Background
He was born at Bar-le-Duc in 1697.
He was born at Bar-le-Duc in 1697.
He took several names like Père Norbert, Curé Parisot, Norbert de Bar-le-Duc, Norbert de Lorraine, or Abbé Platel. He opposed Jesuits and wrote against them in his "Memoirs of the East Indian Missions" in 1744, exposing the methods in which they were obtaining the conversions. He entered into holy orders and was dispatched by his order on a mission to India as a Capuchin friar.
He became Capuchin monk in 1716 and later, priest in 1729.
In December 1736, he was appointed as Procurator of the French mission and was sent to Malabar and later to Pondicherry. He stayed four years in India, including three years in Pondicherry where he came in contact with Jesuits that lead into a conflict.
During his stay in Pondicherry, he came in contact with Jesuits leading to a conflict on the issue-the struggle of the Malabaric rites. Visdelou had already arrived Pondicherry from China on June 25, 1709, much before Parisot.
Visdelou remained in Pondicherry till he died in the House of French Capuchins as he was not allowed to return to France.
As both Visdelou in exile and Pierre Parisot were living in the same House of the Capuchins in the same town, they had issues regarding Malabari rites and thus led into the conflict. The jesuits in return procured Pierre Parisot recal in 1744 as his conduct gave great offence to the jesuits. During his stay in England, he supported himself by establishing a Tapestry and Turkey carpet manufactory at Paddington, under the patronage of Duke of Cumberland.
He finally returned to France, under the name of Abbé Platel, visiting part of Germany and Portugal undergoing persecution.