CHAPTER XXV
TUNIS AND ALGERIA, THE MISSION TO THE CAPTIVES
TUNIS AND ALGERIA, THE MISSION TO THE CAPTIVES
A clause in the foundation contract for the house at Marseilles, signed on 25th JUly, 1643 by Vincent de Paul and Marie de Wignerod, Duchess d'Aiguillon, stipulated that;
"The priests of the Mission have the strict and lasting obligation to send priests of the said Congregation of the Mission to Barbary at such times as is judged fitting, to console poor Christian captives and prisoners of that said place and instruct them in the faith and in the fear of God. They shall give these people the same sort of missions, catechesis, instructions and exhortations and they shall pray and say Mass in their customary manner." [1]
Was this just intuition on the part of the Duchess or did the initiative come from a higher authority? According to Abelly, in 1642 the King felt inspired to help the poor captives and had, "cast his eyes on Monsieur Vincent, judging him to be well able to undertake this charitable mission." Some of Vincent's priests were sent to Barbary to give spiritual and material help to the poor captives, and to this end Vincent was given the sum of nine or ten thousand livres." [2]
Did Vincent himself play any part in initiating this new work? Judging from previous occasions we can well imagine that it was he who inspired the King and the Duchess to show concern for the captives. And did Vincent's interest in their plight derive from the memory of his own captivity in Tunis? The answers to these questions depend on whether Vincent really was a captive in his young days. For Abelly and all successive biographers till Coste, Vincent's basic motive for taking on the new work was his memories of being a captive. [3] Grandchamp, on the other hand, takes the view that if this captivity were authentic then the North African mission would not have happened because if Vincent knew what awaited his missionaries then he would never have sent them there. [4] Turbet Delof describes this argument as "a masterpiece of 'a priori' prejudice, contradictions and philistinism." [5] The fact that Vincent sent his missionaries to Barbary shows he was well aware of the captives' situation and their need for help and consolation.
Pirates again
Whatever his reasons may have been for sending missionaries, Vincent remembered that an agreement made between the very Christian king and the consul of Constantinople gave French consuls in N. Africa the right to have a chaplain. He suggested to the consul in Tunis, Martin de Lange, that he have a missionary as chaplain. The consul agreed on condition that the chaplain would be no financial burden. After this agreement Julien Guérin arrived in Tunis on 22nd November, 1645, accompanied by Brother François Francillon. The following year, Fr. Boniface Nouelly and Brother Jean Barreau arrived in Algiers. The mission to Barbary had begun. [6]
In theory, the territories of Magreb, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya were politically dependent on the Sovereign Turk in Constantinople. In practice, they were governed by semiautonomous petty rulers; beys, deys, pashas and Turkish dignitaries, who acted on their own initiative. Their main activity was to harrass European shipping in the Western Mediterranean as a sideline to the war which either openly, or covertly, was being waged between the Turkish empire and Christian nations, particularly Spain. Piracy provided a considerable source of revenue. Capturing Christian ships brought not only confiscated merchandise, but man power for the galleys and brigantines, labourers for agricultural projects, recruits for squadrons of soldiers of different nationalities, women for the harems and huge sums of money paid out in ransoms and in taxes on the sale of slaves. [7]
Piracy continued for more than two centuries and proved a nightmare for Mediterranean countries. Spain in particular, saw its communications with Italy put at risk. France wan't affected so much and could afford to adopt a more temporising policy, even to the extent of making a treaty with the Sultan that would unite all forces hostile to Spanish supremacy. And yet France wasn't immune to pirate attacks. More than one French historian denounced, "the humiliating picture of our relations (those of France) with the states of Barbary. Treaties made by Francis I and Henry IV with the Grand Sultan, treaties that Richelieu made with Barbary, tribute paid to the Bey of Algeria, gifts, humiliations of every kind; none of this was very glorious. And the piracy continued and even prospered. We more or less condoned this by signing treaties and the terrible consequences were slavery and apostasy. This evil was the necessary outcome of temporising and people became used to these treaties. After doing all they could, our consuls shut their eyes to the situation." [8]
Slavery and apostasy were, indeed, the other face of that policy. Along the North African coasts from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Great Sirte, there teemed a captive population made up of all nationalities. They included Spanish, Italian, French, English and Greek slaves who at times numbered as many as 50,000. Abelly speaks of 20,000 in Algeria and 5,000 in Tunisia. [9] Other contemporary accounts put the figure much higher. Even more devastating than the numbers involved, were the sufferings that the captives were forced to endure. The vast amount of contemporary literature on this subject paints in stark terms their sufferings and humiliations. [10]
Even discounting propaganda reports, there is no doubt that a captive's life was pitiful and humiliating Lodged in Moorish prisons that lacked even the most basic amenities, the captives were condemned to forced labour on the "canteras" or agricultural development areas where, like beasts of burden, they had to turn the mill wheels. Worse still, they might be put to row in the galleys where their food ration was minimal and their diet reduced to ship's biscuits and a tiny portion of rice or badly cooked vegetables. Punishments were frequent and cruel; they included flogging, amputation of limbs, various forms of torture and even death.
The captives suffered mental as well as physical torment. They were far from their own country, separated from their loved ones, not sure whether they would be ransomed, and subjected to constant humiliation. Sometimes they suffered from lack of companionship or from treachery within their own ranks, from despair, and from attacks on their virtue especially if they were women or young men. The temptation to apostatise was often overwhelming because this was the only way of escaping such misfortunes.
"You have been sent to console the afflicted."
From a very early stage Vincent seems to have had information about living conditions for the slaves in Barbary. His aim in sending missionaries to these lands was not to secure ransoms, for this work was already being done by the Mercedarians and Trinitarians. The latter were commonly known as "Maturins" in France and this is the word Vincent used when referring to them. [11] Even less was it his aim to convert Moslems or apostates. He knew that such activities were strictly forbidden by Islamic law. The price of any small victory in this field would be the incomparably wworse consequences this would entail; the missionaries would be expelled and their work for captives finished for ever.
"The souls of Turks and renegades are not your responsibility; your mission does not include them, it is directed to poor Christian captives." "You have been sent to Algiers just to bring consolation and encouragement to suffering souls and to help them perservere in our holy religion." [12]
According to Vincent, it was a question of keeping going a sort of permanent mission for captives, along the lines of those given to the peasants in France and Italy. But each work has its own dynamism which calls for action that was not envisaged in even the best laid plans. The mission to Barbary soon called on missionaries to play a rôle that was very unusual for the Company; they were to be French consuls. This idea came from the Duchess d'Aiguillon who claimed that this arrangement would put an end to friction between consuls and chaplains, particularly when the consuls were engaged in commerce and at times might be troubled by the priests' spiritual misnistrations. It was for this reason that she bought the consulate at Algiers and, when Martin de Linge died, that of Tunisia. She put both of these at Vincent's disposal. But the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda didn't look kindly on missionaries working as consuls, Vincent got round this by arranging for the chaplain to be a priest and the consul to be a laybrother or unordained cleric.
The missionary consuls had to put up with another sort of opposition. The consulate had often been used as cover for dubious activities, for smuggling arms and other goods prohibited by French and Pontifical law. The missionaries were inflexible in complying with these rules and they could not be bribed. An organisation in Marseilles masterminded these activities and Turbet Delof refers to it as a "gang". In 1666 they managed to get Fr. Le Vacher removed from office and one of their own men made consul in Algiers. [14]
In the face of such opposition, there came a time when Vincent was discouraged and had made up his mind to relinquish the consulates and withdraw his missionaries, leaving captive priests to minister to their fellow captives. The Duchess d'Aiguillon was more up to date on the background of the affair and she opposed the plan. Even Vincent admitted that he couldn't put too much trust in the captive priests as their conduct was often most disordered and gave most scandal. [15]
The consuls did more than represent French subjects; they negotiated with the authorities the interests of all the other Christian nations except England, which had its own consul. They complained about the capture of French ships and protested against the abuse, ill treatment and injustice that prisoners had to suffer; they negotiated ransoms and were arbiters in disputes among traders. The Beys or Pashas sometimes abused the consuls' position by holding them responsible for the debts or fines incurred by foreign citizens and very often the consuls were taken as hostages. [16]
As authorised by the Holy See, the missionaries also acted as Vicars General for the archbishop of Carthage and exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the priests, religious, and faithful within their areas. This put into their hands "the spiritual sword" that Vincent recommended them to use sparingly and only when other gentler and more persuasive methods had failed. [17]
In spite of Vincent's reservations, the missionaries ended up negotiating ransoms, too. This was the charitable service that the captives needed and appreciated most. The missionaries intervened out of compassion, or because they were obliged to do so, but things didn't always turn out well. The slave owners often made exaggerated demands. Some missionaries paid the price of imprisonment or torture for agreements they had undertaken rashly and were not able to honour." [18]
Almost the outset, the mission acted as storehouse or business office for dealings between captives and their families. Letters, gifts and ransom payments would be taken to Saint Lazare by the nearest parish priest or missionary. Vincent had them delivered to the house at Marseilles, and the Superior there forwarded them to Barbary. Money was sent through letters of exchange between Messieurs Simmonet in Paris and the Napollon brothers in Marseilles who were Richelieu's bankers for business transactions with Barbary. [19]
The Superior at Marseilles sent the money to Barbary with merchants or seamen who had links with both Mediterranean ports. Vincent's correspondence contains a whole string of names from every corner of France; Edmund Guillaume de Vaucouleurs from Champagne, Laurent Gramoissant and Jean Sanson from Le Havre, two Basque brothers surnamed La Roquette, Roque Hardy from Nancy, an old man from the Isle de Re'... a boring catalogue of names that makes Vincent's letters seem, at times, to be business correspondence. But no commercial enterprise could have been more lacking in self interest; this was the commerce of charity. According to Abelly, the total number of captives rescued was more than 1,200 and, in monetary terms, this represented a sum of 1,200,000 livres. [20]
"But he is only a boy!" : "Monsignor, it is his vocation"
The enterprise could never succeeded if it hadn't been for the men trained by Vincent. The founder of the Mission raised up a team of priests and lay brothers who sacrificed, not just their confort, but sometimes their liberty and even their lives, to take to the prisons of Algiers and Tunis, to the desert quarries and the galley benches, that breath of Christian charity that he inspired.
Frs. Julien Guérin and Jean Le Vacher were in Tunis with Brother Francillon. They were joined there, by a cleric, Benjamin Huguier, and a layman, the lawyer Martin Hussin, who acted as consul. The list of those working in Algiers is longer; Bro. Barreau and Frs. Nouelly, Lesage, Dieppe and Philippe Le Vacher, brother of Jean, who, as already mentioned, first won his spurs in Ireland. There was also an attempt made to start up similar work in Salem, the Moroccan port near Rabat, but this failed. Vincent intended sending Fr. Le Soulier here and had the requisite permission from the Congregation of Propaganda but the Augustinian Recollects were also interested in that mission and Vincent generously withdrew. [21]
When Guérin and Francillon arrived in Tunis in November, 1645, they placed themselves at the disposal of the consul, Martin de Lange. They had to be more than cautious. They needed to make sure that no false step would shatter all their hopes. Guérin was the right man for this situation. He was extremely zealous but he knew how to act with moderation and avoid foolhardy risks. He began his work almost clandestinely. Little by little he won the Moslems' goodwill and then began to operate in public. He gave missions at the galley hulks in Bizerte, carefully prepared the prisoners at Tunis to fulfil their religious duties and set up several chapels in the prisons. [22] His zeal was not without a certain element of patriotism:
"You would be thrilled", he wrote to Vincent, "to hear the Exaudet and other prayers for the King of France being chanted in our churches and chapels on Sundays and feastdays. Even foreigners have great affection for the King and they respect him. You would also be delighted to see the devotion with which these poor captives pray for all their benefactors, most of whom are in France or come from France, and it is no small consolation to see people here from every nation, in chains and in fetters, praying to God for the people of France." [23]
Fr. Guérin's inexhaustible charity softened the Bey's heart. One day Fr. Guérin made so bold as to go to him and ask him to allow another companion to come from France and help him in his work.
"You can bring not just one, but two or three if you need them", replied the Bey. "I am sure that you are here to do good, not ill. Don't be afraid to come to me whenever you need my protection. I will never refuse it." [24]
This authorisation led Vincent to send to Tunis, Jean Le Vacher, a young priest who looked much younger than his 28 years of age. As they were saying goodbye at the gates of Saint Lazare, the Papal Nuncio chanced to arrive. Vincent took advantage of this opportunity to ask him to give his blessing to the missionary.
"Monsignor, you have just arrived in time. Will you bless this good priest who is going off to the missions in Tunis?"
"What!, exclaimed the nuncio, "but he's only a boy!" "It is his vocation, Monsignor" replied Vincent.
This was how Vincent acted when he knew it was a question of God's will. He was absolutely sure about Le Vacher so no obstacle would make him alter his decision. When Le Vacher got to Marseilles he fell ill. The Superior of the house broke the news to Vincent so that he could send him somewhere else, or at least postpone his departure. Vincent's reply was unexpectedly harsh.
"If he is too weak to travel to the boat then have him carried there and if, during the voyage, the sea proves too much for him, then throw him overboard." [25]
Coste thinks this remark is out of keeping with Vincent's customary gentleness and he doubts whether the words were ever said. But Vincent's charity was no sugary sentimentality. He knew Jean Le Vacher well and he was sure that God was calling him to Tunis. He treats heroes as heroes. Events would prove that Vincent was right. [26]
Guérin and Le Vacher were only together for a very short time. The latter had scarcely arrived in Tunis when plague broke out. The two missionaries vied with each other in caring for the sick. Le Vacher caught the plague and was given up for dead. Fr. Guérin and Bro. Francillon also fell ill. Against all expectations, Le Vacher recovered, thanks to the care he received from Bro. Francillon who got up from his sick bed to nurse him. "The happiness that our brother and I feel", wrote Guérin, "at our good Fr. Le Vacher's recovery, has made us as strong as the lions in the mountains round here." [27] This lion strength was no defence against the plague. On 25th May, 1648, Fr. Guérin was struck down with it and a few weeks later it was the turn of Martin de Lange, the consul. [28] Le Vacher sent news of both deaths to Vincent. He also informed him that he had had to take over the duties of consul for the time being. Helped by the Duchess d'Aiguillon, Vincent bought the consulate of Tunis just as he had previously bought that of Algiers. In order to free Le Vacher from secular worries, Vincent named as consul Benjamin Huguier, a former court procurator, who had only recently joined the Congregation. Le Vacher was delighted to welcome him but he was deeply disappointed when the Bey informed him that he would recognise no other consul but Le Vacher himself. So they resorted to a legal fiction. Huguier was named "Chancellor" of the consulate which meant he could deal with most business matters and leave Le Vacher free to devote himself to his pastoral ministry. [29] This situation lasted until 1652 when the Bey allowed another consul to be appointed. Huguier returned to France [30] and was replaced by a young lawyer, Martin Husson, for whom Vincent had a very high regard.
"I knew that he was one of the most virtuous men of his times but I wasn't aware that he was so intelligent and such a skilled negotiator in important matters." "Not only is he prudent, moderate, vigilant and pious, but he is also very competent all round, and he is always ready to work for his neighbour. He is going to serve God and the poor in Barbary, notwithstanding the distance and the perils of that place and of the seas." [31]
Vincent offered him the post with all the candour and respect for the man's freedom of choice that were so characteristic of his style of spiritual direction. On Easter Sunday, 1653 he said to him,
"When I was celebring Mass today, I offered to God your sorrows, your laments and your tears. As for myself, after the Consecration I threw myself on my knees at the feet of Our Lord, begging him to enlighten me. After this I reflected on what I would have wished to say to you at the hour of my death. Well, it seems to me that if I were to die at this very moment I would have been greatly consoled to think that I had told you to go to Tunis and, on the other hand, I would have been filled with remorse if I had given you the opposite advice. I tell you this in all sincerity; this is what I think but nevertheless you are free to go there or not. [32]
Husson went off to Tunis. Vincent drew up for Le Vacher and himself the rules for their respective offices and their relationship with each other. He didn't forget to add the detail that the consul should be in lay dress. [33]
Husson was in Tunis for four years; from 1653 to 1657. He was then expelled for refusing to authorise the traders from Marseilles to deal in canvas for making ships' sails. This item was included in a list of goods that the Holy See and the French government had placed under embargo, as being what we would describe today as "strategic supplies." The Marseilles 'gang' were probably not without a hand in the affair. [34] Once again Fr. Le Vacher and Bro. Francillon were on their own and this state of affairs was not to be remedied during Vincent's lifetime.
"The ill treatment suffered by the French Consul"
The mission in Algiers began in 1646 with the purchase of the consulate there. The cleric brother, Jean Barreau, who was nominated consul, had been a lawyer in the French Parlement. He withdrew from the bar to enter, first of all with the Cistercians, and then at Saint Lazare. [35] Frs. Nouelly, Lesage and Dieppe worked in turn with him. After a very brief apostolate these three priests died, victims of their self sacrificing labours for the plague stricken. [36] Finally, Philippe Le Vacher, Jean's brother, arrived in 1651 and shared his labours for many years. They were both deeply pious and had the same capacity for suffering.
The observable history of the mission in Algiers can be summed up in two words; debts and imprisonment. Bro. Barreau was a very kindly man, so much so that he could never refuse to do a work of charity. To help his neighbours he would take on commitments that he couldn't honour, with no thought of the consequences. It was enough for any captive, merchant or religious, to be in difficulties, and this consul would stand guarantor for them. He did this so often that the Beys would take him hostage whenever they wanted some payment exacted or compensation for some loss. In 1647 he went to prison against a debt of 40,000 livres owed by a Mercedarian Father; in 1650 he was imprisoned for not being able to settle the debts of a fugitive slave, in 1656 and the following year he was sent to prison again, for the debts of both groups of merchants in Marseilles and in 1658 he was imprisoned in revenge for the flight of the governor of the French fortress who had fled to Livorno taking with him 70 Arab prisoners and four horses...
In vain did Vincent shower on him advice and instructions which alternated between severity and indulgence. The good Barreau promised to mend his ways but on the first occasion that presented itself his kind heart got the better of him. He was the one who had most to suffer. Algerian prisons were anything but holiday camps. He was not only imprisoned but practically every time he was badly treated. They beat him, hung him upside down, pushed bamboo canes under his nails... Vincent, while never ceasing to reproach him for his rashness, and worse still, for his disobedience, did everything he could to extricate him from these troubles. [37]
The worst incident occured in 1657. The Bey demanded 40,000 livres to be paid in compensation for the bankruptcy of a merchant from Marseilles named Rapio. Vincent tried to have the merchant's properties in Livorno impounded [38] and he authorised Philippe Le Vacher to go to France and organise a collection for the consul. The Ladies of Charity made a collection in 1657 but it didn't amount to much. In the wake of so many public calamities the purse strings of Paris remained tightly closed. [39] To rouse public sympathy, Vincent had printed and distributed a propaganda leaflet entitled "An account of the ill treatment suffered by the French consul in Algiers, Barbary, and the needs of poor captives". He indicated in this leaflet, the places in Paris where people could leave their offerings. [40] This was the same procedure he had followed to alleviate the distress felt in different regions ravaged by war. The collection began in March. [41] It was just at that time (as we have mentioned previously) that Vincent learnt of the discovery of the letters he wrote, as a young man, about his slavery in Tunis. This was a serious blow. The picture painted in these letters was much rosier than that described in the propaganda leaflets and was closer in style to a recently published book by Emmanuel d'Aranda. [42] If the letters were to appear in such circumstances they could seriously compromise the success of the collection. Vincent did everything in his power to make those "wretched" letters disappear. He didn't manage to do this but at least he stopped them being published. This may have been one of the reasons why Vincent kept silent about his captivity.
"They work day and night."
More important than the vicissitudes suffered by the consuls was the pastoral work that the missionaries did among the captives. To give an approximate idea of this work we would need to copy the passages from Abelly in extenso, as well as St. Vincent's conferences or the descriptions given in the "Memoirs". We have to be selective.
One of Fr. Guérin's first concerns was to go to Bizerte where, on Easter Sunday, 1647, a galley had arrived from Algiers with more than 300 Christian slaves aboard. The missionary asked leave of the captain to preach a mission to them. Every day the galley slaves were released from their fetters and went ashore to a private house where thay had Mass. Fr. Guérin, assisted by another priest, would preach and instruct them. Some had been away from the sacraments for twenty years. With the exception of a few Greek schismatics, they all went to Confession and Holy Communion. It was a real spiritual feast. For a few brief moments, they rediscovered in their Christianity, their dignity as human beings. When the final day came, Fr. Guérin spent 53 crowns to provide a good meal for the celebration. [44]
What happened to Fr. Le Vacher on a similar occasion is even more wonderful. Vincent related the incident to the community at Saint Lazare and there were tears in his eyes.
"I have had a letter from Fr. Le Vacher who is in Tunis, telling me that a galley arrived in Bizerte from Algiers, ten or twelve miles away. He didn't know whether to go or not because usually when he visits the galley slaves it is to see to their physical as well as their spiritual needs. Being short of money, he was very worried; he didn't know what to do about going there because these people are as much in want materially as they are spiritually..."
"He collected all the money he could, took an interpreter and another servant to help him. When he arrived, as soon as he was in sight of the galley the people recognised him by his habit and began to rejoice and shout out saying, "Here comes our liberator, our pastor, our father." When he climbed aboard the galley, all those poor slaves fell on him, weeping with joy and affection on seeing their spiritual and corporal deliverer. They knelt at his feet; some took hold of his soutane and others clutched at his cloak and both garments were torn in the people's anxiety to get near him. It took him more than an hour to cross the galley and pay his respects to the Commander because they blocked his way and he couldn't move on for the applause and the rejoicing of these poor people. The Commander ordered them all to return to their posts and welcomed the priest most courteously, telling him that he greatly admired the conduct and the charity of Christians who supported each other in their sufferings. Then Fr. Le Vacher bought three of the fattest bulls he could find, had them killed, and the meat distributed. He also had a lot of bread baked and in this way he saw to the bodily needs of these poor slaves. At the same time he did all in his power to provide them with spiritual nourishment which is much more important for God's glory; catechising and instructing them in the mysteries of our holy faith and finally, comforting them with great charity. This went on for a week and it brought great blessings and extraordinary confort to those poor galley slaves who called him their deliverer and their consolation since he had nourished them in soul and in body." [45]
In Algiers, Philippe was emulating his brother's zeal. He rescued slaves, reformed the clergy and captive religious, bore calumny and worked unceasingly. He was somewhat over zealous and rigorous. Vincent had to take him in hand and give him a lot of advice about being sensible and observing moderation yet he never ceased to admire the man's consuming zeal and his exceptional capacity for work. He described him as "a man who is all fire and so ready to put himself at risk, that knowing the dangers involved, he would have given up a hundred lives if he had them. He really is like fire..."
"He is a man who never stops working. I can tell you that last Easter, when he knew that he only had a week to help those poor people, and that he wouldn't be able to do much unless he worked unbelievable hours, he shut himself up with them in their prisons. He spent that week working night and day, he had hardly any rest and so risked his life to help his neighbour." [46]
Just as they had done in Algiers, the missionaries opened chapels in the main prisons at Tunis and Bizerte. In this way, as one of the missionaries wrote, "Our divine Saviour has made himself a captive among the captives, to console them in their trials as he promised." In the two consulates there were proper churches. They were dedicated to St. Louis and St. Cyprian and served as parish churches for the traders. Reports sent to Vincent by his missionaries indicate that religious services were conducted there with as much solemnity as in the churches of Paris. On Sundays and Feastdays they had solemn sung Mass and various pious associations and confraternities were started, among them the Confraternity of the Holy Souls, the association to provide help for sick captives, the Rosary confraternity, the association in honour of the Carmelite Scapular and other confraternities dedicated to various saints. The sanctuary lamp burned night and day. Holy Viaticum was taken to the dying in prison and was escorted with torches and lighted candles. In several chapels there was a procession for the feast of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Sacrament remained exposed for a whole week for adoration by the faithful. [47]
The missionaries' efforts were not confined to prisonersin the cities but they went inland to bring consolation and spiritual and material help to captives working in the quarries or in the "maceries" or country farms. The names of some of these places are quoted by Abelly Alcantara (bridge), Grombalia (from Latin "columbaria") Mamedia or Mahomedia etc... and the misionaries even penetrated the far off mountain regions which were peopled more with lions than with men. On his first trip, Jean Le Vacher met some captives who had not seen a priest for 18 years. The good priest consoled them as best he could; heard their confessions, said Mass for them and then gave each man a quarter of a piastre. [48] In M. Vincent's school it was always taught that spiritual and material relief go hand in hand.
The temple of the Holy Spirit
The chronicles of the Mission record incidents that rival those we read about in the annals of the early Church. In 1646 Guérin made reference to a little English boy of eleven "one of the finest looking boys you ever saw," who became a Catholic on Holy Thursday of that year. He had a great devotion to Our Lady and continually asked of her the grace to die rather than deny Christ. His master made every effort to entice him towards Islam and, on two occasions, even had him beaten to force him to comply. During the beating the child cried out. "You can break my neck if you want to, but I am a Christian and will never be anything else". And he told Fr. Guérin that he was ready to be beaten to death rather than apostatise. "I can assure you", concluded the missionary, "that this was a little temple of the Holy Spirit." [49]
There were many other similar cases, including that of two young boys; one English and the other French, who encouraged each other to suffer martyrdom and remain faithful to Christ." [50] But the story that most impressed Vincent was that of a young man aged twenty one or twenty two. His name was Pedro Borguny and he came from Majorca.
"A soul as pure as refined gold in the crucible"
According to Philippe Le Vacher, the boy had denied his faith and accepted the turban out of fear of being sent to the galleys. The missionary's preaching filled him with such deep remorse that he made up his mind to atone for his apostasy even if this cost him his life. With this in mind he began to speak in public against Islam and in favour of Christianity. He possessed that higher form of bravery which can admit to fear. "Our Lord, too", he said, "was afraid of dying but he willingly underwent sufferings far greater than those I will have to bear." One day he presented himself before the pasha and told him that he had gone back to being a Christian. He took off his turban, threw it on the ground and began to stamp on it. The pasha condemned him to be burnt alive. The sentence was carried out on 30th, August, 1654. Fr. Le Vacher witnessed the martyrdom and, hidden among the crowds, he secretly gave him absolution from a distance. "Shortly afterwards", commented Vincent, "he gave into the hands of God his soul which was as pure as refined gold in the crucible." [51]
On two occasions Vincent described to the community this heroic example of fidelity to the faith and he also wrote about it in his letters to missionaries who were absent. [52] Le Vacher reverently collected the martyr's ashes and brought them to Paris in 1657 together with a picture representing the scene of the martyrdom. Both the relics and the picture are still to be found, today, in the House of the Mission in Palma, Mallorca. In the eighteenth century they tried to introduce Pedro Borguny's cause for beatification in Rome. [53] Spain, which had not been able to welcome the sons of St. Vincent de Paul, offered him for his crown as apostle to the captives, this precious jewel of martyr's blood.
In the final years of his life, Vincent, who was weary of this labour of Sysiphus in rescuing slaves, attempts a sort of crusade which was meant to set free all the captive population of Barbary at one stroke. We will speak about this ingenious venture later on. It was unsuccessful. The mission to Barbary continued after Vincent's death. Jean Le Vacher and Bro. Francillon ended their lives with the crown of martyrdom. Both died in the same way; they were tied to the mouth of a cannon and when this was fired their bodies were cut in two and flung into the waters of the port of Algiers. [54]
"The priests of the Mission have the strict and lasting obligation to send priests of the said Congregation of the Mission to Barbary at such times as is judged fitting, to console poor Christian captives and prisoners of that said place and instruct them in the faith and in the fear of God. They shall give these people the same sort of missions, catechesis, instructions and exhortations and they shall pray and say Mass in their customary manner." [1]
Was this just intuition on the part of the Duchess or did the initiative come from a higher authority? According to Abelly, in 1642 the King felt inspired to help the poor captives and had, "cast his eyes on Monsieur Vincent, judging him to be well able to undertake this charitable mission." Some of Vincent's priests were sent to Barbary to give spiritual and material help to the poor captives, and to this end Vincent was given the sum of nine or ten thousand livres." [2]
Did Vincent himself play any part in initiating this new work? Judging from previous occasions we can well imagine that it was he who inspired the King and the Duchess to show concern for the captives. And did Vincent's interest in their plight derive from the memory of his own captivity in Tunis? The answers to these questions depend on whether Vincent really was a captive in his young days. For Abelly and all successive biographers till Coste, Vincent's basic motive for taking on the new work was his memories of being a captive. [3] Grandchamp, on the other hand, takes the view that if this captivity were authentic then the North African mission would not have happened because if Vincent knew what awaited his missionaries then he would never have sent them there. [4] Turbet Delof describes this argument as "a masterpiece of 'a priori' prejudice, contradictions and philistinism." [5] The fact that Vincent sent his missionaries to Barbary shows he was well aware of the captives' situation and their need for help and consolation.
Pirates again
Whatever his reasons may have been for sending missionaries, Vincent remembered that an agreement made between the very Christian king and the consul of Constantinople gave French consuls in N. Africa the right to have a chaplain. He suggested to the consul in Tunis, Martin de Lange, that he have a missionary as chaplain. The consul agreed on condition that the chaplain would be no financial burden. After this agreement Julien Guérin arrived in Tunis on 22nd November, 1645, accompanied by Brother François Francillon. The following year, Fr. Boniface Nouelly and Brother Jean Barreau arrived in Algiers. The mission to Barbary had begun. [6]
In theory, the territories of Magreb, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya were politically dependent on the Sovereign Turk in Constantinople. In practice, they were governed by semiautonomous petty rulers; beys, deys, pashas and Turkish dignitaries, who acted on their own initiative. Their main activity was to harrass European shipping in the Western Mediterranean as a sideline to the war which either openly, or covertly, was being waged between the Turkish empire and Christian nations, particularly Spain. Piracy provided a considerable source of revenue. Capturing Christian ships brought not only confiscated merchandise, but man power for the galleys and brigantines, labourers for agricultural projects, recruits for squadrons of soldiers of different nationalities, women for the harems and huge sums of money paid out in ransoms and in taxes on the sale of slaves. [7]
Piracy continued for more than two centuries and proved a nightmare for Mediterranean countries. Spain in particular, saw its communications with Italy put at risk. France wan't affected so much and could afford to adopt a more temporising policy, even to the extent of making a treaty with the Sultan that would unite all forces hostile to Spanish supremacy. And yet France wasn't immune to pirate attacks. More than one French historian denounced, "the humiliating picture of our relations (those of France) with the states of Barbary. Treaties made by Francis I and Henry IV with the Grand Sultan, treaties that Richelieu made with Barbary, tribute paid to the Bey of Algeria, gifts, humiliations of every kind; none of this was very glorious. And the piracy continued and even prospered. We more or less condoned this by signing treaties and the terrible consequences were slavery and apostasy. This evil was the necessary outcome of temporising and people became used to these treaties. After doing all they could, our consuls shut their eyes to the situation." [8]
Slavery and apostasy were, indeed, the other face of that policy. Along the North African coasts from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Great Sirte, there teemed a captive population made up of all nationalities. They included Spanish, Italian, French, English and Greek slaves who at times numbered as many as 50,000. Abelly speaks of 20,000 in Algeria and 5,000 in Tunisia. [9] Other contemporary accounts put the figure much higher. Even more devastating than the numbers involved, were the sufferings that the captives were forced to endure. The vast amount of contemporary literature on this subject paints in stark terms their sufferings and humiliations. [10]
Even discounting propaganda reports, there is no doubt that a captive's life was pitiful and humiliating Lodged in Moorish prisons that lacked even the most basic amenities, the captives were condemned to forced labour on the "canteras" or agricultural development areas where, like beasts of burden, they had to turn the mill wheels. Worse still, they might be put to row in the galleys where their food ration was minimal and their diet reduced to ship's biscuits and a tiny portion of rice or badly cooked vegetables. Punishments were frequent and cruel; they included flogging, amputation of limbs, various forms of torture and even death.
The captives suffered mental as well as physical torment. They were far from their own country, separated from their loved ones, not sure whether they would be ransomed, and subjected to constant humiliation. Sometimes they suffered from lack of companionship or from treachery within their own ranks, from despair, and from attacks on their virtue especially if they were women or young men. The temptation to apostatise was often overwhelming because this was the only way of escaping such misfortunes.
"You have been sent to console the afflicted."
From a very early stage Vincent seems to have had information about living conditions for the slaves in Barbary. His aim in sending missionaries to these lands was not to secure ransoms, for this work was already being done by the Mercedarians and Trinitarians. The latter were commonly known as "Maturins" in France and this is the word Vincent used when referring to them. [11] Even less was it his aim to convert Moslems or apostates. He knew that such activities were strictly forbidden by Islamic law. The price of any small victory in this field would be the incomparably wworse consequences this would entail; the missionaries would be expelled and their work for captives finished for ever.
"The souls of Turks and renegades are not your responsibility; your mission does not include them, it is directed to poor Christian captives." "You have been sent to Algiers just to bring consolation and encouragement to suffering souls and to help them perservere in our holy religion." [12]
According to Vincent, it was a question of keeping going a sort of permanent mission for captives, along the lines of those given to the peasants in France and Italy. But each work has its own dynamism which calls for action that was not envisaged in even the best laid plans. The mission to Barbary soon called on missionaries to play a rôle that was very unusual for the Company; they were to be French consuls. This idea came from the Duchess d'Aiguillon who claimed that this arrangement would put an end to friction between consuls and chaplains, particularly when the consuls were engaged in commerce and at times might be troubled by the priests' spiritual misnistrations. It was for this reason that she bought the consulate at Algiers and, when Martin de Linge died, that of Tunisia. She put both of these at Vincent's disposal. But the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda didn't look kindly on missionaries working as consuls, Vincent got round this by arranging for the chaplain to be a priest and the consul to be a laybrother or unordained cleric.
The missionary consuls had to put up with another sort of opposition. The consulate had often been used as cover for dubious activities, for smuggling arms and other goods prohibited by French and Pontifical law. The missionaries were inflexible in complying with these rules and they could not be bribed. An organisation in Marseilles masterminded these activities and Turbet Delof refers to it as a "gang". In 1666 they managed to get Fr. Le Vacher removed from office and one of their own men made consul in Algiers. [14]
In the face of such opposition, there came a time when Vincent was discouraged and had made up his mind to relinquish the consulates and withdraw his missionaries, leaving captive priests to minister to their fellow captives. The Duchess d'Aiguillon was more up to date on the background of the affair and she opposed the plan. Even Vincent admitted that he couldn't put too much trust in the captive priests as their conduct was often most disordered and gave most scandal. [15]
The consuls did more than represent French subjects; they negotiated with the authorities the interests of all the other Christian nations except England, which had its own consul. They complained about the capture of French ships and protested against the abuse, ill treatment and injustice that prisoners had to suffer; they negotiated ransoms and were arbiters in disputes among traders. The Beys or Pashas sometimes abused the consuls' position by holding them responsible for the debts or fines incurred by foreign citizens and very often the consuls were taken as hostages. [16]
As authorised by the Holy See, the missionaries also acted as Vicars General for the archbishop of Carthage and exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the priests, religious, and faithful within their areas. This put into their hands "the spiritual sword" that Vincent recommended them to use sparingly and only when other gentler and more persuasive methods had failed. [17]
In spite of Vincent's reservations, the missionaries ended up negotiating ransoms, too. This was the charitable service that the captives needed and appreciated most. The missionaries intervened out of compassion, or because they were obliged to do so, but things didn't always turn out well. The slave owners often made exaggerated demands. Some missionaries paid the price of imprisonment or torture for agreements they had undertaken rashly and were not able to honour." [18]
Almost the outset, the mission acted as storehouse or business office for dealings between captives and their families. Letters, gifts and ransom payments would be taken to Saint Lazare by the nearest parish priest or missionary. Vincent had them delivered to the house at Marseilles, and the Superior there forwarded them to Barbary. Money was sent through letters of exchange between Messieurs Simmonet in Paris and the Napollon brothers in Marseilles who were Richelieu's bankers for business transactions with Barbary. [19]
The Superior at Marseilles sent the money to Barbary with merchants or seamen who had links with both Mediterranean ports. Vincent's correspondence contains a whole string of names from every corner of France; Edmund Guillaume de Vaucouleurs from Champagne, Laurent Gramoissant and Jean Sanson from Le Havre, two Basque brothers surnamed La Roquette, Roque Hardy from Nancy, an old man from the Isle de Re'... a boring catalogue of names that makes Vincent's letters seem, at times, to be business correspondence. But no commercial enterprise could have been more lacking in self interest; this was the commerce of charity. According to Abelly, the total number of captives rescued was more than 1,200 and, in monetary terms, this represented a sum of 1,200,000 livres. [20]
"But he is only a boy!" : "Monsignor, it is his vocation"
The enterprise could never succeeded if it hadn't been for the men trained by Vincent. The founder of the Mission raised up a team of priests and lay brothers who sacrificed, not just their confort, but sometimes their liberty and even their lives, to take to the prisons of Algiers and Tunis, to the desert quarries and the galley benches, that breath of Christian charity that he inspired.
Frs. Julien Guérin and Jean Le Vacher were in Tunis with Brother Francillon. They were joined there, by a cleric, Benjamin Huguier, and a layman, the lawyer Martin Hussin, who acted as consul. The list of those working in Algiers is longer; Bro. Barreau and Frs. Nouelly, Lesage, Dieppe and Philippe Le Vacher, brother of Jean, who, as already mentioned, first won his spurs in Ireland. There was also an attempt made to start up similar work in Salem, the Moroccan port near Rabat, but this failed. Vincent intended sending Fr. Le Soulier here and had the requisite permission from the Congregation of Propaganda but the Augustinian Recollects were also interested in that mission and Vincent generously withdrew. [21]
When Guérin and Francillon arrived in Tunis in November, 1645, they placed themselves at the disposal of the consul, Martin de Lange. They had to be more than cautious. They needed to make sure that no false step would shatter all their hopes. Guérin was the right man for this situation. He was extremely zealous but he knew how to act with moderation and avoid foolhardy risks. He began his work almost clandestinely. Little by little he won the Moslems' goodwill and then began to operate in public. He gave missions at the galley hulks in Bizerte, carefully prepared the prisoners at Tunis to fulfil their religious duties and set up several chapels in the prisons. [22] His zeal was not without a certain element of patriotism:
"You would be thrilled", he wrote to Vincent, "to hear the Exaudet and other prayers for the King of France being chanted in our churches and chapels on Sundays and feastdays. Even foreigners have great affection for the King and they respect him. You would also be delighted to see the devotion with which these poor captives pray for all their benefactors, most of whom are in France or come from France, and it is no small consolation to see people here from every nation, in chains and in fetters, praying to God for the people of France." [23]
Fr. Guérin's inexhaustible charity softened the Bey's heart. One day Fr. Guérin made so bold as to go to him and ask him to allow another companion to come from France and help him in his work.
"You can bring not just one, but two or three if you need them", replied the Bey. "I am sure that you are here to do good, not ill. Don't be afraid to come to me whenever you need my protection. I will never refuse it." [24]
This authorisation led Vincent to send to Tunis, Jean Le Vacher, a young priest who looked much younger than his 28 years of age. As they were saying goodbye at the gates of Saint Lazare, the Papal Nuncio chanced to arrive. Vincent took advantage of this opportunity to ask him to give his blessing to the missionary.
"Monsignor, you have just arrived in time. Will you bless this good priest who is going off to the missions in Tunis?"
"What!, exclaimed the nuncio, "but he's only a boy!" "It is his vocation, Monsignor" replied Vincent.
This was how Vincent acted when he knew it was a question of God's will. He was absolutely sure about Le Vacher so no obstacle would make him alter his decision. When Le Vacher got to Marseilles he fell ill. The Superior of the house broke the news to Vincent so that he could send him somewhere else, or at least postpone his departure. Vincent's reply was unexpectedly harsh.
"If he is too weak to travel to the boat then have him carried there and if, during the voyage, the sea proves too much for him, then throw him overboard." [25]
Coste thinks this remark is out of keeping with Vincent's customary gentleness and he doubts whether the words were ever said. But Vincent's charity was no sugary sentimentality. He knew Jean Le Vacher well and he was sure that God was calling him to Tunis. He treats heroes as heroes. Events would prove that Vincent was right. [26]
Guérin and Le Vacher were only together for a very short time. The latter had scarcely arrived in Tunis when plague broke out. The two missionaries vied with each other in caring for the sick. Le Vacher caught the plague and was given up for dead. Fr. Guérin and Bro. Francillon also fell ill. Against all expectations, Le Vacher recovered, thanks to the care he received from Bro. Francillon who got up from his sick bed to nurse him. "The happiness that our brother and I feel", wrote Guérin, "at our good Fr. Le Vacher's recovery, has made us as strong as the lions in the mountains round here." [27] This lion strength was no defence against the plague. On 25th May, 1648, Fr. Guérin was struck down with it and a few weeks later it was the turn of Martin de Lange, the consul. [28] Le Vacher sent news of both deaths to Vincent. He also informed him that he had had to take over the duties of consul for the time being. Helped by the Duchess d'Aiguillon, Vincent bought the consulate of Tunis just as he had previously bought that of Algiers. In order to free Le Vacher from secular worries, Vincent named as consul Benjamin Huguier, a former court procurator, who had only recently joined the Congregation. Le Vacher was delighted to welcome him but he was deeply disappointed when the Bey informed him that he would recognise no other consul but Le Vacher himself. So they resorted to a legal fiction. Huguier was named "Chancellor" of the consulate which meant he could deal with most business matters and leave Le Vacher free to devote himself to his pastoral ministry. [29] This situation lasted until 1652 when the Bey allowed another consul to be appointed. Huguier returned to France [30] and was replaced by a young lawyer, Martin Husson, for whom Vincent had a very high regard.
"I knew that he was one of the most virtuous men of his times but I wasn't aware that he was so intelligent and such a skilled negotiator in important matters." "Not only is he prudent, moderate, vigilant and pious, but he is also very competent all round, and he is always ready to work for his neighbour. He is going to serve God and the poor in Barbary, notwithstanding the distance and the perils of that place and of the seas." [31]
Vincent offered him the post with all the candour and respect for the man's freedom of choice that were so characteristic of his style of spiritual direction. On Easter Sunday, 1653 he said to him,
"When I was celebring Mass today, I offered to God your sorrows, your laments and your tears. As for myself, after the Consecration I threw myself on my knees at the feet of Our Lord, begging him to enlighten me. After this I reflected on what I would have wished to say to you at the hour of my death. Well, it seems to me that if I were to die at this very moment I would have been greatly consoled to think that I had told you to go to Tunis and, on the other hand, I would have been filled with remorse if I had given you the opposite advice. I tell you this in all sincerity; this is what I think but nevertheless you are free to go there or not. [32]
Husson went off to Tunis. Vincent drew up for Le Vacher and himself the rules for their respective offices and their relationship with each other. He didn't forget to add the detail that the consul should be in lay dress. [33]
Husson was in Tunis for four years; from 1653 to 1657. He was then expelled for refusing to authorise the traders from Marseilles to deal in canvas for making ships' sails. This item was included in a list of goods that the Holy See and the French government had placed under embargo, as being what we would describe today as "strategic supplies." The Marseilles 'gang' were probably not without a hand in the affair. [34] Once again Fr. Le Vacher and Bro. Francillon were on their own and this state of affairs was not to be remedied during Vincent's lifetime.
"The ill treatment suffered by the French Consul"
The mission in Algiers began in 1646 with the purchase of the consulate there. The cleric brother, Jean Barreau, who was nominated consul, had been a lawyer in the French Parlement. He withdrew from the bar to enter, first of all with the Cistercians, and then at Saint Lazare. [35] Frs. Nouelly, Lesage and Dieppe worked in turn with him. After a very brief apostolate these three priests died, victims of their self sacrificing labours for the plague stricken. [36] Finally, Philippe Le Vacher, Jean's brother, arrived in 1651 and shared his labours for many years. They were both deeply pious and had the same capacity for suffering.
The observable history of the mission in Algiers can be summed up in two words; debts and imprisonment. Bro. Barreau was a very kindly man, so much so that he could never refuse to do a work of charity. To help his neighbours he would take on commitments that he couldn't honour, with no thought of the consequences. It was enough for any captive, merchant or religious, to be in difficulties, and this consul would stand guarantor for them. He did this so often that the Beys would take him hostage whenever they wanted some payment exacted or compensation for some loss. In 1647 he went to prison against a debt of 40,000 livres owed by a Mercedarian Father; in 1650 he was imprisoned for not being able to settle the debts of a fugitive slave, in 1656 and the following year he was sent to prison again, for the debts of both groups of merchants in Marseilles and in 1658 he was imprisoned in revenge for the flight of the governor of the French fortress who had fled to Livorno taking with him 70 Arab prisoners and four horses...
In vain did Vincent shower on him advice and instructions which alternated between severity and indulgence. The good Barreau promised to mend his ways but on the first occasion that presented itself his kind heart got the better of him. He was the one who had most to suffer. Algerian prisons were anything but holiday camps. He was not only imprisoned but practically every time he was badly treated. They beat him, hung him upside down, pushed bamboo canes under his nails... Vincent, while never ceasing to reproach him for his rashness, and worse still, for his disobedience, did everything he could to extricate him from these troubles. [37]
The worst incident occured in 1657. The Bey demanded 40,000 livres to be paid in compensation for the bankruptcy of a merchant from Marseilles named Rapio. Vincent tried to have the merchant's properties in Livorno impounded [38] and he authorised Philippe Le Vacher to go to France and organise a collection for the consul. The Ladies of Charity made a collection in 1657 but it didn't amount to much. In the wake of so many public calamities the purse strings of Paris remained tightly closed. [39] To rouse public sympathy, Vincent had printed and distributed a propaganda leaflet entitled "An account of the ill treatment suffered by the French consul in Algiers, Barbary, and the needs of poor captives". He indicated in this leaflet, the places in Paris where people could leave their offerings. [40] This was the same procedure he had followed to alleviate the distress felt in different regions ravaged by war. The collection began in March. [41] It was just at that time (as we have mentioned previously) that Vincent learnt of the discovery of the letters he wrote, as a young man, about his slavery in Tunis. This was a serious blow. The picture painted in these letters was much rosier than that described in the propaganda leaflets and was closer in style to a recently published book by Emmanuel d'Aranda. [42] If the letters were to appear in such circumstances they could seriously compromise the success of the collection. Vincent did everything in his power to make those "wretched" letters disappear. He didn't manage to do this but at least he stopped them being published. This may have been one of the reasons why Vincent kept silent about his captivity.
"They work day and night."
More important than the vicissitudes suffered by the consuls was the pastoral work that the missionaries did among the captives. To give an approximate idea of this work we would need to copy the passages from Abelly in extenso, as well as St. Vincent's conferences or the descriptions given in the "Memoirs". We have to be selective.
One of Fr. Guérin's first concerns was to go to Bizerte where, on Easter Sunday, 1647, a galley had arrived from Algiers with more than 300 Christian slaves aboard. The missionary asked leave of the captain to preach a mission to them. Every day the galley slaves were released from their fetters and went ashore to a private house where thay had Mass. Fr. Guérin, assisted by another priest, would preach and instruct them. Some had been away from the sacraments for twenty years. With the exception of a few Greek schismatics, they all went to Confession and Holy Communion. It was a real spiritual feast. For a few brief moments, they rediscovered in their Christianity, their dignity as human beings. When the final day came, Fr. Guérin spent 53 crowns to provide a good meal for the celebration. [44]
What happened to Fr. Le Vacher on a similar occasion is even more wonderful. Vincent related the incident to the community at Saint Lazare and there were tears in his eyes.
"I have had a letter from Fr. Le Vacher who is in Tunis, telling me that a galley arrived in Bizerte from Algiers, ten or twelve miles away. He didn't know whether to go or not because usually when he visits the galley slaves it is to see to their physical as well as their spiritual needs. Being short of money, he was very worried; he didn't know what to do about going there because these people are as much in want materially as they are spiritually..."
"He collected all the money he could, took an interpreter and another servant to help him. When he arrived, as soon as he was in sight of the galley the people recognised him by his habit and began to rejoice and shout out saying, "Here comes our liberator, our pastor, our father." When he climbed aboard the galley, all those poor slaves fell on him, weeping with joy and affection on seeing their spiritual and corporal deliverer. They knelt at his feet; some took hold of his soutane and others clutched at his cloak and both garments were torn in the people's anxiety to get near him. It took him more than an hour to cross the galley and pay his respects to the Commander because they blocked his way and he couldn't move on for the applause and the rejoicing of these poor people. The Commander ordered them all to return to their posts and welcomed the priest most courteously, telling him that he greatly admired the conduct and the charity of Christians who supported each other in their sufferings. Then Fr. Le Vacher bought three of the fattest bulls he could find, had them killed, and the meat distributed. He also had a lot of bread baked and in this way he saw to the bodily needs of these poor slaves. At the same time he did all in his power to provide them with spiritual nourishment which is much more important for God's glory; catechising and instructing them in the mysteries of our holy faith and finally, comforting them with great charity. This went on for a week and it brought great blessings and extraordinary confort to those poor galley slaves who called him their deliverer and their consolation since he had nourished them in soul and in body." [45]
In Algiers, Philippe was emulating his brother's zeal. He rescued slaves, reformed the clergy and captive religious, bore calumny and worked unceasingly. He was somewhat over zealous and rigorous. Vincent had to take him in hand and give him a lot of advice about being sensible and observing moderation yet he never ceased to admire the man's consuming zeal and his exceptional capacity for work. He described him as "a man who is all fire and so ready to put himself at risk, that knowing the dangers involved, he would have given up a hundred lives if he had them. He really is like fire..."
"He is a man who never stops working. I can tell you that last Easter, when he knew that he only had a week to help those poor people, and that he wouldn't be able to do much unless he worked unbelievable hours, he shut himself up with them in their prisons. He spent that week working night and day, he had hardly any rest and so risked his life to help his neighbour." [46]
Just as they had done in Algiers, the missionaries opened chapels in the main prisons at Tunis and Bizerte. In this way, as one of the missionaries wrote, "Our divine Saviour has made himself a captive among the captives, to console them in their trials as he promised." In the two consulates there were proper churches. They were dedicated to St. Louis and St. Cyprian and served as parish churches for the traders. Reports sent to Vincent by his missionaries indicate that religious services were conducted there with as much solemnity as in the churches of Paris. On Sundays and Feastdays they had solemn sung Mass and various pious associations and confraternities were started, among them the Confraternity of the Holy Souls, the association to provide help for sick captives, the Rosary confraternity, the association in honour of the Carmelite Scapular and other confraternities dedicated to various saints. The sanctuary lamp burned night and day. Holy Viaticum was taken to the dying in prison and was escorted with torches and lighted candles. In several chapels there was a procession for the feast of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Sacrament remained exposed for a whole week for adoration by the faithful. [47]
The missionaries' efforts were not confined to prisonersin the cities but they went inland to bring consolation and spiritual and material help to captives working in the quarries or in the "maceries" or country farms. The names of some of these places are quoted by Abelly Alcantara (bridge), Grombalia (from Latin "columbaria") Mamedia or Mahomedia etc... and the misionaries even penetrated the far off mountain regions which were peopled more with lions than with men. On his first trip, Jean Le Vacher met some captives who had not seen a priest for 18 years. The good priest consoled them as best he could; heard their confessions, said Mass for them and then gave each man a quarter of a piastre. [48] In M. Vincent's school it was always taught that spiritual and material relief go hand in hand.
The temple of the Holy Spirit
The chronicles of the Mission record incidents that rival those we read about in the annals of the early Church. In 1646 Guérin made reference to a little English boy of eleven "one of the finest looking boys you ever saw," who became a Catholic on Holy Thursday of that year. He had a great devotion to Our Lady and continually asked of her the grace to die rather than deny Christ. His master made every effort to entice him towards Islam and, on two occasions, even had him beaten to force him to comply. During the beating the child cried out. "You can break my neck if you want to, but I am a Christian and will never be anything else". And he told Fr. Guérin that he was ready to be beaten to death rather than apostatise. "I can assure you", concluded the missionary, "that this was a little temple of the Holy Spirit." [49]
There were many other similar cases, including that of two young boys; one English and the other French, who encouraged each other to suffer martyrdom and remain faithful to Christ." [50] But the story that most impressed Vincent was that of a young man aged twenty one or twenty two. His name was Pedro Borguny and he came from Majorca.
"A soul as pure as refined gold in the crucible"
According to Philippe Le Vacher, the boy had denied his faith and accepted the turban out of fear of being sent to the galleys. The missionary's preaching filled him with such deep remorse that he made up his mind to atone for his apostasy even if this cost him his life. With this in mind he began to speak in public against Islam and in favour of Christianity. He possessed that higher form of bravery which can admit to fear. "Our Lord, too", he said, "was afraid of dying but he willingly underwent sufferings far greater than those I will have to bear." One day he presented himself before the pasha and told him that he had gone back to being a Christian. He took off his turban, threw it on the ground and began to stamp on it. The pasha condemned him to be burnt alive. The sentence was carried out on 30th, August, 1654. Fr. Le Vacher witnessed the martyrdom and, hidden among the crowds, he secretly gave him absolution from a distance. "Shortly afterwards", commented Vincent, "he gave into the hands of God his soul which was as pure as refined gold in the crucible." [51]
On two occasions Vincent described to the community this heroic example of fidelity to the faith and he also wrote about it in his letters to missionaries who were absent. [52] Le Vacher reverently collected the martyr's ashes and brought them to Paris in 1657 together with a picture representing the scene of the martyrdom. Both the relics and the picture are still to be found, today, in the House of the Mission in Palma, Mallorca. In the eighteenth century they tried to introduce Pedro Borguny's cause for beatification in Rome. [53] Spain, which had not been able to welcome the sons of St. Vincent de Paul, offered him for his crown as apostle to the captives, this precious jewel of martyr's blood.
In the final years of his life, Vincent, who was weary of this labour of Sysiphus in rescuing slaves, attempts a sort of crusade which was meant to set free all the captive population of Barbary at one stroke. We will speak about this ingenious venture later on. It was unsuccessful. The mission to Barbary continued after Vincent's death. Jean Le Vacher and Bro. Francillon ended their lives with the crown of martyrdom. Both died in the same way; they were tied to the mouth of a cannon and when this was fired their bodies were cut in two and flung into the waters of the port of Algiers. [54]
