Charles Chiniquy
Father Charles Chiniquy (born July 30, 1809 in Kamouraska , Canada , † January 16, 1899 in Montreal ) was a community leader, originally a Roman Catholic priest , later a non-denominational preacher .
Life
Charles Chiniquy was born as the son of the Spanish-born notary Charles Chiniquy and his wife Regina nee. Perrault was born and had two younger brothers. His mother taught him to read and write with a Latin-French Bible from the age of four . He was enthusiastic about the biblical stories and soon knew many by heart. By the age of nine he could recite the story of the Passion from the Gospel of John by heart.
In 1821 Chiniquy's father suddenly died and his widow and her three young children found themselves in dire financial straits; they stayed with different relatives. Saying goodbye to his mother was extremely painful for Chiniquy. He studied theology and was ordained a priest in 1833 . Chiniquiy was an exemplary priest, who founded St. Anne's Colony in Illinois in 1851 . He became a fighter for abstinence ("Temperenzler"). But there were always arguments with colleagues, which came to a head in 1855 when Chiniquy openly spoke out against abuses in the Catholic Church. Chiniquy even turned to the Pope and Napoléon III in 1856 . In the meantime he had inwardly detached himself more and more from the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. His bishop had already threatened him with excommunication . When he experienced a personal conversion to Jesus Christ in 1858 , he left the Catholic Church. He was baptized again . In the same year his church followed this step.
A few years later, the United States, including Illinois, suffered a major crop failure, and Chiniquy's community also went hungry. At the same time, the evangelical and evangelical parishes organized a congress, in which Chiniquy also took part, to ask for help for his church. The other parishes wanted to discuss overnight whether and how they could help the formerly Catholic parish. On the other hand, Chiniquy should think about which Protestant church fellowship he would join with his community. Chiniquy replied that he should be named the most biblical and Christian community and that he would then join it. Ultimately, however, he and his church did not join any existing community.
In 1864, Chiniquy married and had several children; especially his daughters are known. The last forty years of his life were marked by arguments with the Catholic Church. During this time he got into such financial difficulties that he only had his Bible and the clothes he wore on his body. Like his friend Schlachter, he was also fond of pietism and the revival movement and maintained very good contacts with the non - denominational Moravian Church, which was strongly emerging in the region . Because of these relationships, he then traveled to Europe in his final years .
Works in the German-speaking area
Chiniquy's biography became known when Franz Eugen Schlachter , editor of the Schlachter Bible translation, published the story of Chiniquy in his magazine Brosamen von des Herr Tisch . In 1899 he published the book Pastor Chiniquy's Experiences in the publishing house of the Expedition of the Crumbs . A chapter on the death of Chiniquy is added to the autobiography. The second volume followed in 1900. In addition, Schlachter published Chiniquy's work The Confessional .
criticism
Chiniquy's biography is judged differently. The Catholic Church in particular regards them as untrue. There are particular doubts about Chiniquy's alleged close relationship with Abraham Lincoln and his portrayal of Lincoln's assassination as a Jesuit conspiracy . On the other hand, on the Protestant side, the report is seen as a serious life report of a priest.
Works
- 50 Years in The Church of Rome , 1885, (new edition as a double volume under the title Pater Chiniquy's Experiences, 50 Years in the Church of Rome, 40 Years in the Church of Christ. 17th edition, Christian bookstore, E. Juncker, Baden / Switzerland, ISBN 3-85614-000-X )
- Father Chiniquy's experiences - compiled from his own reports and translated by F. Schlachter , Expedition der Brosamen , Biel 1899
- Pastor Chiniquy - Addendum to Father Chiniquy's experiences by F. Schlachter, "Brosamen" expedition, Biel 1900
- The priest, the woman and the confessional from Father Chiniquy, Biel 1901
- Richard Lougheed, “Le Luther de Canada: La conversion de Charles Chiniquy comme modèle évangélique,” La Revue Farel 3 (2008): 23-37.
- Richard Lougheed, The Controversial Conversion of Charles Chiniquy , Texts and Studies in Protestant History and Thought in Quebec, Vol. 1, Toronto: Clements Academic, 2009, 366pp.
Web links
- Charles Chiniquy - Facts Versus Falsehood
- Entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Entry in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography
- About Charles Chiniquy
- 50 Years in the Church of Rome
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Chiniquy, Charles |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian priest |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 30, 1809 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kamouraska , Canada |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 16, 1899 |
| Place of death | Montreal |