Philiphê Bỉnh and the Catholic Geographies of Tonkin

This chapter uses Binh’s own self-introduction to situate him within the particular geographies that shaped the trajectory of his life. The chapter shows how Binh positioned himself both locally and globally, and how this influenced his life. The chapter then steps back to explore the history of the Catholic missions in Tonkin, revealing increasing rivalry between the Portuguese Jesuits and the later-arriving French and Spanish mission societies. It shows the degree to which geographical situations shaped these projects: from the increasing involvement of the Spanish, based in the Philippines, to the division of Tonkin into two vicariates assigned to the Dominicans and the MEP missionaries. It also discusses Binh’s religious training, first as a catechist of an Italian Jesuit priest, and later as a seminary student in a Dominican religious school. It describes the consequences of the Jesuit order’s disestablishment in 1773, and the growing challenges facing its loyalists as their priests slowly began to disappear.