Conservative Catholics In The 1800's

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Many conservative Catholics of the 1800’s wanted to maintain social order and societal collapse due to the large-scale changes that they witnessed throughout their lifetimes. A French national looking back into the past in 1853 would have been very young when the French revolution first began. During their childhood, they would have been a part of the third estate, a class dominated by the working class. They were raised with no control over their futures, with a life predestined for them. During this period, they witnessed a France in chaos, especially to a conservative devoted Catholic. The Enlightenment was making a huge impact in society, with many Catholics of the time having opposing views on it. The Enlightenment “Argued that human life …show more content…

This would leave the conservatives of the time very angry, with massive changes occurring to their past experiences of government and societal rights. One of the largest events of the time to affect the traditional way of life was when King Louis XVI a symbol of Catholic leadership condemned the restructuring of the church. When he attempted to flee France, and was subsequently executed it was a symbol of the Catholic church losing its grasp of power within France. This would deeply upset conservative Catholics of the time, due to not only their Catholic viewpoints and church at risk, but also it was the start of the fall of the monarchy in France going against their conservative viewpoints. In the second part of the revolution “the government forced unity and limited political opposition through a Reign of Terror”. This would have been one of the most difficult times of a Catholic, who would have had to hide their religion. As just prior to this time the revolution would have “confiscated most of the property that the Catholic church had accumulated over the …show more content…

This would have been very bad news for a catholic in terms of changes to religion once again. The new “King ostentatiously refused to attend mass in public each Sunday; and public religious processions in Paris were banned”. This would have created a state of hatred towards the government for a deeply conservative catholic. They would have wanted to maintain a monarchy, but watching one make changes such as making the government secular would have created great displeasure. Later, in 1848, things would again dramatically change. The Last King of the French Monarchy left, with mobs destroying any presence of a past monarchy in France. This would have left a Conservative again in a state of despair. Unemployment was at 180,000 in Paris. This would result in once more rioting and cause, With a conservative catholic disturbed with the current trends in society. They would view that a return to a Monarchy would be favorable, instead of a republic which developed due to the widespread issues encased in France. Especially with such events taking place like the archbishop of Paris

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