Étienne-Louis Charbonnaux
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Étienne-Louis Charbonnaux (20 March 1806 La Guerche-de-Bretagne France – 22 June 1873 Bangalore India) was a French missionary and the first vicar apostolic of
Mysore Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
, India.


Early life

Étienne-Louis Charbonneaux was born on 20 March 1806 in
La Guerche-de-Bretagne La Guerche-de-Bretagne (; ) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. The cellist Louis-Marie Pilet (1815–1877) was born in La Guerche-de-Bretagne. Population Inhabitants of La Guerche-de-Bretagne a ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.


Career


Priest

Charbonnaux entered the seminary in the city of
Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
, France. Afterwards, he was ordained a priest in the Société des Missions Etrangères (MEP) on 5 June 1830. On 16 August of the same year, he left France for the Malabar Mission in
Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...
, India. After a short stay in
Karaikal Karaikal (, , Help:IPA/French, /kaʁikal/) is a port city of the Indian States and territories of India, Union Territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry. It is the administrative headquarters of the Karaikal district, Karaikal Di ...
, he was sent to
Srirangapattana Srirangapatna or Srirangapattana is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganthaswamy temple consecrated around 984 CE. Later, under the British ...
, capital city of the
Mysore kingdom The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in South India, southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted su ...
, where he ministered to a congregation of 3,500 Catholics. Charbonnaux showed such devotion during a famine that an English official wrote him a letter of congratulations and gratitude, saying that he "had indeed become the father and the benefactor of the people".


Bishop

Charbonnaux's first priority was the education of natives. During these years, however, he learned English,
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
, and
Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
by himself. He was named titular Bishop of Jassen in 1841, although he refused the position and wrote an abrupt letter, citing the "mediocre services" available to the natives. He, then, traveled through the region to his first
Synod of Pondicherry A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...
in 1844. His election was confirmed in July 1844, and Mgr.
Clément Bonnand Clément Bonnand, MEP (; 20 May 1796 – 21 March 1861) was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic missionary of Paris Foreign Missions Society and was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore, Vicar Apostolic of Po ...
consecrated him as a bishop in
Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...
on 29 June 1845.


Administrator

By the mid-1840s, Mysore became established as a distinct mission, though not yet as an apostolic vicariate. Charbonnaux was named Administrator for Mysore on 16 March 1845. After his Episcopal consecration, he left again for Bengaluru, the main Catholic center of the kingdom. At that time, he had six missionaries and 13,500 Christians under his direction. Approximately 250 conversions took place per year. On 7 October 1846, he laid the cornerstone of his seminary. The early years at the seminary were difficult. From 1845 through 1859, 200 children were accepted to the seminary, but only three were eventually ordained as priests. The syllabus for studies was later corrected and expanded. In 1847, Charbonnaux set the borders of his mission on the side of Madagondanahalli and on Dasarahalli, to the southeast of
Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
. Shortly afterwards, he established a Kannada printing unit and published several books on religion and teaching methods, composed in collaboration with several other missionaries.


Reformer

In 1849, Charbonnaux held a significant position at the second
synod of Pondicherry A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...
, speaking at all the meetings. From 1848 to 1851, he and the priests in the region tried to find ways to increase the Christian population and to convert the prominent Hindu population. They examined the question of the formalities of marriage and of the catechists. Following these conferences, he published the
Usual of Mysore Usual may refer to: *Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, M ...
. On 3 April 1850, Mysore having been established as apostolic vicarage, Charbonnaux became the apostolic chaplain. His job of general administration neither stopped nor diminished his pastoral visits. His work as a missionary continued while he carried out the duties of being a bishop. His work allowed him to soothe quarrels between Indians, to confess, and to preach. "A good preacher", he once said, "is the one who, putting on within the reach of intelligence and needs of his audience, teaches well and touches curs".


Social worker

In 1853, Charbonnaux returned to Europe. On this visit, he sought the services of the nuns of the Good Shepherd of Angers for his mission in India. The nuns established their presence in
Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
in 1854 and later in
Mysore Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
. In 1859, on his advice, the nuns organised the
Congregation of Saint Ann Congregation may refer to: Religion *Church (congregation), a religious organization that meets in a particular location *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administrative body of the Catholic Church *Religious congregation, a type of religious instit ...
, composed of nuns from the native population.Nunnery of the Good Shepherd; apprenticeship of Soeurs natives, grav., ''Histoire missions de l’Inde'', v, pp. lv, lvii). Charbonnaux also founded many orphanages. For example, the Saint Joseph's High School of Bengaluru continues today as an educational institute for boys. In addition, he was in very good relations with the Rajah of Mysore, who met with him several times. At the same time, the English commissioner for Mysore, Lewis Bowring, was closely associated with him.


Apostle

After the death of Mgr. Bonnand, Charbonnaux was charged to continue the apostolic missions of India and
Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
from July 1861 until November 1862. On 17 June 1867, Pius IX invited him to Rome, on the occasion of the prelate's ascension to the pontifical throne. In 1870, Charbonnaux took part in the council of
Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
and was a member of the
Commission of Oriental Ritual In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...
. At the same time, with other apostolic chaplains he studied the Regulations of the Society of MEP. The aim was to create a final draft, which was actually something he had already begun in 1859, at conferences of
Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada * Salem, Ontario, various places Germany * Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district ** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery * Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Israel * Salem (B ...
. He went back to Mysore in 1871, where he worked until his death. He died in Bengaluru on 23 June 1873, after 43 years in the priesthood. 27 of those 43 years were as a bishop.


Writings

*Usual of the mission of Mysore. – 1851, in-8, pp. 82 the tab; *nouv. decree. 1866, in-8, pp. 86. *Memorandum on the needs of the mission of Mysore (East Indies), addressed to MM. the presidents and members of both Councils of the Œuvre de la Propagation de la Foi. – from the printing of Lainé brothers, 9, rue Saint-Laud, Angers, August 1853, in-8, pp. 24. *Dictionarium Latino Canarense. – 1861, in-8, pp. xx + 11 + 3 + 1179. *Viyakarana Kannada latin (Grammaire Kannada latine). *Modalane Patha (First Lessons). *Eradane Patha (Second Lessons). *Divya Matruke (The Devine Model). – 1862, in-18, pp. 390. *Purvika Matada Vyakyana (Explication de l'ancienne religion). *Shiloube Hadi (Way of the Cross). *Agnatavasada Dhyana (Manrèse ou Exercices de Saint-Ignace). – 1865, in-12, pp. 220. *Veda Bodhakara krama (Règles du catéchiste) uteur : Beschi – 2nd Edition, 1878, pp. 196. *Gnana Darpana (Le miroir spirituel). – 1879, in-8, pp. 112. *Satyavedada Parikshe (Examen de la vraie religion). – 2nd Edition, 1880, in-8, pp. 336. *Loka Maduve Prastada Kramavu (Mandement contenant les règles sur les cérémonies du mariage). – 2nd Edition, Morning Star Press, Bengaluru, 1894, in-8, pp. 28. *Japada dodda Pustakavu (Grand livre de prières). – 2nd Edition, 1897, in-8, pp. 546. *Id. – Nouv. Edition, imprimerie Codiaboil, Mangalore. *Japada chikka Pustakavu (Petit livre de prières). – Nouv. Edition, imprimerie Codialbile, Mangalore, 1897, in-12, pp. 386. *Diyva Parikshe (Examen de la Divinité). – 3rd Edition, 1898, in-8, pp. 142. *Patitara Marga (La voie des hérétiques). – 2nd Edition, 1898, in-8, pp. 262.


References


Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Charbonnaux, Etienne Louis 1806 births 1873 deaths 19th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in India French Roman Catholic missionaries Paris Foreign Missions Society missionaries People from Ille-et-Vilaine Roman Catholic missionaries in India Roman Catholic missionaries in Myanmar French expatriates in India