Omar Bennett
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganise the Roman Catholic Church in France by nationalising church lands, confiscating church possessions, reducing the number of bishops, and making the clergy paid employees of the state. The constitution also required all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation, which proved to be highly controversial as it caused a schism within the French Church, dividing clerics between those loyal to the nation and those loyal to Rome. The Pope's public condemnation of the Civil Constitution further hardened opposition among the local clergy, and the conflict between refractory priests and constitutional priests continued until 1801.
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What You'll Learn
- The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution
- It sought to bring the Catholic Church in France under the control of the French government
- The clergy were required to take an oath of allegiance to France, causing a schism in the church
- Bishops and priests would be elected by local or regional assembly, not appointed by the Vatican
- The number of bishops was reduced from 135 to 83, and each diocese was to correspond to a département
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution
- Ecclesiastical offices
- Appointments to benefices
- Payment of ministers of religion
- Obligations of ecclesiastics as public functionaries
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was designed to reduce the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a département. Bishops and priests would be elected by a local or regional assembly, not appointed by the Vatican, and controversially, the electors did not have to be Catholic. The Constitution also required bishops and priests to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation, the law, and the king, and to support the constitution decreed by the National Assembly. This was particularly controversial because many priests believed they could not put their loyalty towards France before their loyalty towards God.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy caused a schism within the French Church, with some clerics refusing to take the oath and others renouncing it in line with the Pope's orders. This resulted in an illegal and underground French Catholic Church loyal to the Papacy, and a "constitutional church" that was subservient to the State. The schism was not fully resolved until 1801.
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It sought to bring the Catholic Church in France under the control of the French government
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution. It sought to bring the Catholic Church in France under the control of the French government and to reduce the church's political influence. The law caused a schism within the French Church, creating an illegal and underground French Catholic Church loyal to the Papacy, and a "`constitutional church" that was subservient to the State.
The main features of the proposed Civil Constitution of the Clergy were to reduce the number of bishops from 135 to 83, to have each diocese correspond to a département, to have enfranchised citizens elect bishops and parish priests, and to have the state pay the clergy's wages. The constitution also required all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation, the law, and the king, and to support the constitution decreed by the National Assembly. This oath was very controversial, as many priests believed they could not put their loyalty towards France before their loyalty towards God. Refusal to take the oath signalled a rejection of the Constitution and the legitimacy of the French government.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed by the National Assembly with a large majority on July 12, 1790, and formally sanctioned by King Louis XVI on August 24. However, the Constitution soon provoked much opposition. The Pope, Pius VI, openly condemned the Constitution in the spring of 1791, and called on all clergy to renounce their oaths. This hardened opposition among the local clergy, and by the spring of 1791, the Catholic Church in France was divided between clerics willing to swear loyalty to the nation and those who remained loyal to Rome. The schism was not fully resolved until 1801.
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The clergy were required to take an oath of allegiance to France, causing a schism in the church
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganise the Roman Catholic Church in France on a national basis. The law sought to bring the Church under rules similar to those governing the state.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy included a clause that required the clergy to take an oath of allegiance to France, causing a schism in the church. This was not a radical departure from existing customs, as bishops had been required to swear an oath of loyalty to the king since the reign of Louis XIV. However, the new oath required clergy to swear "loyalty to the nation, the law and the king" and "to support with all his power the constitution decreed by the National [Constituent] Assembly".
The oath was controversial because many priests believed they could not put their loyalty towards France before their loyalty towards God. Refusal to take the oath signalled a rejection of the Constitution and, implicitly, the legitimacy of the French government. In November 1790, the National Constituent Assembly issued a decree extending this compulsory oath to all members of the clergy.
On November 27, 1790, the National Constituent Assembly ordered the clergy to take the oath, declaring their support for the nation's constitution and, by extension, the reorganisation of the church. Priests were faced with the dilemma of accepting the Civil Constitution or losing their parishes. Only about half of the parish priests took the oath, with the remainder awaiting the decision of Pope Pius VI. The Pope's eventual condemnation of the Civil Constitution in the spring of 1791 hardened opposition among the local clergy, causing a split between clerics willing to swear loyalty to the nation and those who remained loyal to Rome.
The schism created by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was not fully resolved until 1801.
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Bishops and priests would be elected by local or regional assembly, not appointed by the Vatican
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganise the Roman Catholic Church in France on a national basis. The law sought to bring the Church under rules similar to those which the National Assembly was drawing up for the state.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy contained four titles with different articles. Title I focused on the dioceses and how they were to be administered. Title II focused on the administration of the dioceses and how elections were to take place. Title III focused on payment, as the Clergy were now salaried employees of the State. Title IV focused on the living requirements for bishops, parish priests, and the curates.
The Constitution's main features were to reduce the number of bishops from 135 to 83, to have each diocese correspond to a département, to have enfranchised citizens elect bishops and parish priests, and to have the state pay the clergy’s wages. Bishops and priests would be elected by a local or regional assembly, not appointed by the Vatican. This was a highly controversial aspect of the Civil Constitution, as was the requirement that electors in clerical elections did not have to be Catholic.
The Constitution also required bishops to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation, the law, and the king, and to support the constitution decreed by the National Assembly. This was not a radical departure from existing customs, as since the reign of Louis XIV, newly consecrated bishops had been required to swear an oath of loyalty to the king. However, the new oath's explicit mention of loyalty to the nation and the National Assembly was controversial. In November 1790, the Assembly issued a decree that extended this compulsory oath to all members of the clergy.
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The number of bishops was reduced from 135 to 83, and each diocese was to correspond to a département
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganise the Roman Catholic Church in France on a national basis. The law sought to bring the Church under rules similar to those governing the state. It also aimed to eliminate corruption and abuses in the Church and to limit the Church's political influence.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy reduced the number of bishops from 135 to 83. Each diocese was to correspond to a département, the basic territorial administrative unit established by the Assembly. The kingdom was to be divided into ten metropolitan districts, with the seat of the bishoprics of the 83 departments located in various cities across the kingdom. All other bishoprics that were not included in this list were to be abolished.
The reduction in the number of bishops was part of a broader reorganisation of the Church. This reorganisation was deemed necessary after the confiscation of the Church's vast possessions. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy also included a clause that required bishops to be elected by a local or regional assembly, rather than appointed by the Vatican. This was a significant change, as it meant that the electors in clerical elections did not have to be Catholic.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was highly controversial and divisive. It caused a schism within the French Church, with some clerics refusing to accept the new order and remaining loyal to Rome. This division led to the creation of an illegal and underground French Catholic Church, loyal to the Papacy, and a "constitutional church" that was subservient to the state. The schism was not fully resolved until 1801.
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Frequently asked questions
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganise the Roman Catholic Church in France by nationalising it.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy reduced the number of bishops from 135 to 83, made each diocese correspond to a département, and made the clergy salaried employees of the state. It also required all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was controversial because it subordinated the church to the state and limited the pope’s jurisdiction to spiritual affairs. The oath of loyalty was particularly contentious, as many priests believed they could not put their loyalty towards France before their loyalty towards God.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy caused a schism within the French Church, creating an illegal and underground French Catholic Church loyal to the Papacy, and a "constitutional church" that was subservient to the State. This schism was not fully resolved until 1801.
