Explore the reasons and effects for the policies regarding the Catholic Church during the French Revolution

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

At the height of the Revolution, despite support from some segments of the Catholic Church in France, including the participation of Abbe Sièyes in the National Assembly, the embracing of the new enlightenment philosophies were at the heart of disputing the Divine Right of the absolutist monarchy. De-emphasizing Christianity had occurred in several steps: Following the Night of August 4, when church tithes were eliminated, much of the property held by the Catholic Church was confiscated and given over to government use. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was issued in 1790, which radicalized the running of the church, including having pastors elected by the general public including non-Catholics. Members of the clergy who refused to swear allegiance to the Civil Constitution of the clergy were called "non-jurors," and derided as anti-revolutionaries; yet, within the traditional Catholic population, members of the church who did support the revolution were rejected and harassed. Finally, at the height of the Reign of Terror, as more bizarre transformations of French society were implemented (such as the renovation of the calendar), Robespierre transformed Notre Dame into the Temple of Reason and held a quasi-religious celebration for the Festival of the Supreme Being, in a policy of de-Christianization which at least temporarily suspended the Catholic Church.