An Unexpected Opportunity
Somehow or other, in the midst of increasing public confusion, Father Cayle de la Garde and his assistants continued to govern the Vincentian Congregation . One of the things which occupied them was the great new adventure of the previous administration, the taking over of the missions in China of the now disbanded Jesuit order, both their role as astronomers in Beijing and their missions in various provinces of China. The mission was grossly undermanned but it does seem extraordinary that the superior general should have been attempting to supply new personnel to this mission when the very foundation of the congregation in France was being undermined. Equally surprising that Father Clet, whose life seemed to have been so settled in the seminary in Annecy, should in fact have had his mind centred on China for several years. He had not spoken to anyone, had not shared his enthusiasm. Perhaps that was not his style. Hitherto it would not have been easy to move him because his specialist seminary training was not easily replaced, even in a congregation with many seminaries in its care. But now, as the needs of the China mission emerged again in the dust of Saint Lazare, he found the door previously shut opening for him .
By 1790 the seminary was barely functioning. Earlier on the students had been sent home; only a few had returned. In the disturbed state of France it was not practical to accept students into the seminary. Father Clet was not exactly a man without a job, but certainly one with fewer demands on his services. Suddenly there was an unexpected opportunity. The team to go to China had already been picked. The time was determined by the fact that free passage on a French boat to Macao, probably the last, was being made available in March 1791. In late February it became clear that one of the priests appointed to the Chinese mission could not be freed from other responsibilities on time. Father Clet, on the spot in Saint Lazare, discovered what had occured and offered to go instead. One would not have thought that a man of forty three, whose whole life had been cast in seminary teaching and direction , was the obvious candidate for the work. But he was healthy and strong, and in the increasingly disturbed state of France, it was not easy to find anyone else. Nor were there many who could be asked at three weeks notice to leave their native
land for ever - for that was the nature of the distant Chinese mission. His offer was accepted. He would sail in early April.
Somehow or other, in the midst of increasing public confusion, Father Cayle de la Garde and his assistants continued to govern the Vincentian Congregation . One of the things which occupied them was the great new adventure of the previous administration, the taking over of the missions in China of the now disbanded Jesuit order, both their role as astronomers in Beijing and their missions in various provinces of China. The mission was grossly undermanned but it does seem extraordinary that the superior general should have been attempting to supply new personnel to this mission when the very foundation of the congregation in France was being undermined. Equally surprising that Father Clet, whose life seemed to have been so settled in the seminary in Annecy, should in fact have had his mind centred on China for several years. He had not spoken to anyone, had not shared his enthusiasm. Perhaps that was not his style. Hitherto it would not have been easy to move him because his specialist seminary training was not easily replaced, even in a congregation with many seminaries in its care. But now, as the needs of the China mission emerged again in the dust of Saint Lazare, he found the door previously shut opening for him .
By 1790 the seminary was barely functioning. Earlier on the students had been sent home; only a few had returned. In the disturbed state of France it was not practical to accept students into the seminary. Father Clet was not exactly a man without a job, but certainly one with fewer demands on his services. Suddenly there was an unexpected opportunity. The team to go to China had already been picked. The time was determined by the fact that free passage on a French boat to Macao, probably the last, was being made available in March 1791. In late February it became clear that one of the priests appointed to the Chinese mission could not be freed from other responsibilities on time. Father Clet, on the spot in Saint Lazare, discovered what had occured and offered to go instead. One would not have thought that a man of forty three, whose whole life had been cast in seminary teaching and direction , was the obvious candidate for the work. But he was healthy and strong, and in the increasingly disturbed state of France, it was not easy to find anyone else. Nor were there many who could be asked at three weeks notice to leave their native
land for ever - for that was the nature of the distant Chinese mission. His offer was accepted. He would sail in early April.
Departure for China
From then on it was all rush. Letters were written to his sister in Grenoble to settle hi, financial affairs and to raise the money he needed for his expenses.
Explanations had to be given to family and friends for this sudden change. No time to return to Grenoble, so goodbyes must go by post. Instructions must be given about correspondence arrangements. It was clear that this departure was not a temporary one. It would probably be permanent. And in it all there were hardly any of the preparations which a missionary nowadays would be expected to make: no study of language and customs - this would be done on the spot; no study of history and culture - little available; no health checks - little understanding of what would face him. And so to Lorient on the Atlantic coast with his two younger companions on the mission. His final letters sent from there on 2 April 1791. By 2 October he was in Macao, sending letters in his neat and regular handwriting to his sister in Grenoble
Preparations in Macao
Macao was both China and not China. It was a small Portuguese enclave at the mouth of the Canton River, its presence tolerated by the Chinese for the sake of trade. The Portuguese Vincentians had a seminary there. Here the three Frenchmen remained for several months as they attempted to learn the Chinese language. Father Clet was never to achieve a comfortable command of the language. This would bother him through the coming years. His companions, Lamiot and Pesne,were much younger. They were ordained to the priesthood while in Macao. All three were equipped with chinese clothes. They shaved their heads and grew pigtails. What lay ahead was illegal entry into China proper for himself and Father Pesne. Father Lamiot was to go to Peking where an official and legal appointment awaited him in the imperial service.
The position of the Catholic Church in China had been greatly affected by the official decision made early in the 18th century to regard the ancestral rites of the Chinese as unlawful and pagan. The then Emperor,
who had earlier given a fairly generous approval to the christians. now regarded them as a danger to the empire. Christianity was forbidden and European missionaries were forbidden on pain of death to enter and promote their faith in China. By a curious anomaly. christianity was permitted in specified churches in Beijing and priests, first Jesuits. later Vincentians, were appointed to posts in astronomy at the imperial court. Father Lamiot was appointed to Beijing because he had been prepared in France by the study of science to take his role in the imperial service But Clet would go the dangerous and forbidden path to the interior and would spend the remainder of his life within a limited area of central China in the provinces of Hupeh and Honan, seldom in the company of fellow Europeans. always an illegal person, tolerated simply because he kept a low profile and the mandarins were not intent on enforcing the law. He never visited Beijing. He never returned to Macao.
The position of the Catholic Church in China had been greatly affected by the official decision made early in the 18th century to regard the ancestral rites of the Chinese as unlawful and pagan. The then Emperor,
who had earlier given a fairly generous approval to the christians. now regarded them as a danger to the empire. Christianity was forbidden and European missionaries were forbidden on pain of death to enter and promote their faith in China. By a curious anomaly. christianity was permitted in specified churches in Beijing and priests, first Jesuits. later Vincentians, were appointed to posts in astronomy at the imperial court. Father Lamiot was appointed to Beijing because he had been prepared in France by the study of science to take his role in the imperial service But Clet would go the dangerous and forbidden path to the interior and would spend the remainder of his life within a limited area of central China in the provinces of Hupeh and Honan, seldom in the company of fellow Europeans. always an illegal person, tolerated simply because he kept a low profile and the mandarins were not intent on enforcing the law. He never visited Beijing. He never returned to Macao.
