The French Revolution

1. The French Revolution Civil Constitution of the Clergy By: Gabe Rodenberger

2. Why was it passed? • The Civil Constitution of the Clergy made reforms to several of these problems. • Voted for the abolition of the privileges of the nobles and clergy(Aug. 4, 1789) • Seizure of the church’s wealth to balance the government’s financial deficit(Nov. 2, 1789) • Closed religious houses and released people from religious vows.(Feb. of 1790) • Many problems of the church and the government needed to be reformed. • First and Second estate tax exemption • State bankruptcy • Religious houses and views

3. What happened to the church and its officials as a result? • When the privileges of the nobles and the clergy were abolished on Aug. 4, 1789, they now had to pay taxes and their positions as clergymen became working jobs. • The church lost much of its excessive wealth to the government to pay off its bankruptcy. • Bishops and pastors had to be elected by the people.

4. What was the reaction of many bishops, priests, and the pope? • Pope Pius VI condemned the Constitution and forbade the faithful to abide to the law • The clergy divided into two different churches. The Constitutional Church: those siding with the state. And the Refractory Church: those siding with the papacy • The pope and many French episcopates turned against the Revolution

5. How did the French peasants react? • Many French men and women turned against the Revolution • The division of the church caused civil war in France. • At least 30,000 ecclesiastics fled the country, and those that stayed risked their lives to defend their liberties. • “Then on Feb. 21, 1795, the Thermidorian Convention adopted a regime separating the State from the churches, thereby abandoning the Civil Constitution.”