The French Revolution marked a period of significant upheaval and radical changes in French society, politics, and religion. Among the numerous legislative changes enacted by the National Assembly, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy of 1790 stands out as a pivotal moment in the history of the relationship between the Church and the State in France.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy
In 1790, the National Assembly passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which was a groundbreaking law altering the structure of the Catholic Church in France. This legislation came after the Church’s traditional revenues were disrupted due to the abolition of tithes and the confiscation of Church property. To address this financial void, the Assembly decided to fund ecclesiastical salaries, effectively nationalizing the Gallican Church. The Church was now under the control of the state, subjecting it to ongoing government regulation.
Under the new system, bishops and priests became civil servants who were paid by the state and chosen through elections by local diocesan or parish populations. Moreover, newly appointed bishops were mandated to swear an oath of allegiance to the state. These changes diminished the Pope’s authority over the French clergy and challenged the longstanding autonomy of the Roman Church as an independent ecclesiastical entity.
Reaction from the Pope and French Clergy
Pope Pius VI openly criticized the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, as it undermined the traditional power and influence of the Papacy. The National Assembly made several attempts to reconcile with the Church, but these efforts failed to yield a compromise. Consequently, the Assembly required all members of the French clergy to take an oath endorsing the Civil Constitution. However, only a minority of the clergy agreed to take the oath.
A significant portion of the devout Catholic population, including King Louis XVI and many commoners, sided with the ‘non-juring’ clergy—those who refused to take the oath. This schism within the French clergy led to widespread disapproval of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, marking it as the Revolution’s first significant misstep.
Establishing a Limited Monarchy
Following the controversy surrounding the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, the National Assembly took another crucial step in restructuring the French government. The Assembly focused on establishing a constitutional monarchy, which culminated in the adoption of the Constitution of 1791. This constitution aimed to create a balance of power by limiting the authority of the monarchy and establishing a system of laws that the king and his administration were obligated to follow.
The Constitution of 1791 represented an attempt to stabilize the French government by redefining the role of the monarch within a constitutional framework. It was a move towards modern governance, where the king’s powers were checked by the law and the will of the people, as represented by the legislative assembly.
Questions for UPSC
1. How did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy challenge the traditional role of the Catholic Church in French society?
2. What were the implications of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy for the relationship between the French state and the Papacy?
3. In what ways did the Constitution of 1791 seek to limit the powers of the monarchy, and how did this reflect the broader goals of the French Revolution?