Henri-Marie-Ernest-Désiré Pinault (7 September 1904 – 24 February 1987) was the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
bishop of Chengdu from 1949 until 1983, four years before his death.
Early life
Pinault was born in 1904 into a family of farmers in
Tinténiac
Tinténiac (; br, Tintenieg; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Teintenyac'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France.
Population
Inhabi ...
deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...
in
Trévérien commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
,
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine (; br, Il-ha-Gwilen) is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named after the two rivers of the Ille and the Vilaine. It had a population of 1,079,498 in 2019. department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
in northwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
In 1905 the Pinault family settled on a farm in
Évran
Évran (; ; Gallo: ''Evran'') is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in the region of Brittany in northwestern France.
Population
The inhabitants of Évran are known in French as '' évrannais''.
Personalities
* Henri Pinault, R ...
commune in the
Côtes du Nord department of Brittany.
[ Pinault had his primary school studies in Évran and his secondary schooling at the Cordeliers in ]Dinan
Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan.
Geography
Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead of n ...
.[ The Pinaults were devout Roman Catholics and Henri had an uncle who was a priest in the diocese of St. Brieuc and a cousin who was a priest in the ]diocese of Rennes
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rhedonensis, Dolensis et Sancti Maclovii''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rennes, Dol et Saint-Malo''; br, Arc'heskopti Roazhon, Dol ha Sant-Maloù) is a dioces ...
.[ In 1922 Pinault was ordained as a priest, and on 29 June 1929 he received his appointment as a Priest of ]La Société des Missions Etrangères
The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (french: Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons ...
.[
]
Years in China
On 15 September 1929 Father Pinault embarked on his mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
to Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.[ When he first arrived in China the country was in turmoil. After spending several months in Chengdu, he was sent to Bazhou to undergo language training. Father Pinault took the Chinese name ''Peng Daochuan'' ().] The city was captured on 23 February 1933 by forces of the Communist Party of China
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...
and clergymen and Christians were forced to flee.[ Father Pinault found refuge with ]Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monks in Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
.[ In 1934 Father Pinault was appointed ''Supérieur du Probatorium'' at Hebachang, where he organized a hospice in 1942.][ In 1945 Father Pinault departed from Hebachang and replaced the deceased pastor at Tsong-Kin-Tcheou.][
On 14 July 1949 Pinault was appointed to replace the late Jacques-Victor-Marius Rouchouse as Bishop of Chengdu, the highest post in the ]Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chengdu (formerly spelt Chengtu) ( la, Dioecesis Cemtuana; zh, t=天主教成都教區, s=天主教成都教区) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chongqing ...
in the Ecclesiastical province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...
of Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
; Bishop Pinault received his episcopal ordination on 21 September 1949. Only two months later, on 28 December 1949, the city of Chengdu was captured by communist forces. In order to protect his fellow clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
members, Bishop Pinault took personal responsibility for the ownership of all church property.[ This act placed him at risk as Communist Party administrators placed heavy taxes on religious properties and imprisoned clergy members. Officials ruled that Bishop Pinault was unable to pay his “debts” and threw him in prison in early 1952, where he underwent repeated interrogations. Finally, Bishop Pinault was expelled from China, leaving Chengdu on 29 March 1952 and arriving in ]Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
on 14 April.[ Bishop Pinault arrived in ]Marseilles
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
on June 30 and shortly after visited his mother in Évran.[ After his departure from China, Pinault retained the title of Bishop of Chengdu, which he would hold until 1983.][
]
Later life and death
Shortly after his arrival in France, Bishop Pinault accepted an assignment as a military chaplain
A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
in the French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
in North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
.[ On 29 December 1953 Bishop Pinault returned to France and spent time at ]Voreppe
Voreppe () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. It is part of the Grenoble urban unit (agglomeration).Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, working with ''la Mission bretonne'' and the ''ministère épiscopal de Confirmations et d'Ordinations.''[ Bishop Pinault took part in the ]Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
from 1962-1965.[ On his return from Rome, Bishop Pinault retired to Évran, where he lived with his mother, who died in 1975, and served neighboring ]parishes
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
.[
In June 1980, Bishop Pinault celebrated ]Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
in Lisieux
Lisieux () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland.
Name
The name of the town derives from the l ...
with Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
during the Pope’s pilgrimage. In 1983, Pinault retired from his position as Bishop of Chengdu and became its Bishop Emeritus;[ the position of Bishop of Chengdu was left vacant.] In December 1986 Pinault was hospitalized at Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
with arteritis
Arteritis is the inflammation of the walls of arteries, usually as a result of infection or autoimmune response. Arteritis, a complex disorder, is still not entirely understood. Arteritis may be distinguished by its different types, based on the o ...
and underwent several surgeries. He returned home to Évran on 23 February but at 6:00 p.m. on 24 February 1987 he died. He is buried next to his mother in a small cemetery in Évran.[
]
See also
* Catholic Church in Sichuan
The presence of the Catholic Church in the Chinese province of Sichuan (formerly romanized as Szechwan or Szechuan in English; and Sutchuen, Setchuen, Sétchouan in French; la, Ecclesia Catholica in Seciuen) dates back to 1640, when two mission ...
* Christianity in Sichuan
Christianity is a minority in the Chinese province of Sichuan (formerly romanized as Szechwan or Szechuan; also referred to as "West China" or "Western China"). Eastern Lipo, Kadu people and A-Hmao are ethnic groups present in the province.
His ...
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinault, Henri
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in China
1904 births
1987 deaths
People from Ille-et-Vilaine
French Roman Catholic bishops in Asia
French military chaplains
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
French Roman Catholic missionaries
Roman Catholic missionaries in Sichuan
Roman Catholic missionaries in China
French expatriates in China