hevia indicates that a "loot fever gripped the armies and Euroamerican civilian population in Beijing. and a wild

orgy In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party consisting of at least five members where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained sexual activity or group sex. Swingers' parties do not always conform to this designation, because at many swing ...

plunder Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...

ensued. Moreover, many accounts agree that few if any were immune from loot fever." Payson Jackson Treat (1879–1972) observed that "with few exceptions all the foreigners, military and civilians, took part in the loot, either directly or by purchases from the original marauders." According to Simon Au:

Contrary to what some historians write, there appears to be little difference in conduct by soldiers from different countries. Jasper Whiting, an American war correspondent, wrote that the looting of Beijing was the most extraordinary and the most outrageous proceeding connected with the Boxer troubles. From his observations, it was not confined to any set of individuals or to any nationality, nor was it confined to the men. In fact, he was told that women had started it. Simpson sums up the activity in one of his letters: "...Then we came across Americans, again some French, then some Germans, until it became an endless procession of looting men—conquerors and conquered mixed and indifferent...". There are official auctions now being organized, where you will be able to buy legally, and after the approved methods, every kind of loot.

The commander of the Eight-Nation Alliance forces, Count

Alfred von Waldersee Alfred Ludwig Heinrich Karl Graf von Waldersee (8 April 1832 in Potsdam5 March 1904 in Hanover) was a German field marshal (''Generalfeldmarschall'') who became Chief of the Imperial German General Staff. Born into a prominent military family, ...

speaking of the looting by the French forces, indicated in an article "Plundering Peking":

Some of the loot was delivered to Bishop Favier to compensate him and his converts for their own fearful losses. Favier sold these articles little by little. I personally bought a number of furs from him at a very low price.

Accusations against Favier

One of the first to publish accusations against Favier, and other missionaries (including

William Scott Ament William Scott Ament (Chinese Names: 梅子明 and 梅威良 Mei Wei Liang) (14 September 1851 – 6 January 1909 in San Francisco) was a missionary to China for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) from 1877, and wa ...

of the Protestant

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...

) was Wilbur J. Chamberlin, the correspondent for the New York ''Sun'', who, in a letter to his wife in December 1900, wrote:

Since the raising of the siege in Peking the Catholic Cathedral here has at times been turned into a salesroom for stolen property. I talked to-day with a man who had himself purchased more than 7,000 taels, worth of stolen property from this man. The word "stolen" is, of course, pretty harsh. The army softens it into loot, and the missionaries speak of it as "reimbursement." What it really is is taking property belonging to another against the wishes of the owner and converting it into money and using that money for purposes not sanctioned by the owner, and if the dictionary does not define that as stealing then there must be something wrong with the dictionary.

In February 1901, while on furlough in France, Favier heard that he was being accused of looting. The 10 February 1901 edition of ''The New York Times'' reported accusations against Favier by

"the family of Lu-Sen (Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs executed by the
Empress Dowager Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother) () is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese emperor in the Chinese cultural sphere. The title was a ...
because he would not
sanction A sanction may be either a permission or a restriction, depending upon context, as the word is an auto-antonym. Examples of sanctions include: Government and law * Sanctions (law), penalties imposed by courts * Economic sanctions, typically a ba ...
the anti-foreign movement), that the Archbishop had looted their house of money and valuables aggregating in value a million
tael Tael (),"Tael" entry
at the

"Lu-Sen" was actually Yuan Chang () (born 1846; executed 29 July 1900), a qing (minister) from the Taichangshi department, who according to Article II of the

Boxer Protocol The Boxer Protocol was signed on September 7, 1901, between the Qing Empire of China and the Eight-Nation Alliance that had provided military forces (including Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the Uni ...

signed on 7 September 1901, "was the Vice-President of the Court of Sacrifices, who had been "put to death for having protested against the outrageous breaches of international law of last year". Yuang Chang had tried to dissuade Dowager-Empress

Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; mnc, Tsysi taiheo; formerly romanised as Empress Dowager T'zu-hsi; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908), of the Manchu Yehe Nara clan, was a Chinese noblewoman, concubine and later regent who effectively controlle ...

from supporting the Boxers and attacking the foreign legations in Beijing. Yuan Chang and fellow reformer

Xu Jingcheng Xu Jingcheng (; 1845 – 28 July 1900) was a Chinese diplomat and Qing politician supportive of the Hundred Days' Reform. He was envoy to Belgium, France, Italy, Russia, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany for the Qing imperial court an ...

(Chinese: 許景澄,

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese fo ...

: Xǔ Jǐngchéng; Wade-Giles: Hsü Ching-ch'eng) (Born 1845; beheaded 29 July 1900) the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, had sent in three

petitions A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offici ...

to Cixi in a futile attempt to stop the attacks on the embassies, as well as to encourage the suppression of the Boxers. According to Klein:

In July 1900, the high-ranking officials Yuan Chang and Xu Jingcheng repeatedly warned the throne that the murder of envoys was not only forbidden by the "
Spring and Autumn Annals The ''Spring and Autumn Annals'' () is an ancient Chinese chronicle that has been one of the core Chinese classics since ancient times. The '' Annals'' is the official chronicle of the State of Lu, and covers a 241-year period from 722 to 48 ...
", but also by international law, and that a punitive action by the powers was sure to follow. This challenge of the hawks at court brought about their downfall; both were subsequently executed.

Favier was accused of selling a confiscated collection of porcelain to

Herbert G. Squiers Herbert Goldsmith Squiers (April 20, 1859 – October 19, 1911) was an American diplomat and soldier, who served as the U.S. minister to Cuba (1902–1905), and Panama (1906–1909) and a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. Early ...

, the First Secretary of the American Legation, and a member of Favier's congregation. Jasper Whiting, war correspondent for the ''Westminster Gazette'', wrote that "the best collection of loot obtained belonged to Lady MacDonald, the wife of the British minister, while the second-best belonged to the First Secretary of the American Legation." Investigative journalist

Sterling Seagrave Sterling Seagrave (April 15, 1937 – May 1, 2017) was an American historian. He was the author of numerous books which address unofficial and clandestine aspects of the 20th-century political history of countries in the Far East. Personal life Bo ...

asserts that "great fortunes were made by those like Herbert Squiers, who knew where to find the richest pickings and chose his loot as a

connoisseur A connoisseur ( French traditional, pre-1835, spelling of , from Middle-French , then meaning 'to be acquainted with' or 'to know somebody/something') is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts; who is a keen appreciator ...

". Squiers left Beijing on 2 September 1901 "with what was reported to be several railway cars filled with Chinese art", which Squiers indicated was to be donated to the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

. Among those critical of the origins of Squiers' donation to the Metropolitan Museum was the ''New Outlook'' magazine, which claimed the "collection of fine Chinese porcelain asknown to have been looted from palaces in Peking." In response to criticism that this collection was the result of looting, both the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the U.S. State department officials were sceptical that this was a large collection of loot. His collection was on loan to the

United States National Museum The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded o ...

(better known as

The Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded o ...

) in Washington, D.C. from 1907 to 1908. After his death, his collection was sold at auction in New York in April 1912, and realised over $48,000. The method of which Squiers used to acquire his collection of Chinese art continued to be criticized as lately as 2003, with journalist Sandy English writing that "much of the Squires ic.Collection of Chinese art, now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, was stolen from Beijing in the aftermath of the revolt".

Response by Favier

In February 1901 Favier immediately denied all accusations of looting or ordering any of his followers to loot, promised to return to Beijing soon and there report to the authorities and answer the accusations, and make full reparation if "it be shown that any Christian without his knowledge or order injured any Chinese family." Favier indicated "if any injustice has been done, in spite of my order to the contrary, I will see that it is repaired." Favier departed for China in February 1901, and upon his return to Beijing at the end of March, could not find any outstanding accusations against him.Hevia, in ''Tokens'', 207. On 1 April 1900 Favier cabled a strong denial: "Bishop Favier denies utterly the accounts published in Europe and America, to the effect that he conducted an immense loot sale. Favier's defence was similar to that of

, the

missionary to Beijing, who was attacked in print by American humorist

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has pr ...

, in that goods seized were to feed and support indigent Christian survivors. On 20 October 1901, Favier wrote a lengthy response to the accusations, which was subsequently published in ''The New York Times'' on 1 December 1901, as well as in the December edition of ''The Independent'', the

Paulist Fathers The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle ( la, Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded ...

' ''

Catholic World ''The Catholic World'' was a periodical founded by Paulist Father Isaac Thomas Hecker in April 1865. It was published by the Paulist Fathers for over a century. According to Paulist Press, Hecker "wanted to create an intellectual journal for a ...

'', and reprinted in ''The American Monthly

Review of Reviews The ''Review of Reviews'' was a noted family of monthly journals founded in 1890–1893 by British reform journalist William Thomas Stead (1849–1912). Established across three continents in London (1891), New York (1892) and Melbourne (1893), t ...

'' edited by American academic, journalist, and reformer Albert Shaw (1857–1947). Favier indicated in his ''

apologia An apologia (Latin for apology, from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is a formal defense of an opinion, position or action. The term's current use, often in the context of religion, theology and philosophy, derives from Justin Mar ...

'' that on 16 August 1900 there were about six thousand Christian survivors of the Peking siege, and that after sixty days were "now without either shelter, clothing or food." As he was unwilling to

"permit the multitude to die of hunger. It was then that I authorized my steward (ministre) to keep an exact account of all the food that should be taken from the Government stores in order that it might be deducted from the indemnity to be asked for later on. A similar account must be carefully made of all things taken from the residences and stores of private citizens. This he did. The value of things taken from the Government stores was deducted from the amount required as indemnity, and the owners of the residences and stores were all reimbursed."

Favier indicated that he could not locate anyone named Li Sen, but believed it was Yan Li Chan (Yuan Chang; Chinese: 袁昶), who "had a fairly good residence near my own. He was condemned to death, and executed by Prince Tuan. His house was pillaged by the Boxers, who also burned it in order to make their escape." Favier claimed Christians were able to save four cases of porcelain from the home of Yan Li Chan, and stored in Favier's home. These cases, plus his own valuable personal collection, was sold to provide for the 18,000 to 20,000 Christians in the province who were starving. According to Favier, believing Yan had no surviving descendants, he decided to sell to Squiers pieces from both his and Yan's collections for a total of £1,000, which Favier indicated was distributed immediately to the needy. Upon locating a son of Yuan Chang, Favier indicated that he compelled him to take full remuneration for the items sold. Favier concluded that he was held in such esteem as a result of his efforts that he had received numerous testimonials and addresses of thanks from grateful pagans, and that a great number of them had converted to Christianity, with 1,400 baptised and over four thousand enrolled to become Catholics. Favier concluded:

Now I have written exactly what happened. If any man does not wish to take the word of an old man and a Bishop, who has lived for forty years in Peking, I can obtain and send the
affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or '' deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by law. Such a statemen ...
s of all those who have suffered loss and been indemnified....We have never had the least trouble with the good people of Peking, who know well that I am the friend of the pagan just as well as of the Christian.

Subsequent evaluation

In an

obituary An obituary ( obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Ac ...

published in ''The New York Times'' on 5 April 1905, the looting charges made against him four years earlier were rehearsed, but ''The New York Times'' concluded:

It turned out that the charges were baseless, and that, as a matter of fact, the Bishop had sold his own valuable collection of porcelains to keep the Chinese Christians from starving.

However, this did not prevent the Vietnamese Communist

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

Hồ Chí Minh (: ; born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), commonly known as ('Uncle Hồ'), also known as ('President Hồ'), (' Old father of the people') and by other aliases, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman. He served as Pr ...

, then an instructor at the

Whampoa Military Academy The Republic of China Military Academy () is the service academy for the army of the Republic of China, located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung. Previously known as the the military academy produced commanders who fought in many of China's ...

in Canton, China (now

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kong ...

) using the same material to criticise Favier in his 1925 article, "Le Procès de la Colonisation Française", for his "pillaging" of property.Ho Chi Minh, "Le Procès de la Colonisation Française", Chapter X "Le Clericalisme"; http://classiques.chez-alice.fr/ho/proc10.pdf. Retrieved 10 January 2009.

References

Works by Favier

Articles by Favier

* "An Answer to Charges of Looting" ''Catholic World'' 74 (October 1901 – March 1902):387ff, 390.

Books by Favier

* ''The Heart of Pekin: Bishop A. Favier's Diary of the Siege, May–August 1900''. Ed. Joseph Freri. Boston: Marlier, 1901. https://archive.org/stream/heartpekinbisho00frgoog/heartpekinbisho00frgoog_djvu.txt. Retrieved 8 January 2009. * ''Peking, histoire et description''. Peking: Impr. Lazaristes, 1897. reed. 1898; Lille: Societe de Saint Augustin, 1900; Lille: Desclee de Brouwer, 1902. https://archive.org/details/pkinghistoiree00faviuoft https://archive.org/download/pkinghistoiree00faviuoft/pkinghistoiree00faviuoft.pdf * ''Siège de la mission catholique du Pé-tang''. ''Annales CM'' LXVI (66) (1901):55–124. https://web.archive.org/web/20081205015826/http://www.famvin.org/fr/missions/FAVIER/FAVIER_siegePetang.htm * ''Yanjing kaijiao lue'' rief Account of the Founding of the Church in Yanjing Beijing: Pan Guoliang of the Beijing Vincentians, 1905.

Letters of Favier

* ''Lettres d' Alphonse Favier'' (Prêtre de la Mission de St Lazare) a sa famille-depuis son depart pour la Chine, v.1. ns., und * Letter to Mr. ______, a member of the central Committee of the Society of the Holy Childhood, 1 October 1864, from Pekin eijing China. Pages 32–33 in
Annals of the Society of the Holy Childhood for the Redemption of Pagan Children
'. Vol. VII. Trans. from the French. London: Thomas Richardson & Son, 1866.. Retrieved 10 January 2009. * Letter to Mr. ______, a member of the central Committee of the Society of the Holy Childhood, 25 January 1866, from Pekin eijing China. Pages 164–167 in
Annals of the Society of the Holy Childhood for the Redemption of Pagan Children
'. Vol. VII. Trans. from the French. London: Thomas Richardson & Son, 1866.. Retrieved 10 January 2009.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Favier, Pierre-Marie-Alphonse 1837 births 1905 deaths People from Côte-d'Or Vincentians Roman Catholic missionaries in China French Roman Catholic bishops in Asia Vincentian bishops French Roman Catholic titular bishops Apostolic vicars 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in China 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in China Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Burials in China