Eleanor Finch
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed by the National Constituent Assembly on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution. It was an attempt to reform and regulate the Catholic Church in France, reducing the number of bishops and archbishops, making the clergy paid employees of the government, and requiring all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation. This law was extremely divisive, causing a schism within the French Church and turning many devout Catholics against the Revolution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date passed | 12 July 1790 |
| Passed by | National Constituent Assembly |
| Aims | To reorganise and regulate the Catholic Church in France, eliminating corruption and abuses in the church, and limiting the church's political influence |
| Number of bishops | Reduced from 135 to 83 |
| Election of bishops and priests | Elected locally by citizens; electors had to sign a loyalty oath to the constitution |
| Clergy wages | Paid by the state |
| Clergy oath | Required bishops and then all clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the state |
| Clergy salary range | 1,200 to 6,000 livres per year for parish priests; bishops' salaries were significantly reduced to around 12,000 livres per annum |
| Diocesan reorganisation | Each diocese was to correspond to a département |
| Bishops' residence | Bishops were required to live permanently within their diocese |
| Pope's authority | Reduced to the right to be informed of election results |
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What You'll Learn
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed on 12 July 1790
The Civil Constitution reduced the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a département, and bishops and priests were to be elected locally. The state was to pay the clergy's wages, with parish priests' salaries ranging from 1,200 to 6,000 livres per year, and bishops' salaries reduced to around 12,000 livres per annum.
The Civil Constitution also required bishops and all clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the state, which was to be taken in January 1791. This oath was at odds with the conscience of many clerics, and most bishops refused to take it, although around 60% of lower clergy did. This resulted in a schism within the French Church, with a continuation of the conflict deemed unavoidable when Pope Pius VI condemned the Civil Constitution in the spring of 1791.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was one of the new regime's most controversial and divisive policies, generating more dissent and fuelling more opposition than any other revolutionary policy. It caused many devout Catholics to turn against the Revolution, and according to historian Hilaire Belloc, it "lit the civil war" that would occur in the following years.
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It was passed by the National Constituent Assembly
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed by the National Constituent Assembly on July 12, 1790. It was a significant event during the French Revolution, aiming to reorganize and regulate the Catholic Church in France. The Assembly had already taken several measures against the Church, including the abolition of feudal dues, the confiscation and sale of church lands, and the suppression of tithes.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy sought to reduce the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a département. It also called for the enfranchised citizens to elect bishops and parish priests, and for the state to pay the clergy's wages. This reorganization standardized parish sizes based on geography and population, fixing salaries for parish priests and reducing them for bishops.
One of the most controversial aspects of the Civil Constitution was the requirement for all clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation and the constitution. This proved divisive, with only a minority of bishops taking the oath, while the majority refused and faced repercussions. The Pope also condemned the Civil Constitution, further exacerbating the schism within the French Church.
The National Constituent Assembly's decision to pass the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a radical change during the French Revolution. It transformed the Catholic Church in France into a de facto state church, attempting to eliminate corruption and abuses and limit the church's political influence. However, it also created a split within French society and the Church, with some priests and bishops refusing to comply with the new regulations.
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It was an attempt to reorganise the Catholic Church in France
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 reorganise the Catholic Church in France, creating a national religion, and to standardise parish sizes based on geography and population. The law was intended to reduce the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with each diocese corresponding to a département, and to have bishops and parish priests elected locally by enfranchised citizens. The salaries of parish priests were to be fixed by and paid for 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. Bishops were also required to live permanently within their diocese.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was an attempt to reform and regulate the Catholic Church in France, eliminating corruption and abuses in the church, and limiting the church's political influence. It was one of the new regime's most controversial and divisive policies, generating more dissent and fuelling more opposition than any other revolutionary policy. The law required all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation, which proved extremely divisive, with almost all bishops opposing the law and refusing to take the oath. On 27 November 1790, the National Constituent Assembly ordered the clergy to take an oath declaring their support of the nation's constitution and thus, indirectly, of the reorganisation of the church. Priests were faced with the dilemma of accepting the Civil Constitution or losing their parishes, and the church in France was split between the nonjurors (refractory priests) and the jurors (constitutional priests).
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy also had significant implications for the relationship between the church and the state. It made the Catholic Church in France immediately subordinate to the French government, with the state assuming control of some aspects of religion, including funding clerical salaries and responsibility for education and charitable works. This strict subordination of the church to the state was a key point of contention for many clerics, who disagreed with the limitation of the pope's jurisdiction to spiritual affairs. The Civil Constitution also reduced the authority of the Pope over the appointment of clergy, retaining only the right to be informed of election results.
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. The Civil Constitution alienated thousands of deeply religious French citizens and turned many devout Catholics against the Revolution. It also pressured the Pope into condemning the revolution, giving reactionaries fresh grounds to attack the National Constituent Assembly.
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It caused a schism within the French Church
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 reorganise and regulate the Catholic Church in France, eliminating corruption and abuses in the church, and limiting the church's political influence.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy caused a schism within the French Church. This was due to the requirement for all members of the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the nation. The oath was very controversial, as many priests believed they could not put their loyalty towards France before their loyalty to God. Refusal to take the oath signalled a rejection of the Constitution and the French government. This resulted in two separate Catholic churches in France: 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 only between the clergy and the state but also within the clergy itself. The church in France was split between the nonjurors (refractory priests) and the jurors (constitutional priests). Only seven bishops and about half of the parish priests took the oath, while the majority of higher clergymen refused to swear the oath. The non-juring priests were later declared suspects and were liable to be arrested.
The schism was further exacerbated by the Pope's condemnation of the Civil Constitution and his repudiation of all clergy who had complied with the oath. This turned many devout Catholics against the Revolution and created a new source of counter-revolutionary sentiment. The schism was not fully resolved until 1801, when the Concordat of 1801 was agreed upon between Napoleon Bonaparte and representatives of the Papacy and the nonjuring clergy.
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It required bishops and clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the state
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 reform and regulate the Catholic Church in France, eliminating corruption and abuses in the church and limiting the church's political influence.
The Civil Constitution reorganised and standardised parish sizes on the basis of both geography and population. It reduced the number of bishops from 135 to 83, with one bishop per department, and made the clergy paid employees of the government. Bishops were required to live permanently within their diocese. The salaries of parish priests were to be fixed by and paid for by the state, ranging from 1,200 to 6,000 livres per year. In contrast, the salaries of bishops were significantly reduced to around 12,000 livres per annum.
The Civil Constitution also required bishops and then all clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the state, to be taken in January 1791. This was not a radical departure from existing customs, as since the reign of Louis XIV, newly consecrated bishops were required to swear an oath of loyalty to the king. However, the new oath required bishops 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". This meant that bishops were now required to swear loyalty to the State in far stronger terms than to any religious doctrine.
In November 1790, the Assembly issued a decree extending this compulsory oath to all members of the clergy, including parish priests, abbés, curates, monks, and nuns. If lower clerics were to be paid by the state, it was argued, then it was reasonable that they swear an oath of loyalty to the state, in a similar fashion to the oaths taken by public officials. This oath was very controversial, as many priests believed they could not put their loyalty towards France before their loyalty towards God. Refusal to make the oath signalled a rejection of the Constitution and the legitimacy of the French government.
On 16 January 1791, approximately half of those required to take the oath did so, with the remainder awaiting the decision of Pope Pius VI. Among the higher ranks of the church, the response was much more negative; only 7 of the 135 sitting bishops took the oath. In March 1791, Pope Pius VI announced that the oath was against the beliefs of the Church, dividing the church into "juring" and "nonjuring" clergy. In April 1791, the Pope issued an encyclical condemning the Civil Constitution and threatening to suspend all clergy who took the oath.
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Frequently asked questions
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed by the National Constituent Assembly in France.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was passed on July 12, 1790.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was an attempt to reorganise and regulate the Catholic Church in France, reducing the number of bishops and making the clergy paid employees of the state.
The Civil Constitution was supported by some figures within the Church, such as the priest and parliamentarian Pierre Claude François Daunou, and the revolutionary priest Henri Grégoire.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy caused a schism within the French Church, creating an illegal underground Catholic Church loyal to the Papacy, and a "constitutional church" subservient to the state. It also sparked opposition and dissent, with many clerics disagreeing with the strict subordination of the Church to the state and the limitation of the Pope's jurisdiction.
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