Poem 16 Paper Print

Ferdinand Verbiest was a Flemish Jesuit missionary. He was a renowned astronomer that worked closely with the Imperial Court of China. Verbiest corrected mistakes in the Chinese calendar. Previous astronomers had made corrections that had accumulated over time by adding an extra month in the year. This, however, was considered to be an affront to the Emperor by some officials, as the calendar was in effect an “imperial” decree. They recommended no tampering. Verbiest won his battle by insisting, “It is not within my power to make the heavens agree with your calendar. The extra month must be removed.” The Emperor was deeply impressed by the Belgian Jesuit and was keen to learn all he could. Verbiest taught him many subjects, among them Western philosophy, music, and geometry. And this was the opportunity to explain the ideas of Verbiest’s true mission – he introduced Emperor K’ang Hsi to Catholicism. Following this Verbiest was given permission to prea