Pierre-Marie-Alphonse Favier

Pierre-Marie-Alphonse Favier-Duperron C.M.(Chinese: 樊國樑 Pinyin:Fan Guoliang Wade-Giles: Fan Kouo-Léang) (born 22 September 1837 at Marsannay-la-Côte, France; died 4 April 1905 in Beijing) was the controversial Roman Catholic (Chinese: 天主教; Pinyin: Tianzhu jiao; Lord of Heaven Religion) Lazarite Vicar Apostolic of Northern Chi-Li (直隸北境) (later Chihli; now Hebei), China (now incorporating the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Beijing) and titular bishop of Pentacomia from 13 April 1899 until his death in 1905. During the Boxer Uprising of 1900, Favier was responsible for the defence and preservation of the Xishiku Cathedral (西什库天主堂), commonly referred to as the Beitang (北堂, the North Cathedral) in Beijing, and the protection of thousands of Chinese Roman Catholic Christians. In the aftermath of the Boxer Uprising, Favier was accused of looting.

Pierre-Marie Alphonse Favier-Duperron (French: ) was born on 22 September 1837 at Marsannay-la-Côte (Côte-d'Or), France.

Before entering the ministry of the Roman Catholic Church, Favier trained as an architect. He was able to use that training to design and supervise the construction of Beijing's North Cathedral, the Beitang. After Favier studied literature at the seminary at Plombières, he transferred to the Dijon seminary where he studied philosophy and a year of theology.

Favier entered the Roman Catholic Church's Congregation of Mission (known as the Lazarists or Vincentians) in Paris on 5 October 1858. On 6 October 1860 he indicated his desire to be a priest. At the General Assembly of the Congregation of Mission held from 27 July to 4 August 1861, Monsigneur Joseph-Martial Mouly (孟振生), C.M. (born 2 August 1807; died 4 December 1868), the then Vicar Apostolic of China's North Chihli province, which was centred on Beijing, attended and spoke of the new possibilities of evangelisation in China after the Convention of Peking of 1860. Mouly wanted missionaries and sisters to accompany him on his return to China. Favier was one of those who responded affirmatively to Mouly's invitation.

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