French Revolution & The Catholic Church
During the French Revolution, everything and everyone was impacted in one way or another. It didn’t matter your social ranking or position in something, the rebels were only interested in changing France for what they the thought was the better. Before the Revolution, the Catholic faith was the most widely studied religion in France, but the tables soon turned after the revolt.
The rebels believed that in order to change and make France a better place, it was necessary to throw out all of the old ideas and make new ones. This involved the church being overthrown and changed entirely. For the reason that the Catholic faith was such a huge deal, it was going to take a lot in order for it to be destroyed. It started by all the church property being seized by the government. As time went on further brutality was thought of and eventually acted upon, this included churches being sacked by mobs, thousands of priests massacred, and for those still trying to go to church, if caught you were killed.
Things spilled even more out of control and downhill after the Reign of Terror, it brought a program of violent de-Christianization. It was at this point when priests were killed and church and religious figures were destroyed. The Catholic Church was looked down so much, which people were eventually forbidden to put a cross on their graves. These groups of de- Christianized people wanted a new civil religion- this was patriotism. All Catholic holy days were replaced with national holidays and civic days of worship. The “Cult of Great Men” (i.e Rousseau) replaced the veneration of saints, it led to the use of the word “saint” was forbidden.
The church did not pay any taxes, the citizens had to pay the church taxes and their own. The non- Catholic citizens, Huguenots wanted a regime that would bring non- Catholics and Catholics together and make both groups equal. The people attracted attention. This attention was coming mainly from thinkers of the Voltaire, it helped
The rebels believed that in order to change and make France a better place, it was necessary to throw out all of the old ideas and make new ones. This involved the church being overthrown and changed entirely. For the reason that the Catholic faith was such a huge deal, it was going to take a lot in order for it to be destroyed. It started by all the church property being seized by the government. As time went on further brutality was thought of and eventually acted upon, this included churches being sacked by mobs, thousands of priests massacred, and for those still trying to go to church, if caught you were killed.
Things spilled even more out of control and downhill after the Reign of Terror, it brought a program of violent de-Christianization. It was at this point when priests were killed and church and religious figures were destroyed. The Catholic Church was looked down so much, which people were eventually forbidden to put a cross on their graves. These groups of de- Christianized people wanted a new civil religion- this was patriotism. All Catholic holy days were replaced with national holidays and civic days of worship. The “Cult of Great Men” (i.e Rousseau) replaced the veneration of saints, it led to the use of the word “saint” was forbidden.
The church did not pay any taxes, the citizens had to pay the church taxes and their own. The non- Catholic citizens, Huguenots wanted a regime that would bring non- Catholics and Catholics together and make both groups equal. The people attracted attention. This attention was coming mainly from thinkers of the Voltaire, it helped