Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a significant law enacted during the French Revolution, specifically on July 12, 1790, which aimed to bring the Catholic Church in France under governmental control. This legislation was part of broader revolutionary efforts to reshape French society, focusing on ideas such as popular sovereignty and the restructuring of traditional institutions. The law led to the dissolution of monastic orders, reorganization of dioceses, and the establishment of clergy as state employees required to take an oath of loyalty to France. It also included provisions for the election of priests and bishops, which was a departure from traditional Vatican appointments and drew criticism from many within the Church.
The Civil Constitution significantly altered the relationship between the Church and the state, sparking tension and division among clergy and laypeople alike. While some accepted the changes, others remained loyal to the Vatican's authority, leading to a split in the Catholic Church in France. Pope Pius VI condemned the legislation, which further deepened the conflict. Ultimately, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was repealed in 1801, but its impact on the Church and French society was profound and lasting, marking a critical moment in the history of religious and governmental relations.
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Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed during the French Revolution that resulted in the immediate subordination of the Catholic Church in France to the government. The rule, passed July 12, 1790, completed the destruction of monastic orders and regulated the dioceses. In passing the law, the National Constituent Assembly sought to reorganize the Catholic Church in France and eliminate corruption and abuses within the church. The new law made the clergy paid employees of the government and required them to swear an oath of loyalty to France. The Civil Constitution also sought to reduce the number of bishops and archbishops within the church.
Background
The French Revolution, which began in 1789 and lasted until the late 1790s, was a time during which French citizens redesigned the nation's political landscape. It focused on the ideas of popular sovereignty and inalienable rights and uprooted centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. Revolutionaries also set their sights on the Catholic Church during a meeting of the National Constituent Assembly, which was a group of revolutionaries formed to work on a new constitution for France in the summer of 1789.
Action against the Catholic Church in France began in the first weeks of the National Constituent Assembly. The church was stripped of its rights as a feudal landowner in August 1789, and shortly after, members of the assembly formed an Ecclesiastical Committee to provide advice on religious policies. The committee was made up of revolutionary priests and lawyers, who, together with the assembly, decided by late 1789 that the church should surrender much of its wealth to alleviate France's crippling national debt. In November 1789, the church's land and property were seized.
When the Civil Constitution of the Clergy passed on July 12, 1790, it was the most radical change of the revolution to that point. Parishes were reorganized and their size was standardized based on geography and population. Priests' salaries were fixed and paid by the state, with many seeing raises, while in contrast the salaries of bishops were greatly reduced. One of the more controversial changes was that priests and bishops would no longer be appointed by the Vatican, but rather they would be elected by a local or regional assembly. However, not all electors in the clerical elections had to be Catholic, which angered many. Members of the clergy were also made to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation.
Pope Pius VI was hostile to the French Revolution and issued a scathing condemnation of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in March 1791. One month later, on April 13, he released "Charitas," an encyclical (or official papal letter) condemning the new law. Pius said that any bishops and priests who had followed the order and taken an oath of loyalty to France would be suspended unless they renounced this oath. This resulted in a divided Catholic church in France, with some clerics willing to swear loyalty to the nation, and others remaining loyal to the Vatican. Unable to reach an agreement, members of the Constituent Assembly issued a "tolerance decree" on May 7, 1791, creating two separate Catholic churches in revolutionary France. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was later repealed in 1801.
Bibliography
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