Map of "Annam" drafted by Alexandre de Rhodes (1651) showing "Cocincina" (left) and "Tunkin" (right).
Alexandre de Rhodes was born in Avignon, Papal States (now in France). According to some sources, he was a descendant of Jewish origin. His paternal side was from Aragón, Spain.[4] He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Rome on 24 April 1612 to dedicate his life to missionary work.
Following the successful visit of fellow Jesuits Giuliano Baldinotti and Julio Koga to Đàng Ngoài (Tonkin) in 1626, the superior André Palmeiro sent Alexandre de Rhodes and Pero Marques, Sr. to evangelize in this domain of North Vietnam.[6] The two missionaries landed in Thanh Hoá on March 19, 1627 (the Feast of Saint Joseph) and arrived the capital Thăng Long (nowadays Hanoi) on July 2 (the Feast of Visitation). De Rhodes worked there until 1630, when he was forced to leave. During these three years he was in and around the court at Hanoi during the rule of lord Trịnh Tráng. It was during that time that he composed the Ngắm Mùa Chay, a popular Catholic devotion to this day, meditating upon the Passion of Christ in the Vietnamese language.[7] He was expelled from Vietnam in 1630 as Trịnh Tráng became concerned about him being a spy for the Nguyen. Rhodes in his reports said he converted more than 6,000 Vietnamese. Daily conversation in Vietnam "resembles the singing of birds", wrote Alexandre de Rhodes.
From Đàng Ngoài Rhodes went to Macau, where he spent ten years. He then returned to Vietnam, this time to Đàng Trong, mainly around Huế. He spent six years in this part until he aroused the displeasure of lord Nguyễn Phúc Lan and was condemned to death.
Latin-Vietnamese catechism, written by Alexandre de Rhodes.
As his sentence was reduced to exile, Rhodes returned to Rome by 1649 and pleaded for increased funding for Catholic missions to Vietnam, telling somewhat exaggerated stories about the natural riches to be found in Vietnam. This plea by Alexandre de Rhodes helped to found the Paris Foreign Missions Society in 1659. As neither the Portuguese nor the Pope showed interest in the project, Alexandre de Rhodes, with Pope Alexander VII's agreement, found secular volunteers in Paris in the persons of François Pallu and Pierre Lambert de la Motte, the first members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society, who were sent to the Far-East as Apostolic vicars.[8][9][10]
In 1943, the French colony of Indochina issued a 30c postage stamp honoring him. In 2001 Vietnamese artist Nguyen Dinh Dang created a painting in homage to Alexandre de Rhodes and Nguyen Van Vinh.[11]
Works
While in Vietnam, de Rhodes developed an early Vietnamese alphabet based on work by earlier Portuguese missionaries such as Gaspar do Amaral, António Barbosa and Francisco de Pina. De Rhodes compiled a catechism, Phép giảng tám ngày, and a trilingual dictionary and grammar, Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum. Both published in Rome in 1651, de Rhodes's works reflect his favor of this new Latin-script alphabet instead of Nôm script.[12] Later refined as chữ Quốc ngữ, it eventually became the de facto written form of Vietnamese language in the 20th century. Meanwhile, Maiorica's catechism and devotional texts reflect the favor of chữ Nôm, which was the dominant script of Vietnamese Christian literature until the 20th century.[13]
De Rhodes also wrote several books about Vietnam and his travels there, including:
Relazione de’ felici successi della santa fede predicata dai Padri della Compagnia di Giesu nel regno di Tunchino (Rome, 1650)
Tunchinesis historiae libri duo, quorum altero status temporalis hujus regni, altero mirabiles evangelicae predicationis progressus referuntur: Coepta per Patres Societatis Iesu, ab anno 1627, ad annum 1646 (Lyon, 1652)
Histoire du Royaume de Tunquin, et des grands progrès que la prédication de L’Évangile y a faits en la conversion des infidèles Depuis l’année 1627, jusques à l’année 1646 (Lyon, 1651), translated by Henri Albi
La glorieuse mort d'André, Catéchiste (The Glorious Death of Andrew, Catechist) (pub. 1653)
Notes
^Current scholarship suggests Rhodes may have been born in 1593. See Eduardo Torralba, S.I., "La Date de naissance du Père de Rhodes: 15 mars 1591, est-elle exacte?", in Bulletin de la Société des Études Indochinoises, n.s. 35 (1960), 683–689, about the disagreement regarding the date of de Rhodes' birth. While some sources, including the Catholic Encyclopedia, indicate that the date was 1591, specialists such as Torralba, Peter Phan, Claude Larre, Pham Dinh Khiem, and Joseph Dehergne give the later date of 1593.
^Wörterbücher: Ein Internationales Handbuch Zur Lexikographie by Franz Josef Hausmann, p.2583 [1]
^Researches Into the Physical History of Mankind By James Cowles p.501 [2]
^Đỗ Quang Chính (1999). "Tu sĩ Dòng Tên Alexandre de Rhodes từ trần".
^Tran, Anh Q. (October 2018). "The Historiography of the Jesuits in Vietnam: 1615–1773 and 1957–2007". Brill.
^Phan, Peter C. (2015). Mission and Catechesis: Alexandre de Rhodes & Inculturation in Seventeenth-Century Vietnam. Orbis Books. ISBN9781608334742., "Adaptations of Christian liturgy", n. 5.
^"The Introduction of Roman Writing Into Vietnam (The transcendental Death of Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh)".
^Sidwell P., Jenny M. The Handbook of Austroasiatic Languages. BRILL. 2014. V. 2. P. 909
^Ostrowski, Brian Eugene (2010). "The Rise of Christian Nôm Literature in Seventeenth-Century Vietnam: Fusing European Content and Local Expression". In Wilcox, Wynn (ed.). Vietnam and the West: New Approaches. Ithaca, New York: SEAP Publications, Cornell University Press. pp. 23, 38. ISBN9780877277828.
Sources
Tigers in the Rice, W. Sheldon p. 26 (1969)
Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Alexandre de Rhodes
Trần Duy Nhiên and Roland Jacques (2007). . Archived from the original.
Nguyễn Đình Đầu (2007). "Về bài báo vu khống và phỉ báng cha Ðắc Lộ". Nguyệt san Công giáo và Dân tộc số 145.
Antôn Bùi Kim Phong (2017). "Alexandre de Rhodes S.J. Nhà truyền giáo".
External links
Portuguese Missionaries and their Influence on Vietnamese
February 05, 2023
alexandre, rhodes, march, 1593, november, 1660, avignonese, jesuit, missionary, lexicographer, lasting, impact, christianity, vietnam, wrote, dictionarium, annamiticum, lusitanum, latinum, first, trilingual, vietnamese, portuguese, latin, dictionary, published. Alexandre de Rhodes 15 March 1593 1 5 November 1660 was an Avignonese Jesuit missionary and lexicographer who had a lasting impact on Christianity in Vietnam He wrote the Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum the first trilingual Vietnamese Portuguese Latin dictionary published in Rome in 1651 2 3 Alexandre de RhodesPersonal detailsBorn15 March 1593Avignon Papal StatesDied5 November 1660 aged 67 Isfahan PersiaDenominationRoman Catholicism Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 Notes 4 Sources 5 External linksBiography Edit Map of Annam drafted by Alexandre de Rhodes 1651 showing Cocincina left and Tunkin right Alexandre de Rhodes was born in Avignon Papal States now in France According to some sources he was a descendant of Jewish origin His paternal side was from Aragon Spain 4 He entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus in Rome on 24 April 1612 to dedicate his life to missionary work In 1624 he was sent to the East Asia arriving in the Nguyễn controlled domain of Đang Trong Cochinchina on a boat with fellow Jesuit Girolamo Maiorica De Rhodes studied Vietnamese under Francisco de Pina 5 before returning to Portuguese Macau Following the successful visit of fellow Jesuits Giuliano Baldinotti and Julio Koga to Đang Ngoai Tonkin in 1626 the superior Andre Palmeiro sent Alexandre de Rhodes and Pero Marques Sr to evangelize in this domain of North Vietnam 6 The two missionaries landed in Thanh Hoa on March 19 1627 the Feast of Saint Joseph and arrived the capital Thăng Long nowadays Hanoi on July 2 the Feast of Visitation De Rhodes worked there until 1630 when he was forced to leave During these three years he was in and around the court at Hanoi during the rule of lord Trịnh Trang It was during that time that he composed the Ngắm Mua Chay a popular Catholic devotion to this day meditating upon the Passion of Christ in the Vietnamese language 7 He was expelled from Vietnam in 1630 as Trịnh Trang became concerned about him being a spy for the Nguyen Rhodes in his reports said he converted more than 6 000 Vietnamese Daily conversation in Vietnam resembles the singing of birds wrote Alexandre de Rhodes From Đang Ngoai Rhodes went to Macau where he spent ten years He then returned to Vietnam this time to Đang Trong mainly around Huế He spent six years in this part until he aroused the displeasure of lord Nguyễn Phuc Lan and was condemned to death Latin Vietnamese catechism written by Alexandre de Rhodes A page from Alexandre de Rhodes 1651 dictionary Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum As his sentence was reduced to exile Rhodes returned to Rome by 1649 and pleaded for increased funding for Catholic missions to Vietnam telling somewhat exaggerated stories about the natural riches to be found in Vietnam This plea by Alexandre de Rhodes helped to found the Paris Foreign Missions Society in 1659 As neither the Portuguese nor the Pope showed interest in the project Alexandre de Rhodes with Pope Alexander VII s agreement found secular volunteers in Paris in the persons of Francois Pallu and Pierre Lambert de la Motte the first members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society who were sent to the Far East as Apostolic vicars 8 9 10 Alexandre de Rhodes himself was sent to Persia instead of back to Vietnam Rhodes died in Isfahan Persia in 1660 and was buried in the New Julfa Armenian Cemetery In 1943 the French colony of Indochina issued a 30c postage stamp honoring him In 2001 Vietnamese artist Nguyen Dinh Dang created a painting in homage to Alexandre de Rhodes and Nguyen Van Vinh 11 Works EditWhile in Vietnam de Rhodes developed an early Vietnamese alphabet based on work by earlier Portuguese missionaries such as Gaspar do Amaral Antonio Barbosa and Francisco de Pina De Rhodes compiled a catechism Phep giảng tam ngay and a trilingual dictionary and grammar Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum Both published in Rome in 1651 de Rhodes s works reflect his favor of this new Latin script alphabet instead of Nom script 12 Later refined as chữ Quốc ngữ it eventually became the de facto written form of Vietnamese language in the 20th century Meanwhile Maiorica s catechism and devotional texts reflect the favor of chữ Nom which was the dominant script of Vietnamese Christian literature until the 20th century 13 De Rhodes also wrote several books about Vietnam and his travels there including Relazione de felici successi della santa fede predicata dai Padri della Compagnia di Giesu nel regno di Tunchino Rome 1650 Tunchinesis historiae libri duo quorum altero status temporalis hujus regni altero mirabiles evangelicae predicationis progressus referuntur Coepta per Patres Societatis Iesu ab anno 1627 ad annum 1646 Lyon 1652 Histoire du Royaume de Tunquin et des grands progres que la predication de L Evangile y a faits en la conversion des infideles Depuis l annee 1627 jusques a l annee 1646 Lyon 1651 translated by Henri Albi Divers voyages et missions du P Alexandre de Rhodes en la Chine et autres royaumes de l Orient Paris 1653 translated into English as Rhodes of Viet Nam The Travels and Missions of Father Alexandre de Rhodes in China and Other Kingdoms of the Orient 1666 La glorieuse mort d Andre Catechiste The Glorious Death of Andrew Catechist pub 1653 Notes Edit Current scholarship suggests Rhodes may have been born in 1593 See Eduardo Torralba S I La Date de naissance du Pere de Rhodes 15 mars 1591 est elle exacte in Bulletin de la Societe des Etudes Indochinoises n s 35 1960 683 689 about the disagreement regarding the date of de Rhodes birth While some sources including the Catholic Encyclopedia indicate that the date was 1591 specialists such as Torralba Peter Phan Claude Larre Pham Dinh Khiem and Joseph Dehergne give the later date of 1593 Worterbucher Ein Internationales Handbuch Zur Lexikographie by Franz Josef Hausmann p 2583 1 Researches Into the Physical History of Mankind By James Cowles p 501 2 Đỗ Quang Chinh 1999 Tu sĩ Dong Ten Alexandre de Rhodes từ trần Customs and Culture of Vietnam Archived from the original on 2006 05 05 Tran Anh Q October 2018 The Historiography of the Jesuits in Vietnam 1615 1773 and 1957 2007 Brill Phan Peter C 2015 Mission and Catechesis Alexandre de Rhodes amp Inculturation in Seventeenth Century Vietnam Orbis Books ISBN 9781608334742 Adaptations of Christian liturgy n 5 Viet Nam By Nhung Tuyet Tran Anthony Reid p 222 An Empire Divided by James Patrick Daughton p 31 Asia in the Making of Europe p 229 230 The Introduction of Roman Writing Into Vietnam The transcendental Death of Mr Nguyen Van Vinh Sidwell P Jenny M The Handbook of Austroasiatic Languages BRILL 2014 V 2 P 909 Ostrowski Brian Eugene 2010 The Rise of Christian Nom Literature in Seventeenth Century Vietnam Fusing European Content and Local Expression In Wilcox Wynn ed Vietnam and the West New Approaches Ithaca New York SEAP Publications Cornell University Press pp 23 38 ISBN 9780877277828 Sources EditTigers in the Rice W Sheldon p 26 1969 Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Alexandre de Rhodes Trần Duy Nhien and Roland Jacques 2007 Phản hồi bai viết của Gs Ts Phạm Văn Hường Archived from the original Nguyễn Đinh Đầu 2007 Về bai bao vu khống va phỉ bang cha Dắc Lộ Nguyệt san Cong giao va Dan tộc số 145 Anton Bui Kim Phong 2017 Alexandre de Rhodes S J Nha truyền giao External links EditPortuguese Missionaries and their Influence on Vietnamese Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexandre de Rhodes amp oldid 1123955696, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
