Simone Lawson
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 Catholic Church in France and subordinate it to the French government. The law was highly divisive, causing a schism within the French Church and turning many Catholics and clerics against the Revolution. It reduced the number of bishops, reorganised and standardised parish sizes, and made the clergy paid employees of the government. It also required all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation, the law, and the king, which proved controversial, with many clerics refusing to take the oath.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date passed | 12 July 1790 |
| Aim | To reorganise and regulate the Catholic Church in France |
| Purpose | To reduce the number of bishops, standardise diocese sizes, make the clergy paid employees of the government, and require an oath of loyalty to the nation |
| Number of bishops after the Constitution | 83 |
| Number of departments in the kingdom | 83 |
| Salary of parish priests | 1,200–6,000 livres per year |
| Salary of bishops | 12,000 livres per annum |
| Number of bishops who swore the oath | 7 |
| Schism ended under | Napoleon's rule |
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What You'll Learn
The French Revolution and the Catholic Church
The French Revolution (1789-1799) saw a significant upheaval in the relationship between the revolutionary French state and the Catholic Church. The revolution's governing body, the National Assembly, passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy on 12 July 1790, with the aim of reorganising and regulating the Catholic Church in France. This law sought to bring the Church under the control of the state, creating a schism within the French Church and causing many devout Catholics and clerics to turn against the Revolution.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a direct response to the earlier confiscation of Church lands and the abolition of tithes, which had left the Church in a state of chaos. The new law regulated dioceses to align with administrative districts, emphasising loyalty to the First French Republic over the Papacy. It also made bishops and priests elected positions, with parishioners voting on these roles rather than appointments being made by the Church hierarchy. This represented a significant shift in power dynamics, as members of the clergy who accepted the State's terms became subject to the State.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was highly divisive and proved to be a turning point in the French Revolution. It was opposed by almost all bishops and over half of the lower clergy, who refused to take the required loyalty oath. This oath, extended to all members of the clergy in November 1790, declared support for the nation's constitution and, by extension, the reorganisation of the Church. The Church in France became split between the nonjurors (refractory priests) and the jurors (constitutional priests).
The law also reduced the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a département. It standardised parish sizes based on geography and population and fixed the salaries of parish priests, representing an increase in pre-1789 salaries. In contrast, bishops' salaries were significantly reduced, and they were required to live permanently within their dioceses.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was part of a broader attempt to modernise the Church and align it with revolutionary values, seeking to eliminate corruption and abuses within the Church and limit its political influence. However, it caused a schism that was not fully resolved until 1801 under Napoleon's rule. The conflict escalated when Pope Pius VI condemned the Civil Constitution in the spring of 1791, and the various Revolutionary governments took harsh measures against the nonjuring clergy as enemies of the state.
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Bishops and priests
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy, passed on 12 July 1790, was a law that sought to bring the Catholic Church in France under the control of the French government. This law turned many Catholics and clerics against the Revolution and caused a schism within the French Church.
Bishops
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy reduced the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a département. Bishops were required to live permanently within their diocese and take an oath of loyalty to the nation, the law, and the king. This oath was particularly divisive, with only seven bishops agreeing to take it. The schism caused by the Civil Constitution was not fully resolved until 1801.
Priests
The Constitution also made parish priests elected officials, with their salaries set and paid for by the state. This represented an increase in the salaries of most parish priests. However, the requirement for priests to take the same oath as bishops was also divisive, with only about half of the parish priests agreeing to take it. Those who took the oath became known as 'juring priests' or 'constitutional clergy', while those who refused were called 'non-juring' or 'refractory priests'.
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Church lands and tithes
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reorganise the Catholic Church in France, standardise parish sizes, and reduce the number of bishops and archbishops.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed in the context of the French government's near bankruptcy. The Church owned about six percent of the land in France, which it used for churches, monasteries, convents, schools, hospitals, and other establishments. The National Assembly abolished tithes in August 1789 and confiscated Church lands on 2 November 1789. Church property was nationalised and used to back assignats. The Assembly also dissolved all ecclesiastical orders and congregations, except those devoted to teaching children and nursing the sick.
On 19 April 1790, the administration of all remaining church property was transferred to the State. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy further reorganised the Church by standardising parish sizes based on geography and population. It reduced the number of bishoprics from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a département. The salaries of parish priests were fixed and paid by the State, ranging from 1,200 to 6,000 livres per year, while the salaries of bishops were significantly reduced to around 12,000 livres per annum.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy thus completed the confiscation of Church lands and the abolition of tithes. It settled the chaos caused by these earlier measures and emphasised the subordination of the Church to the State.
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Diocesan administration
The Constitution stipulated that each department would form a single diocese, with the same geographical extent and limits as the department. The seat of the bishoprics was established in specific locations, such as Rouen for the department of Lower Seine and Bayeux for Calvados. All other bishoprics not mentioned were abolished, and the kingdom was divided into ten metropolitan districts, with archbishoprics in cities like Paris, Bordeaux, and Toulouse.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy also emphasised the election of bishops and parish priests by enfranchised citizens, rather than their appointment by the Church hierarchy. The election process was to be conducted through a secret ballot, with the winner determined by an absolute majority of votes. The election of bishops would follow the procedures outlined in the decree of December 22, 1789, for the election of members of the departmental assembly.
The Constitution further required bishops to reside permanently within their dioceses, addressing the issue of absentee bishops and archbishops in pre-revolutionary France. Additionally, it regulated dioceses to ensure uniformity and alignment with the recently created administrative districts, emphasising loyalty to the First French Republic over the Papacy.
The reorganisation of dioceses and the election process for bishops and priests were significant aspects of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, reflecting the National Assembly's desire for uniformity and simplification in the Church's administration.
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Clergy salaries
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reform and regulate the Catholic Church in France, bringing it under the control of the French government.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy made the clergy salaried employees of the state. The state now had the responsibility of funding clerical salaries, and the salaries of parish priests were to be fixed and paid for by the state. The salaries of bishops, on the other hand, were significantly reduced.
The salaries of parish priests ranged from 1,200 to 6,000 livres per year, depending on the location and the nature of their clerical duties. This represented an increase in their pre-1789 salaries. The salaries of bishops were set at around 12,000 livres per annum.
The Constitution also outlined the living requirements for bishops, parish priests, and curates. It stated that every bishop, priest, and officiating clergyman should be furnished with a suitable dwelling, on the condition that they make all necessary repairs. This did not affect parishes where the priest received a monetary equivalent instead of a dwelling.
The salaries and living requirements outlined in the Civil Constitution of the Clergy were part of a broader effort to standardize and regulate the Catholic Church in France during the Revolution.
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Frequently asked questions
It 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 and to eliminate corruption and abuses in the church.
It reduced the number of bishops, made the clergy paid employees of the government, and required all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation.
It was highly divisive, with many clerics refusing to take the loyalty oath it required. It turned many Catholics and clerics against the Revolution and created a schism within the French Church.
It resulted in 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, under Napoleon's rule.
