Philippe Couplet

Philippe Couplet, also Philip Couplet or Philippus Couplet (1623 – 1693) (Chinese name: 柏應理), was a Belgian Jesuit Father who was active in China in the 17th century. He was born in Mechelen, Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium).

Philippe Couplet entered the Jesuit Order in 1640. His interest in China was aroused by a lecture by Martino Martini, a former Jesuit missionary to China. Couplet initially left for China in 1656, in a group of new Jesuit recruits led by Michał Boym, who was returning to China with the Pope's response to the Southern Ming's Yongli Emperor plea for help. Couplet took various responsibilities throughout China, but had to take refuge in Canton during the 1665-1670 persecutions.

Couplet worked closely with Candida Xu (Chinese: 徐甘第大, Xu Gandida) (1607–1680), a granddaughter of Xu Guangqi and a devout Christian herself. Under her patronage, he was able to set a number of new churches throughout Jiangnan.

Couplet was sent back to Europe in 1681 as Procurator of the China Jesuits in Rome. His mission was to obtain papal agreement for the liturgy to be sung in Chinese. On his visit to Rome he gave the Pope a library of Chinese translations of Christian books. While in Europe, his visit to king Louis XIV triggered plans for the dispatch of five Jesuit "mathematicians" to the Chinese Court.

Upon his return to Europe in 1685 Couplet brought with him two Chinese converts, including Michael Shen Fu-Tsung (Miguel Shen Fuzong), one of the first Chinese men known to visit Europe, who visited Italy, France and England. Soon after, Couplet and Shen answered questions about the nature of the Chinese language posed by linguists in Oxford,Berlin and Vienna.

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