Les Lazaristes, l’Évangélisation de l’Île Maurice et l’Esclavage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35312/8d434b98Keywords:
Esclavage, Île Maurice, Lazaristes, EvangelizationAbstract
This study explores the role of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists) in the evangelization of Mauritius within the complex historical context of colonial expansion and slavery. Situated along major maritime routes between Europe, Africa, and Asia, Mauritius became a multicultural society shaped by enslaved populations from Africa and India, later joined by indentured laborers under British rule. The Lazarists played a foundational role in building the Catholic Church on the island, with several serving as ecclesiastical leaders. However, their mission unfolded within the moral tension of a slave-based society. While remaining engaged in the colonial system, they sought to proclaim the Gospel to all—colonists and enslaved alike—adapting pastoral practices to difficult conditions. The study highlights both the evangelical commitment and the ambiguities of missionary action, revealing how Vincentian missionaries attempted to live and proclaim the Gospel amid structural injustice and cultural diversity.
References
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MEZZADRI, Luigi and ONIS Francesca. 2013. Les Lazaristes, un histoire générale de la Congrégation de la Mission, le XVIIIe siècle de 1789, New York City press.
THIEFFRY, Marc. 2017. Les Lazaristes aux mascareignes au XVIIIe et XIXe siècles Île Bourbon (Réunion) et Île de France (Maurice), Ed L’harmattan, Paris.
PROSPER, Eve. 2021. Les ébauches urbaines dans les Mascareignes au XVIIIe siècle, p. 59-90.
PROSPER, Eve. 2025. Eglise et seclavage à Bourbon (https://www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr/documentaires/l-esclavage/leglise-et-lesclavage/leglise-et-l-esclavage/)
Groëme-Harmon, Aline. 2025. Il y a 300 ans: les débuts dans la «sueur et le sang» de l’Église à Maurice (https://lexpress.mu/s/article/412759/il-y-300-ans-debuts-dans-sueur-et-sang-leglise-maurice)
https://www.portail-esclavage-reunion.fr/a-la-une-eglise-etat-et-esclavage/
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