16.3 Revolution and Religion: “Patience, Monsignor, your turn will come.”
In its more radical phase, the French Revolution witnessed not only serious class conflict but also a vigorous attack on the Catholic Church and on Christianity itself. The Church was brought under state control, and members of the clergy were required to swear an oath of allegiance to the revolution. The revolutionary government closed many church buildings or sold them to the highest bidder. The government also seized church property to finance France’s wars. For a time, revolutionaries tried to establish a Cult of Reason to replace the Christian faith. This attack on the Church also involved the closure of monasteries and efforts to force priests to abandon their vocation and even to marry. Source 16.3 suggests some of the reasons that ardent revolutionaries were so opposed to supernatural religion in general and the Catholic Church in particular.
- How does this visual source reflect the outlook of the Enlightenment? (See “Science and Enlightenment” in Chapter 15.)
- What criticisms of the Church are suggested by this image? Why is the bishop on the left portrayed as a fat, even bloated, figure? What is the significance of efforts to “squeeze” the priests? Based on their dress, what class do you think the pressmen represent?
- The caption reads: “Patience, Monsignor, your turn will come.” What do you imagine was the reaction of devout Catholics to such images and to the policies of de-
Christianization?