MAIGROT, CHARLES. - B. in Paris in 1652, d. in Rome on 28 Feb. 1730. Ordained a priest in 1676 and a doctor at the Sorbonne in 1678, he entered the Seminary of the Foreign Missions of Paris in 1680 and on 19 Jan. 1681 set out for China, where he arrived in 1683 with Msgr. Pallu, who, on 23 July 1684, appointed him pro-vicar for Fukien, Kiang-si and Chekiang. On the death of Msgr. Pallu, on 29 Oct. 1684 he became administrator of the missions of China and on 5 Feb. 1687 was appointed vicar apostolic of Fukien.
On 26 March 1693 M. condemned certain Chinese rites (v.) and, following the opposition of some missionaries, sent to Rome a copy of the prohibitions issued. The Holy See pronounced itself ten years later, and in the meantime M. received a brief (15 Jan. 1697) of congratulations for his zeal in maintaining the purity of the faith. The year before (20 Oct. 1696) he had been appointed titular bishop of Conon and again vicar apostolic of Fukien. He received episcopal consecration on 14 March 1700 at Kiang-si (Chekiang). On 20 Nov. 1704 a decree of the Holy Office approved the prohibitions established by M. This decree was notified to the missionaries of China by De Tournon, who had brought M. a brief of praise from the Pope dated 20 June 1702. In 1706 M. went to Peking following an invitation from the emperor Kang-hi, who gave him the order to put in writing everything in the teachings of Confucius that he judged contrary to the Christian religion. The Emperor responded by exiling him, and on 8 March 1707 M. embarked for Europe, on 4 May 1708 he resigned the office of vicar apostolic of Fukien, and in 1709 he went to Rome at the invitation of Clement XI and died there. He was buried in the church of the Trinità dei Monti.
Bibliography3 works
Antonio Anoge