Le Martyr Imaginaire
Gabriel Breynat, Catholic bishop of the Mackenzie from 1901, claimed chronic illness due to the harsh task of evangelizing “the ends of the earth,” though he did not see the arctic coast for decades. Endless symptoms, combined with a grim “idea of north” among Vatican figures, fed the perception of...
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Equinox Publishing
2014
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/rsth.v32i2.209 https://journal.equinoxpub.com/RST/article/download/1317/1340 |
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crequinoxpubl:10.1558/rsth.v32i2.209 2024-06-02T08:02:18+00:00 Le Martyr Imaginaire Illness and Theatre in the Career of Gabriel Breynat, Bishop of the Mackenzie, 1901–1926 Vanast, Walter 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/rsth.v32i2.209 https://journal.equinoxpub.com/RST/article/download/1317/1340 unknown Equinox Publishing Religious Studies and Theology volume 32, issue 2 ISSN 1747-5414 0829-2922 journal-article 2014 crequinoxpubl https://doi.org/10.1558/rsth.v32i2.209 2024-05-07T13:51:50Z Gabriel Breynat, Catholic bishop of the Mackenzie from 1901, claimed chronic illness due to the harsh task of evangelizing “the ends of the earth,” though he did not see the arctic coast for decades. Endless symptoms, combined with a grim “idea of north” among Vatican figures, fed the perception of his near-martyrdom to the cold. To play this to advantage, Breynat benefited from the emergence of neurasthenia as popular diagnosis, of rest as treatment, of intense medicalization of hydrotherapy in France, of the need for heroes in that country, and of Rome’s renewed interest in missions. Throughout, the role of suffering “bishop of the Pole” raised his status, brought support for good works, and made staff (nuns, priests, and brothers) work increasingly hard. While he sought health in far-off spas and wealthy widows’ homes, they struggled to effect his plans, including a hospital for Inuit to mark his reign’s silver anniversary. Western medicine, it turned out, seldom helped gain souls, yet its constructs can be key to grasping the white side of missions—both on site and at the heart of the church. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic inuit Equinox Publishing Arctic Grim ENVELOPE(-64.486,-64.486,-65.379,-65.379) Religious Studies and Theology 32 2 |
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Equinox Publishing |
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Gabriel Breynat, Catholic bishop of the Mackenzie from 1901, claimed chronic illness due to the harsh task of evangelizing “the ends of the earth,” though he did not see the arctic coast for decades. Endless symptoms, combined with a grim “idea of north” among Vatican figures, fed the perception of his near-martyrdom to the cold. To play this to advantage, Breynat benefited from the emergence of neurasthenia as popular diagnosis, of rest as treatment, of intense medicalization of hydrotherapy in France, of the need for heroes in that country, and of Rome’s renewed interest in missions. Throughout, the role of suffering “bishop of the Pole” raised his status, brought support for good works, and made staff (nuns, priests, and brothers) work increasingly hard. While he sought health in far-off spas and wealthy widows’ homes, they struggled to effect his plans, including a hospital for Inuit to mark his reign’s silver anniversary. Western medicine, it turned out, seldom helped gain souls, yet its constructs can be key to grasping the white side of missions—both on site and at the heart of the church. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vanast, Walter |
spellingShingle |
Vanast, Walter Le Martyr Imaginaire |
author_facet |
Vanast, Walter |
author_sort |
Vanast, Walter |
title |
Le Martyr Imaginaire |
title_short |
Le Martyr Imaginaire |
title_full |
Le Martyr Imaginaire |
title_fullStr |
Le Martyr Imaginaire |
title_full_unstemmed |
Le Martyr Imaginaire |
title_sort |
le martyr imaginaire |
publisher |
Equinox Publishing |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/rsth.v32i2.209 https://journal.equinoxpub.com/RST/article/download/1317/1340 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-64.486,-64.486,-65.379,-65.379) |
geographic |
Arctic Grim |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Grim |
genre |
Arctic inuit |
genre_facet |
Arctic inuit |
op_source |
Religious Studies and Theology volume 32, issue 2 ISSN 1747-5414 0829-2922 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1558/rsth.v32i2.209 |
container_title |
Religious Studies and Theology |
container_volume |
32 |
container_issue |
2 |
_version_ |
1800746810105397248 |