The Concordat of 1801 reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church as the major religion of France and restored some of its civil status. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly had confiscated Church properties and issued the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which made the Church a department of the State, removing it from the authority of the Pope. Subsequent laws abolished the traditional Gregorian Calendar and Christian holidays. While the Concordat restored some ties to the papacy, it was largely in favor of the state; the balance of church-state relations had tilted firmly in Napoleon Bonaparte's favor. The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus of Nazareth, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and... The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a vital period in the history of France and Europe as a whole. ... The National Assembly is the name of either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. ... The law of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (Fr. ... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ... The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used calendar in the world. ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des...

Ratification

After successfully leading a coup d'état against the French Directory in 1799, and then one month later declaring himself First Consul with the support of a popular vote, Napoleon Bonaparte was convinced that coming to terms with the Catholic Church would be crucial to the success of his ventures. Ercole Consalvi, Pope Pius VII's secretary of state, was the negotiator for the Catholic Church with Napoleon. There were many misconceptions during the creation of the Concordat, such as evidence of several false copies coming before the secretary to sign which he quickly dismissed. A coup d’état (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government through unconstitutional means by a part of the state establishment — mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... Executive Directory (in French Directoire exécutif), commonly known as the Directory (or Directoire) held executive power in France from November 2, 1795 until November 10, 1799: following the Convention and preceding the Consulate. ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A title used by Napoleon Bonaparte following his seizure of power in France. ... Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... Ercole Consalvi was born in Rome in 1757. ... Pius VII, O.S.B., born Barnaba Nicolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti (August 14, 1740 – August 20, 1823), was Pope from March 14, 1800 to August 20, 1823. ...

Consalvi fiercely fought Napoleon's Organic Articles from being added to the Concordat, which permitted laws and views seen as sinful by the Church, violating its best interests. However, Napoleon did not give up easily. He allowed only 40 days for the Concordat to be ratified by Rome and be returned to Paris, where it had been created. After Consalvi hurried to return the ratified Concordat back to Paris, Napoleon held the document dormant nearly eight months, after which he produced the Concordat with the Organic Articles, disregarding the Church's refusal to ratify the annexation of the Articles in the first place.

Contents

The main terms of the Concordat of 1801 between France and Pope Pius VII included: Pius VII, O.S.B., born Barnaba Nicolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti (August 14, 1740 – August 20, 1823), was Pope from March 14, 1800 to August 20, 1823. ...

• A declaration that "Catholicism was the religion of the great majority of the French" but not the official state religion, thus maintaining religious freedom, in particular with respect to Jews and Protestants
• The Papacy had the right to depose bishops, but this made little difference, because the French government still nominated them.
• The State would pay clerical salaries and the clergy swore an oath of allegiance to the State
• The Church gave up all its claims to Church lands that were confiscated after 1790
• The Sabbath was reestablished as a "festival", effective Easter Sunday, 18 April 1802. The rest of the French Republican Calendar, which had abolished it, was not replaced by the traditional Gregorian Calendar until 1 January 1806.

The Concordat was abrogated upon the separation of Church and State law in 1905. However, some terms of the Concordat are still in effect in the Alsace-Moselle region, as it was controlled by the German Empire at the time of the law's passage. Protestantism is one of three main groups within Christianity, whose beliefs are centered on Jesus. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... Two bishops assist at the Exhumation of Saint Hubert, who was a bishop too, at the église Saint-Pierre in Liège. ... This article concerns the Sabbath in Christianity. ... Easter, also known as Pascha (Greek Πάσχα: Passover), the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious feast of the Christian liturgical year, observed between late March and late April (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity). ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... --69. ... The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar is a calendar proposed during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about twelve years from late 1793. ... The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used calendar in the world. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Jesus vertreibt die Händler aus dem Tempel (Jesus and the Money Changers [in the Temple]) by Giovanni Paolo Pannini. ... The first page of the bill, as brought before the Chambre des Députés in 1905 1905 caricature depicting the separation of the church and state. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Alsace-Moselle is the current legal name of the France that was part of Germany from 1871 to 1919 (and then from 1940 to 1944_1945), consisting of the départements of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin (both of which make up Alsace), and the département of Moselle (itself... Motto: Gott mit Uns (German: God with us”) Anthem: Heil dir im Siegerkranz (unofficial) Territory of the German Empire in 1914, prior to World War I Capital Berlin Language(s) Official: German Unofficial minority languages: Polish (Posen, Lower Silesia,Upper Silesia, Masuria) French (Alsace-Lorraine) Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1871...

See also

• Napoleon and the Jews

1804 print, in which Napoleon grants the Jews freedom to worship, represented by the hand given to the Jewish woman The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte proved an important event in the emancipation of the Jews of Europe from old laws restricting them to Jewish ghettos, as well as the many...

External links

• The French Concordat of 1801 by the Catholic Encyclopedia
• The Organic Articles by the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Documents upon Napoleon and the Reorganization of Religion
  selected text of the Concordat and Organic Articles