Chinese Rites controversy
The Rites Controversy or Akkomodationsstreit was a lasting from about 1610 to 1744 dispute over the manner of Christian mission, especially in China and India.
China
After Kangxi's Edict of 1692, Christianity had won in China quite a lot of space, it unfolded a brisk, mainly Catholic from the big order, but the Russian Orthodox Church supported missionary activity.
The a lot of the missionaries alternate end Jesuits argued to the death of Matteo Ricci in 1610 mainly for the so-called accommodation from. After the Chinese converted to Christianity maintaining the external rites and ceremonies of traditional religions and in particular the Confucius and ancestor worship was permitted. This approach was quite successful, so were counted in 1720 to the 300,000 Christians in China.
Ricci's successor, Niccolò Longobardo, held the previously tolerated rites for permission. Despite many discussions within the Society of Jesus, this issue was not initially chosen. By the arrival of the Spanish Dominicans and Franciscans, who were for an uncompromising passing the " pure doctrine " without concession to the Chinese customs, the conflict was exacerbated. When Juan Bautista de Morales OP presented this question Rome, it was decided there in 1645 against the Chinese rites. The Jesuits Martino Martini declared these rites as civilian customs and were able to 1656 by Alexander VII again obtain a permit.
Charles Maigrot wrote in 1693 the pastoral letters Mandatum seu Edictum, in which he opposed the Chinese rites and peaked at Pope Clement XI. in 1704 a ban on the Chinese customs. After a recurrence of the Jesuits in 1715 this prohibition was confirmed. As a result, Emperor Yongzheng in 1724 forbade Christianity. After further testing ban Pope Benedict XIV with his papal bull Ex quo Singulari 1742 the Chinese rites.
This Christianity in the episode came under additional pressure: missionary activity was banned, persecuted converts and suppressed, largely pushed the church life in the underground. Many missionaries were forced to leave the country; only the Jesuits who worked at the imperial court were allowed to remain. The mission was a total failure. The scattered throughout China still existing churches survived, until the 19th century. It was not until 1939 the prohibition " as a result of the changed situation " of Pope Pius XII. canceled again. As an important side effect of the Rites Controversy, the wealth of contemporary publications can be seen in which European missionaries reflect their assessments and thus represent important sources of China at that time image in Europe. Overall, there should have been over a hundred print engines for Rites Controversy.
India
In India, Roberto de Nobili, SJ came with his adaptation to Hindu rites and customs in conflict with his Portuguese confreres. Pope Gregory XV. however, allowed on 31 January 1623 the bull Romanae sedis anti steady Nobilis mission method. By the arrival of the Capuchins in India, the conflict intensified. The papal legate Maillard de Tournon finally prohibited the intentional adaptation to Indian religious traditions, Pope Clement XII. confirmed in 1734 and 1739 the ban. A final condemnation of the relevant type of mission was carried out by Pope Benedict XIV with the Bull Omnium solicitudinum in 1744. Only in 1940 here the prohibition of Rome was canceled.