Eleanor Finch
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed by the National Constituent Assembly on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution. It sought to bring the Catholic Church in France under the control of the French government and provoked much opposition. The law required clerics to swear an oath of loyalty to the state and the forthcoming constitution, causing a schism within the Church between those who supported the Revolution and those who remained loyal to the Pope.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date passed | 12 July 1790 |
| Passed by | The Assembly |
| Sanctioned by | King Louis XVI |
| Required | An oath of loyalty from the clergy |
| Reduced the number of | Bishops from 135 to 83 |
| Affected | Diocesan administration |
| Affected | Clerical elections |
| Affected | Clerical salaries |
| Affected | Bishops' living requirements |
| Condemned by | Pope Pius VI |
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What You'll Learn
- The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed in 1790 during the French Revolution
- It caused a schism within the French Church, dividing clerics and Catholics
- The law required clerics to swear an oath of loyalty to the state
- It reduced the number of bishops and made all clerics elected by the people
- The Pope condemned the Civil Constitution, hardening opposition among the clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed in 1790 during the French Revolution
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution (1789-1799). It was a law that gave the French government complete control over the Catholic Church in France. The law was passed by the National Constituent Assembly, which had been working to bring the Church in line with the principles of the Revolution.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy had four titles with different articles. Title I focused on the dioceses and how they were to be administered, reducing their number from 135 or 130 to 83 to match the number of French departments. Title II dealt with the administration of the dioceses and how elections were to take place, stipulating that all clerics were to be elected by the people, like any other public officials. Title III dealt with the salaries of clerics, who were now considered employees of the state. Title IV focused on the living requirements for bishops, parish priests, and the curates, requiring bishops to reside within their respective dioceses.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy also required all clerics to swear an oath of loyalty to the state and the forthcoming constitution. This was not a new concept, 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 loyalty to "the nation, the law, and the king" and support for the constitution decreed by the National Assembly. In November 1790, the Assembly made it compulsory for all members of the clergy to swear this oath, and most bishops refused. By the spring of 1791, the Church in France was divided between clerics who had sworn loyalty to the nation and those who remained loyal to Rome and the Pope.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy caused a schism within the French Church, with many devout Catholics turning against the Revolution. An illegal and underground French Catholic Church loyal to the Papacy emerged, while a "'constitutional church" was subservient to the state. This schism was not fully resolved until 1801, under Napoleon's rule.
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It caused a schism within the French Church, dividing clerics and Catholics
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed by the Assembly on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to bring the Catholic Church in line with the revolutionary values of the time, but it ended up causing a schism within the French Church, dividing clerics and Catholics.
The law was extremely divisive and marked a turning point in the French Revolution. It sought to subordinate the Church to the State, which many clerics and Catholics opposed. The Constitution required all clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the State and the forthcoming Constitution, which was in direct conflict with their duties to the Pope and to God. This created a split within the Church, with those who took the oath becoming known as "jurors" or "constitutional priests", and those who refused known as "non-jurors" or "refractory priests".
The majority of bishops and about half of the lower clergy refused to take the oath, with some even renouncing it after the Pope's condemnation of the Civil Constitution in 1791. This led to the Church in France being divided between those loyal to the State and those loyal to Rome. The non-juring priests enjoyed the support of their parishioners, who objected to the State's interference in spiritual matters.
The schism caused by the Civil Constitution was not fully resolved until 1801, under Napoleon's rule, when the Concordat was signed. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy's attempt to modernise the Church and realign it with revolutionary values ultimately failed, and instead, it caused a divide that further complicated the political and religious landscape of France.
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The law required clerics to swear an oath of loyalty to the state
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution, which caused the subordination of the Catholic Church in France to the French government. It was passed by the National Constituent Assembly, with the formal sanction of King Louis XVI, and required clerics to swear an oath of loyalty to the state.
The Constitution was an attempt to reform and regulate the Catholic Church in France. It followed other measures taken by the Assembly against the Church, including the abolition of feudal dues, the confiscation and sale of church lands, and the suppression of tithes. The Civil Constitution allowed the state to assume control of some aspects of religion, including funding clerical salaries and taking responsibility for education and charitable works. The law also regulated dioceses to make them more uniform and aligned with the administrative districts that had been recently created.
The Constitution included a clause that required clerics to take an oath of allegiance to France. This was controversial as many priests believed they could not put their loyalty towards France before their loyalty to God. The oath was also seen as conflicting with their oath of loyalty to the Pope. The refusal to take the oath was a rejection of the Constitution and the legitimacy of the French government.
The Assembly's attempt to force the Church to swear loyalty to the nation backfired, fuelling opposition and making the new regime more difficult to govern. The Pope's open condemnation of the Civil Constitution hardened opposition among the local clergy. Many clerics who had equivocated about taking the oath now refused, and some who had taken it renounced it. 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.
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It reduced the number of bishops and made all clerics elected by the people
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed by the National Constituent Assembly on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganize the Roman Catholic Church in France and bring it under the control of the French government.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy reduced the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a French department. This reduction was an attempt to standardize the dioceses and align them with the newly created administrative districts.
The Constitution also stipulated that all clerics, including bishops and parish priests, were to be elected by the people, like any other public officials. This meant that the king or the pope no longer had the power to appoint members of the clergy. The election of bishops and parish priests was to take place through a ballot system, with the absolute majority of votes deciding the outcome.
The Assembly's decision to reduce the number of bishops and introduce elections for clerical positions was part of a broader effort to exert control over the Catholic Church in France and align it with the revolutionary values of the time. This included the confiscation of church lands, the abolition of monastic vows and tithes, and the requirement for clerics to swear oaths of loyalty to the state.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy proved to be highly divisive, turning many Catholics and clerics against the Revolution. It created a schism within the Church, with some clerics refusing to take the required oath and others accepting the new Constitution. This division persisted until the schism was resolved under Napoleon's rule in 1801.
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The Pope condemned the Civil Constitution, hardening opposition among the clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganize the Roman Catholic Church in France on a national basis and subordinate the Church to the French government. The law was highly divisive, turning many Catholics and clerics against the Revolution.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy required all clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the Civil Constitution and the nation's constitution. This proved to be a highly controversial issue, as many clerics disagreed with the strict subordination of the Church to the state and the limitation of the pope's jurisdiction to spiritual affairs. The oath created a split between “non-jurors” (those who refused to take the oath and remained loyal to the Pope) and “jurors” (those who took the oath and supported the government's control over the Church).
Pope Pius VI condemned the Civil Constitution in the spring of 1791, further hardening opposition among the clergy. The Pope's condemnation influenced many clerics who had previously equivocated about taking the oath to refuse to do so, and some who had already taken the oath renounced it in line with the Pope's orders. The Pope also declared that constitutional bishops and priests would be suspended from office unless they renounced the oath.
The Pope's opposition to the Civil Constitution and his repudiation of all clergy who had complied with the oath completed the schism within the French Church. The various Revolutionary governments of the early 1790s took harsh measures against the non-juring clergy as enemies of the state, although they were supported by the people in some areas, particularly in western France.
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Frequently asked questions
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was issued by the National Constituent Assembly, also referred to as the National Assembly.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law 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, creating a schism within the Church. It also regulated dioceses, making them uniform and aligned with administrative districts.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy caused a divide within the Catholic Church in France. It required clerics to swear an oath of loyalty to the state, which many refused to do, remaining loyal to the Pope. This resulted in a split between "non-jurors" (refractory priests) and "jurors" (constitutional priests). The schism was not fully resolved until 1801 under Napoleon's rule.
