Antoine-Louis-Adolphe Dupuch (1800-1856) was a
French Catholic
The Catholic Church in France, Gallican Church, or French Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. Established in the 2nd century in unbroken communion with the bishop of Rome, it was sometim ...
priest who served as the first
Bishop of Algiers from 1838 to 1845. He attempted to evangelise the local Arab population and built nearly 60 new churches in
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
.
Early life
Antoine-Adolphe Dupuch was born on May 22, 1800, in Bordeaux, France.
Career
Dupuch was ordained as a priest by the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bordeaux
The Archdiocese of Bordeaux (–Bazas) (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Burdigalensis (–Bazensis)''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Bordeaux (–Bazas)''; Occitan: ''Archidiocèsi de Bordèu (–Vasats)'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or a ...
in 1825.
Dupuch served as the first
Bishop of Algiers from 1838 to 1845.
He was initially appointed to cater to the French colonists who lived in Algeria and ensure they led righteous lives.
However, Dupuch felt called by God to restore Christianity in Algeria.
Indeed, he believed Arabs had been Christians before they were forced to convert to Islam.
He also believed Algeria could be used as a springboard to rechristianise the entire continent of Africa.
Dupuch's views on evangelisation clashed with official doctrine of the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
under Governor-General
Thomas Robert Bugeaud
Thomas Robert Bugeaud, marquis de la Piconnerie, duc d'Isly (15 October 178410 June 1849) was a Marshal of France and Colonial heads of Algeria, Governor-General of Algeria during the French colonization. Born an aristocrat, he has a complex le ...
, who feared the Arabs might feel disrespected and rebel.
He also clashed with
Emily de Vialar and expelled her
Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition from Algeria; the order focused on evangelising Tunisia instead.
Meanwhile, Dupuch helped build churches across Algeria. By 1846, he had paid for the construction of 60 new churches, chapels and oratories in
French Algeria
French Algeria ( until 1839, then afterwards; unofficially ; ), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of History of Algeria, Algerian history when the country was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted until ...
, out of his own pocket.
However, he was forced to resign as bishop as he went into debt.
Dupuch was the author of several books about Christianity in French Algeria and Africa. He wrote two books about
Abdelkader El Djezairi
Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhyi al-Din (6 September 1808 – 26 May 1883; '), known as the Emir Abdelkader or Abd al-Qadir al-Hassani al-Jaza'iri, was an Algerian religious and military leader who led a struggle against the French colonial invasion of ...
.
Death
Dupuch died on July 11, 1856.
Works
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Further reading
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References
1800 births
1856 deaths
Clergy from Bordeaux
French Roman Catholic bishops in Africa
French Roman Catholic writers
Roman Catholic bishops of Algiers
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