The Confiscation of Church Property 1791
The First Crisis: The Civil
Constitution of the Clergy
Lesson 7: Creating A New Society
“It is clear that the refusal to take the oath was the
first sign of popular resistance to the Revolution.”
Francois Furet
In this lesson you will...
✤
Revise the status of the Church by 1790.
✤
Explore the Reforms of the Church that preceded the Civil
Constitution of the Clergy.
✤
Explore the content of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
✤
Explore the expectations of the Clerical Oath.
✤
Discuss the reactions to these Clerical reforms.
1. Revision
Where we left off...
Let’s read
What evidence do we
have to suggest that
things were generally
harmonious prior to July
1790?
✤
Active and Passive Citizen: See handout. This should be in your notes
for the Reorganisation of France (December, 1789).
✤
Fenwick pages 113-114 under the heading “Crises in the new society.”
✤
What questions do you have about the Civil Constitution of the
Clergy (linked to required preparation) that you hope are answered.
Where the Church
“was at” by 1790.”
✤
1682: The Declaration of the Clergy (King
has power to appoint upper Clergy). Let’s
read about this under “The Church and
the old regime.”
✤
August Decrees 1789: Tithes are abolished.
✤
August 1789 - The Declaration of the
Rights of Man and Citizen: Religious
freedom declared.
✤
2nd November 1789: Confiscation of
Church Land. Church land became biens
nationaux or land belonging to the nation.
✤
Let’s read about this under “Reform of the
Church pages 114-115.”
The planting of a liberty tree (1790)
So why was there
a Festival of Federation?
You should already have notes on these events in the Reorganisation of France...
2. And the reforms keep rolling
on...
Let’s read
✤
Fenwick, page 116 under the heading “Reform of the Church.”
1. What do you think was the rationale behind the decree of February
and April 1790?
3. The Civil Constitution of the
Clergy
Let’s read
✤
Page 116 of Fenwick under the heading “The Civil Constitution of the
Clergy.”
4. The Clerical Oath and the Papal
Reaction
Let’s read
✤
Pages 117-118 of Fenwick.
✤
Ensure that refractory, non juring
and Papal Bull are in your glossary.
2. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy
caused a schism amongst the
Revolutionaries. Explain the reasons
for this division and ensure you
articulate this in your notes.
The Refractory Priest
(1791)
Have you?
✤
Revised the status of the Church by 1790: the changes and continuities the
revolution brought about.
✤
Explored the Reforms of the Church that preceded the Civil Constitution of
the Clergy: the changes and continuities the revolution brought about.
✤
Explored the content of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy: the changes and
continuities the revolution brought about.
✤
Explored the expectations of the Clerical Oath: the changes and continuities
the revolution brought about.
✤
Discussed the reactions to these Clerical reforms: the response of
revolutionary groups to the difficulties they encountered; the cause of
difficulties encountered by the new order.