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
making laws that abolish christianity is insane and trying to control an individual’s religion is very unfair and controlling for the new french government to do. Abolishing Sunday worship, Christmas, and Easter is a horribly crude thing for a revolutionary to do (Doc. C). France Representatives also took a cropper crucifix which was on the altar and carried it mockingly, upside down on a cart, offering it to passers-by to sit on (Doc. C). In Vendee, historians estimate that anywhere between 80,000 and 500,000 French people on both sides died in 1793 (Doc. C). Townspeople fought fiercely against a military draft called levee en masse and against laws to try to abolish Christianity in France (Doc. C). These pieces of evidence display that the Reign of Terror was in no way
"The Church was in poor shape as well. The popes resided at Avignon, not at Rome, to the scandal of many.
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country. Over time, historians’ views on these questions have changed continually, leading many to question the different interpretations and theories behind the Revolutions effectiveness at shaping France and the rest of the world.
King Louis XIV's 72 year reign was incredibly influential in shaping French history. King Louis XIV’s childhood was traumatic because of “La Fronde” which was a noble rebellion against the monarchy. This experience taught King Louis XIV to distrust the nobles. It was for this reason that he eventually excluded nobility from the council and surrounded himself with loyal ministers whom he could control. He also separated the aristocracy from the people of France by moving the court to the Palace of Versailles. One of the most notable of King Louis XIV’s decisions was that he refused to appoint another Prime Minister after the death of Prime Minister Mazarin. Every decision, from the declaration of war to the approval of a passport, went through him personally. During his reign as king, France participated in several wars including the War of Devolution, in Anglo-Dutch War, and the War of the Spanish Succession. Another major action he took was the proclamation of the Edict of Fontainebleau, which revoked the Edict of Nantes, imposing religious uniformity through Catholi...
The church’s robust grip on religious expression shattered as medieval society transitioned into a period known as the Reformation. Characterized by the rejection of common ideology, the Reformation sparked religious curiosity. Reformers such as John Calvin and Martin Luther offered interpretations of the Bible in direct opposition to the Catholic Church’s teachings, forcing Europeans to examine and formulate their own beliefs. This style of thinking was foreign to European society because up to this point in history Europeans were passive absorbers of Catholic Church ideology. Hence, it was natural that an era considered the Age of Enlightenment followed the period of rejection and questioning known as the Reformation. The Age of Enlightenment did not merely confine itself to religious expression, but spread throughout natural and social science. Thus, the Age of Enlightenment marked the beginning of academic and religious philosophy and allowed great minds to think free from restriction and condemnation of established institution. As the perception of natural
Nardo, Don. A. The French Revolution. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999. Print.
From the Middle ages, the church faced many problems such as the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism that hurt the prestige of the church. Most of the clergy lived in great luxury while most people were poor and they set an immoral example. The clergy had low education and many of them didn’t attend their offices. Martin Luther had witnessed this himself, “In 1510 he visited Rome and was shocked to find corruption on high ecclesiastical places”
[7] Hunt, Lynn. Politics, Culture, and Class in the French Revolution. Berkeley: U of California, 1984. Print.
The Enlightenment had its roots in the scientific and philosophical movements of the 17th century. It was, in large part, a rejection of the faith-based medieval world view for a way of thought based on structured inquiry and scientific understanding. It stressed individualism, and it rejected the church's control of the secular activities of men. Among the movement's luminaries were Descartes, Newton, and Locke. They, among others, stressed the individual's use of reason to explain and understand the world about himself in all of its aspects. Important principles of the Enlightenment included the use of science to examine all aspects of life (this was labeled "reason"),...
...id too better than lepers, beggars and that crew" (244-46, 111). The Friar cares only about pleasing himself and does not work to make other people's lives better. He neglects the people he is supposed to help and instead spends his time with the rich. These members of the clergy are not devout Catholics and have no right to be masquerading as one. By pretending to be something they are not, they bring corruption into the church.
Proving to be the paramount of the conflict between faith and reason, the European Enlightenment of the eighteenth century challenged each of the traditional values of that age. Europeans were changing, but Europe’s institutions were not keeping pace with that change.1 Throughout that time period, the most influential and conservative institution of Europe, the Roman Catholic Church, was forced into direct confrontation with these changing ideals. The Church continued to insist that it was the only source of truth and that all who lived beyond its bounds were damned; it was painfully apparent to any reasonably educated person, however, that the majority of the world’s population were not Christians.2 In the wake of witch hunts, imperial conquest, and an intellectual revolution, the Roman Catholic Church found itself threatened by change on all fronts.3 The significant role that the Church played during the Enlightenment was ultimately challenged by the populace’s refusal to abide by religious intolerance, the power of the aristocracy and Absolutism, and the rising popularity of champions of reform and print culture, the philosophes, who shared a general opposition to the Roman Catholic Church.
One of the ways they did so was through the institution of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. It was a constitution that the people hoped the pope would accept as it would restore some faith back into the Catholic Church. The beliefs and tradition of the church would not allow the pope to support it and this is because the Civil Constitution of the Clergy would make the Catholic Church subordinate to the government of France (“The French Revolution”). There were multiple parts to the document. Priests were elected by the people as well as be paid by the state, and they were to conform to the eighty-three civil departments.
...ctuals of the time offered new ideas regarding society and the natural world, questioned traditional views of divine revelation, and even questioned the existence of God. Though this represented a low point in the history of Christianity it also marked the beginning of a new understanding of religion and Christianity as a whole. Without the French revolution, our current form of worship would not exist.
The Roman Catholic Church had complete influence over the lives of everyone in medieval society including their beliefs and values. The Church’s fame in power and wealth had provided them with the ability to make their own laws and follow their own social hierarchy. With strong political strength in hand, the Church could even determine holidays and festivals. It gained significant force in the arts, education, religion, politics as well as their capability to alter the feudal structure through their wealth and power.
Throughout the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries the Catholic Church began to emphasise the importance of a more practical faith. As acts of charity became a more important part of church teaching, philosophical discussions surrounding rationalism began to take place. This was happening all over Europe and even in the colonies. Much of the Catholic Enlightenment was very much a counter-enlightenment. The Oratorians and the Benedictines were at the forefront of trying to encourage this form of enlightened thinking.