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What is the faith in France. Religions of France

What is the faith in France. Religions of France

On May 5, 1789, a meeting of the States General was opened in Versailles, and from the very first days, the question of the fate of the Catholic Church began to be actively discussed. All of the above requirements were put on the agenda. However, the churchmen were not going to give up their positions without a fight (they had almost 300 seats in the Estates General). These and many other contradictions led France to revolution.

The revolution rallied the entire heterogeneous third estate in the struggle against the feudal-absolutist oppression, but after the first victories won, not everyone took advantage of the results. Power and political leadership actually passed into the hands of the big bourgeoisie and the liberal nobility, which allied with it. As was said in the first chapter, the bourgeoisie and educated nobles were the main conductors of the ideas of the Enlightenment, and they were closer, if not atheistic, then rather free thinking. However, the main part of the nobility, for already known reasons, defended the interests of the absolutist regime in the revolution, which means that, despite their free-thinking views, they tirelessly fought on the side of catholic religion.

The bourgeoisie, from the first days of the revolution, opposed the Catholic Church. At the end of the XVIII century. it became a strong, wealthy and economically powerful class. But under the feudal-absolutist regime, she was politically powerless and during the revolution she wanted to achieve political rights for herself, the destruction of the feudal order, which artificially restrained the development of capitalist relations, and also to reorganize society on new principles that corresponded to her interests and increase her wealth. It was these motives that prompted the big bourgeoisie to reform the Catholic Church.

The new government inherited from the absolutist regime an extremely disorganized finance and a large national debt. To overcome the financial crisis, emergency and urgent measures were needed. Then, for the first time, the opinion was expressed that all "the property of the clergy belongs to the nation." And on August 8, the Marquis Lacoste introduced a bill: to declare the property of the church the property of the nation, to eliminate the tithe, to establish salaries for priests, to close monastic orders.

At the same time, the bourgeoisie feared for the inviolability of their interests. This bill aroused fear that the secularization of property, that is, the transfer of all the wealth of the church into the hands of the state, would suffer the principle of private property. This fear delayed the decision for 3 months. Meanwhile, the press tried to prove in every possible way that secularization was necessary in the interests of the whole society, that it did not in the least violate the sacred rights of citizens.

Saving all church property, the clergy decided not to resist the project of eliminating tithes. For this purpose, the Archbishop of Paris, De Juynet, undertook such a maneuver. He proposed the abolition of tithing as a "gift to the nation", so that the cult would be performed "with proper decency and dignity" and the poor would receive "relief and relief".

But the colossal financial deficit that existed in the country, which neither state loans nor patriotic gifts were able to cover, could only lead the country out of the crisis by confiscation of all church property. The difficulty was that such an action undermined the principle of the inviolability of property. This difficulty could be overcome only if the church itself renounced its property. Here Bishop Talleyrand of Ottens spoke at the right time, declaring on October 10 "on behalf of the clergy" the transfer of the wealth of the church to the nation, since they were given not to the clergy, but to the church, that is, the totality of believers, in other words, the nation. A few days earlier, F. Buzot had made similar speeches.

In vain objected Camus, Abbé Maury, Archbishop of Bougelein, that the property was donated not to the clergy as an estate, but to certain church institutions, that the confiscation of these properties is injustice. In vain did Maury remind the leaders of the bourgeoisie of social role churches.

Mori's threats had no effect, since the majority of the representatives of the Constituent Assembly were in favor of the secularization of church property, I. - R. Le Chapelier spoke especially convincingly about this. As a result, the draft decree proposed by Mirabeau proclaiming "the right of the nation to dispose of the property of the church" on November 2, 1789 was approved by the Constituent Assembly by a majority of votes (568 against 346).

With these laws, the Constituent Assembly not only resolved financial difficulties, but also dealt a tangible blow to feudalism, the stronghold of which was the Catholic Church. She lost her economic independence. In the same way, secularization made it possible for the bourgeoisie to take possession of the land, turning the church from a materially independent organization into an institution subordinate to the new state, and its ministers into mere salaried officials.

On December 24, 1789, a decree was adopted allowing non-Catholics to hold any civil and military positions.” That is, the entire old division of society into Catholics and Gentiles was rejected.

By a decree of February 13, 1790, the monks were allowed to renounce their vows and leave the monasteries, and many clergy hurried to take advantage of this permission. Thus, it was possible to liquidate a large number of monasteries. Since the monasteries were closed, it became useless to recruit monks, and therefore it was forbidden to pronounce eternal vows from now on.

For the same economy, the number of dioceses and parishes was reduced. But at the same time, for those who wished to remain tonsured, a small number of monasteries remained in the province. Congregations engaged in education and charity, convents remained, the liquidation of which would have burdened the state budget with an exorbitant amount of pensions.

However, the clergy did not want to sacrifice their property for the good of the nation, and in order to disrupt the decree, they began an open struggle - they began to export national wealth. In response, the Constituent Assembly on November 7 handed over church property "under the supervision of the authorities" and threatened to punish the plunderers.

Although the nation had the right to "observe", but still the actual owners of the property were still the clergy. The Church has not yet lost hope of somehow retaining its riches. But on April 9, deputy Chasset, reporting to the Assembly on the poor state of finances, called for the immediate transfer of church property into the hands of the authorities and with this "solid pledge" to restore confidence and calm the creditors of the state.

In May 1790, the procedure for the sale of church property was legalized. However, soon the term for the purchase of land was reduced, and the fragmentation of plots was canceled. Under these conditions, only wealthy peasants could acquire church lands. In some cases, the land was bought by the priests themselves. So, in the department of Vienne, among the purchasers were 134 clerics and 55 aristocrats. As a result, 5/6 of the church lands went not to the peasants, but to the bourgeoisie. Thus, Jaures noted, she "supplemented her industrial and commercial possessions with agricultural possessions."

Having shown revolutionary courage in relation to church property and reorganizing it "in their own image and likeness," the big bourgeoisie and the liberal nobles decided to complete the perestroika that had begun, put an end to all the remnants of its feudal organization and break political independence. For this, a new provision on the church was developed under the name "Civil organization of the clergy." The debate on the bill continued from the end of May to mid-July 1790. Of greatest interest was Robespierre's speech against those points of the draft, which spoke of the exclusion of the majority of the people from participation in the elections of the clergy. He also demanded the abolition of the office of bishops and cardinals.

On behalf of the clergy, Archbishop Bougelein spoke out against the forthcoming decree on the civil system. The clerics staged an obstruction, interrupting the speakers with remarks and exclamations of indignation against yet another "vile creation" of the revolution, against heresy, schism, and so on.

The draft decree on the civil organization of the clergy was approved without changes on August 12-24, 1790. This project turned the church into a private association of citizens on religious grounds, which was subject to state control.

However, it should be noted that, while carrying out the reform of the church, the big bourgeoisie stood up at the same time actively defending the Catholic religion and, most of all, was afraid of appearing insufficiently faithful. Thus, for example, when the decree on the "Civil Organization of the Clergy" was discussed, the Assembly was accused by the clerics of "insulting the Catholic faith, preparing the implementation of a blasphemous and vile plan." Then the deputy house Gerl, a clergyman and a member of the Jacobin club, wanting to prove that no one had such thoughts, demanded "to decree that the Catholic religion is and always will be the national religion, that only its cult will be publicly allowed." The proposal was applauded by the clerics and all the rightists, who demanded an immediate vote. But the adoption of such a decision could not be allowed in any way - it would have given the clergy a powerful weapon for inciting fanaticism. The Left succeeded in adjourning the discussion for a day. In the evening at the Jacobin Club, the house of Gerl repented and withdrew his offer.

The bourgeoisie understood the great importance of religion for society. A certain Dom Collignon once declared that religion is "an institution and a moral restraint for a rascal." The new ruling elite itself sent out circulars to parish priests inviting them to preach peace. Martineau said: "Only religion has a power that extends not only to all our actions, but even to our most secret thoughts." And Catholicism was very well adapted to the needs of the ruling class. Deputy Menou said: "I respect the Catholic religion, I consider it alone to be true." And Charles Lamet was even offended when one of the churchmen accused him of attacking religion.

Therefore, not a single decree adopted by the Constituent Assembly contained a single point that would have affected, directly or indirectly, the dogmas of the Catholic faith, only the structure of the church, undertaken to destroy the absolutist system, and the feudal church, and not the Catholic religion, was changed. It never occurred to the big bourgeoisie that it was necessary to replace the old religion with some new one, or to abandon it altogether. Already in the names themselves it was emphasized that the legislators did not intend to invade the realm of faith and in every possible way protected religion, given its usefulness. Moreover, later the Constituent Assembly declared Catholicism the state religion. That is, non-Catholics were also obliged to bear the costs of maintaining a cult alien to them.

Having achieved a dominant position and carried out all the transformations that corresponded to its interests and goals, the bourgeoisie considered the tasks of the revolution basically exhausted. It no longer sought to deepen the revolution, but, on the contrary, its efforts were directed to slow it down at the level it had reached. However, subsequent events, largely caused by the propaganda of the clergy, forced them to take unforeseen measures to stop the unrest. But here she was no longer as harsh as at first and sought to peacefully resolve the conflict with the clerics.

The Constituent Assembly was stunned by the strength of resistance on the part of the clergy. On November 26, the deputy Vuadel reported to the Constituent Assembly about an anti-state league composed of "certain bishops, chapters and curates." Hiding behind the mask of a defender of religion, this league, said the deputy, excites the people against the laws, strives to prepare them for an uprising. After listing the facts of the hostile intrigues of the clerics, Vuadelle proposed a draft decree in which all clerics in the service of the state were ordered to swear allegiance to "the nation, the law and the king" and support the constitution. Under the influence of the public on November 27, the Vuadel project became law.

Openly on the side of the opposition, that is, the Catholic religion, the big bourgeoisie stood up in 1791. She was frightened by the revolutionary moods of the common people, and therefore sought support in the old institutions. Thus, in Paris, a group of seminarians destroyed the altar of the fatherland on the field of the Federation. The patriots detained them and were preparing to hang them on the lanterns, but the commander of the national guard Lafayette arrived and took the seminarians under the "protection of the law." When Louis XVI tried to flee France, the new ruling group saved him from the wrath of the people and restored his rights. Moreover, a peaceful popular demonstration that gathered on the Field of Mars on July 17, 1791, demanding the deposition of the traitor king and bringing him to justice, was shot national guard. The shooting of a peaceful demonstration meant an open transition of the big monarchist bourgeoisie to counter-revolutionary positions. Obviously, the politicians of the big bourgeoisie had to seek reconciliation with the church as well, an institution capable of influencing the masses.

Bourgeois circles adhered to the famous remark of Voltaire: "If you want your people to be calm and powerful - let religion obey the law of the state" and hoped to have the clergy as their ally. Even after the majority of the clergy refused to take the oath, she did not lose hope of winning the church over to her side. Therefore, in her opinion, it was necessary to treat the clerics gently, not to irritate the episcopate, and to reach an agreement with the pope. She strongly objected to any reprisals against unsworn priests, as this would lead to new conflicts, in which the masses were inevitably involved. Therefore, the Constituent Assembly took a conciliatory position on the church question. It got to the point that priests who were dismissed for refusing to take the oath received state pensions. The bourgeois press demanded that the people refrain from persecuting unsworn priests. Even if the clergy took the path of crime, the bourgeois newspapers said, the people must remain a calm spectator. “Under the present conditions, only those authorized by him (the people) should act,” that is, the authorities. The Jacobin Club also advised its affiliates: "Conjure the ministers of the altar not to preach war in the name of the god of peace. Beware that the people, confused, do not indulge in some kind of excesses against the unsworn." Some newspapers even called for drastic measures to eradicate "anarchy and chaos."

but local authorities despite the inaction of the Constituent Assembly, they could not ignore the danger of Catholic counter-revolution and were forced to take action. The department of the Lower Rhine was the first to take this path. The movement assumed a wide scope.

In such a political mood, the Constituent Assembly ceased its activities, having previously approved the constitution of 1791. On the eve of its dissolution, the Constituent Assembly again made a gesture of conciliation towards those who did not swear: the decrees on civil order were not included in the constitution. Therefore, they could be abolished by a simple resolution of the future parliament - the Legislative Assembly. On September 14, 1791, a political amnesty was declared.

The Legislative Assembly, elected by "active citizens", began its work on October 1, 1791. The Feuillants (representatives of the monarchist bourgeoisie and the liberal nobility) headed the ministry. From the very first days of the work of the new government, the church question was one of the main problems. The big bourgeoisie hoped that now that the parliament had opened according to the constitution, calm and "social peace" would be established in the country. However, the struggle in the country flared up, and the conflicts caused by the churchmen escalated. In Metz and Sens in the churches "thrown stones at each other." In Cana, the women, instigated by those who did not swear, wanted to hang the constitutional curate. Revolts took place in the departments of Man-et-Loire, Mayenne and Lozère.

The Feuillants were clearly embarrassed. They did not dare to abolish the civil structure of the clergy - this meant giving up the hope of adapting the church to the "new order". They also did not want to take the path of repression - this would deepen the gulf between church and state. And according to some authors, wanting to protect the clerics from the Carfellians, they proposed the separation of the church from the state. They argued that repression was contrary to the spirit of the revolution, that "religious freedom is one of the cornerstones of our constitution." They proposed officially recognizing unsworn clergy, providing them with churches for services, but removing civil records and public education from the jurisdiction of the church. Thus, out of fear of the people, the big bourgeoisie was actually inclined to encourage the rebellious church. But at the same time, the prosecution of persons who would interfere with the worship was envisaged.

However, against its will, the Legislative Assembly was forced to act. Since the church has noticeably intensified its hostile activities.

Numerous demands were made to the Legislative Assembly. From Metz they wrote: "Hurry up to eradicate the evil that threatens us." The Parisian section of Luxembourg demanded an end to the intrigues of the unsworn. t Marat wrote about civil war in Arles, "caused by unsworn priests, whom Louis XVI took under his protection." He saw the "root of evil" in the fact that the royal court, "the soul of all the insidious intrigues of the rebellious priests," has not yet appeared before the court. And Marat concluded: "The kingdom will be a victim of horrors until the people, driven to despair, finally arm themselves to destroy their oppressors, every single one." The Jacobin Club insisted that unsworn priests be tried, like emigrants, according to the law of November 9, that is, as traitors to the motherland.

However, the Feuillants still believed that priests should be tolerated. On November 12, Deputy Veyrie presented a draft decree on the ecclesiastical question. First, he outlined the anti-state activities of the clergy: rebellious speeches, incendiary writings, slander of the law, strife in families, insults to the authorities, refusal to admit buyers of church property to the sacraments, alliances of those who did not swear allegiance to the nobles. It seemed that this would be followed by a proposal for punishments that the clerics well deserved. Nothing of the kind, Veyrie rejected proposals for repressive laws as "tyrannical" and offered only one thing - to deprive those who did not swear pensions, and threatened those who incited the people to disobedience, threatened with imprisonment for one year.

The discussion of the bill went on for many weeks. The right tried to protect the unsworn church, but their resistance weakened as more reports of unrest came in. When news came of the religious unrest in Calvados, Cambon made the proposal, which Marat had previously made, to convene the Supreme National Court to punish the recalcitrant priests. Deputy Gade considered this measure insufficient, and Inar demanded that the main instigators "mount the scaffold." Only under the influence of the revolutionary masses was it possible to stop the debate. On November 29, 1791, deputy Lamarck warned the Assembly: "The people accuse us of slowness and indifference to this important question." Then, finally, despite the protests of the big bourgeoisie, the draft became law. Although the moderates succeeded in mitigating the proposed penalties, this decree was the first state act of repression against those who did not swear.

The decree of November 29, 1791, however, was notable for its well-known duality. On the one hand, it expressed the views of democracy on how to combat the clerical counter-revolution, and in this respect it strengthened the positions of popular societies and clubs. On the other hand, fearing that a decisive struggle would unleash a revolutionary element, the decree established emphatically mild penalties, and most importantly, gave the rebels the opportunity to protect themselves from any persecution by an ordinary civil oath. In general, this decree was a measure necessary for public salvation, but a measure of a clearly compromise nature.

Democratic newspapers like the Revolutionary Paris believed that the decree was beneficial to those who did not swear, since the civil oath guaranteed their safety and made it possible to plot with impunity.

Since the decree was adopted in spite of the right-wing bourgeois deputies. Only a royal veto could stop its implementation. And here is a group of prominent figures of the big bourgeoisie, members of the directorate of the Paris department, including Talleyrand, La Rochefoucauld and others, 5 December, they turned to Louis XVI with a request to veto the decree of November 29 under the pretext that it violates "freedom of religious opinion." The authors of the letter, passing over in silence the crimes of the churchmen, presented the matter as if the decree was aimed at persecuting the clergy for their unwillingness to recognize the new organization of the church. Louis XVI, encouraged by the support of influential representatives of the bourgeoisie, refused to approve both the decrees against emigrants and the law against those who did not swear.

The news of the trick of the bourgeois monarchists caused a real storm of protest in Paris. The Jacobin Club, in an address to its branches written by Robespierre, emphasized that the monarchists were trying to undermine the power of the legislative body, while at the same time strengthening the executive power of the king. The appeal expressed the fear that this speech was not a signal to unite under the banner of "priest-rebels" of all counter-revolutionaries. The newspaper "Revolutionary Paris" regarded this speech as an attempt to "raise all departments against Paris" and called on the people to express their attitude to the events.

The authors of the letter to the king did not even suspect to what extent their step compromised the big bourgeoisie, which became an ally of the monarch and the unsworn church. The Legislative Assembly was literally besieged by delegations from sections. One speaker said: "The citizens of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine tell you that in order to maintain the constitution and our decrees, they have hands, cannons, lances and that courage that helped to destroy the Bastille." The delegation led by Camille Desmoulins demanded "severe punishment of the conspirators" and disregard for the royal veto. The citizens of the Oratoire section insisted that the members of the Parisian directory be brought "before the court of the nation."

As a result, a good half of the departments did not reckon with royal assent and began to implement the measures provided for by the decree on November 29th. Those who did not swear were expelled from the departments, deprived of their state pensions and salaries, they were even prepared to be expelled from France. This took place in the areas where the counter-revolutionary agitation of the priests was strongest - in the Upper Rhine, Finistère, Maine and others. In many places, those who did not swear were interned in the main city of the department. However, the May 7th decree on freedom of worship remained in force in dozens of departments. These included the departments of Nievre, Saone and Loire, etc.

As a result, I came to the conclusion that all the first decrees of the Constituent Assembly were adopted for economic reasons, in order to reduce state expenses, as well as to overthrow the "strict order", the destruction of feudalism, the elimination of the privileged classes. But none of them said anything that could offend the Catholic cult, or belittle the significance of religion. On the contrary, a place of honor was always assigned to it, the big bourgeoisie and the liberal nobility sought to subjugate the Catholic Church, to make it their ally. Only after part of the clergy came out as a resolute enemy of the new state structure, the big bourgeoisie had no choice but to start a fight against those who did not swear. But here, too, government circles tried to find a compromise and not take drastic measures. And only in the most revolutionary circles does sharp criticism of the clergy begin to sound.

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Despite the dominance of the Roman Catholic Church in history, many religions have found a place in the country. Today there are communities that profess Buddhism and Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, as well as other branches of Christianity - Orthodoxy and Protestantism. The Catholic Church, despite the non-religiosity of French society, formally includes 2/3 of the French, which began to penetrate the lands of the Gauls in the 2nd century, and became widespread after 481, when King Clovis accepted the faith.

France was sometimes called the daughter of the Vatican, it was Catholicism that played a major role in the formation and development of the country. It is important to note that in the XIV century. In the city of Avignon, for a short time, there was the residence of the Pope. Since 1905, religion does not matter in the state of France - the country is a secular state and tolerant of all religions.

Today, most religious communities in France live peacefully, but historically this was far from the case. France is known for its religious wars. Most of them began after the Reformation process in Europe. The revitalized Catholic Church, at the head of a conservative group with Prince Guiseve Vassy, staged the murder of the Huguenots in 1562, thus dividing the French people and starting the first religious wars, through which England, Germany and Spain helped both Catholics and Protestants.

During the most famous incident, called the night of St. Bartholomew, in 1572, thousands of Huguenots were killed. The wars of religion culminated in the War of the Three Henrys, in which Henry III killed Henry, Prince of Giza, leader of the Spanish Catholic League, after which the king was killed in retaliation. Henry IV, who then became king, signed the Decree of Nantes (1598).

Bartholomew night

Religious conflicts revived during the reign of Louis XIII, when Cardinal Richelieu, whose biography is closely connected with religious conflicts, forced the Protestants to disarm the army and give up their fortresses. The conflict ended with the assassination of La Rochelle (1627-1628), during which the Protestants and their English supporters were defeated. The peace of Aleos confirmed the freedom of religion, but the Protestants did not have the right to bear arms.

Additional Information! It was also the time of the development of philosophy. R. Descartes was looking for answers to philosophical questions using logic and reason, and in 1641 formulated the so-called theory of dualism.

Religious conflicts devastated not only France, but also the Holy Roman Empire. The Thirty Years' War destroyed the power of the Catholic Holy Roman Empire. Cardinal Richelieu, despite the fact that he fought with the French Protestants, during this war was on their side, this, as he said, was demanded by national interests.

Habsburg troops invaded France, ravaged Champagne, threatened Paris. At this time, in 1642, Richelieu died and was replaced by Julius Mazarin, and a year later Louis XIII died and Louis XIV became king.

In a century and a half, the time of the French Revolutions will begin in France, which will abolish both the power of the king and the Catholic Church, which after those events will never regain its former greatness.

Modernity (what religious movements prevail in France today, the processes associated with the secularization of society)

Today, in the state of France, religion does not matter much. In addition to the Catholic Church, there are a number of other religions in the country. Next, let's look at a brief overview of the country's religious communities.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Approximately 750,000 people profess Orthodoxy. Despite the fact that Orthodoxy has its roots in 1054, communities began to appear in France, mainly only in the 19th century. They are mainly representatives of the Eastern Christian churches(Greek, Armenian, Coptic, Russian). Mostly believers are concentrated in the capital Paris and on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Of the Eastern Catholic churches, there is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which has a whole diocese there and has about 20 thousand believers, their nationality is Ukrainians.

Approximately 500,000 believers belong to Judaism, represented by both autochthons (Ashkenazi) and new emigrants. It is known that the first Jews settled in France under Charlemagne in the 10th century.

Islam is practiced by about 4 million people, although the data vary, the percentage of believers in various sources ranges from 2 to 8% of the country's population. Mostly these are new immigrants. But there are also traditional communities that settled in France during the Middle Ages.

Interesting. Somewhere around 400,000 people belong to Buddhism. This is a fairly new trend, the first settlers began to appear only in the 1960s. However, many French people are interested in this new philosophical current.

There are about 150,000 adherents of Hinduism. Also, these communities, unconventional for France, began to move in the 1950s.

Protestantism is practiced by about 1.2 million believers. Their composition is different, they are mainly represented by Lutheran, Baptist, Evangelical, Pentecostal churches.

Additional Information! The history of Protestantism in France is very tragic, as evidenced by the St. Bartholomew night and other conflicts.

At different times, there were other Christian movements that were not recognized by the official Roman Catholic Church. These are the Cathars, the Waldensians and other Christian movements, whose teaching differed from the main Christian churches. For example, some denied the existence of the Holy Spirit; Holy Trinity and more.

The influence of religions and beliefs of the French on the development of science, culture and society

One of the main traces in the development of French science, culture and art was left by the Roman Catholic Church. The first centers of knowledge in medieval Europe were monasteries. The first universities appeared there, the first copyists of books. Moreover, all art was in the service of the church. It was necessary to build majestic temples and decorate them. Faith demanded grandeur and luxury.

amiens cathedral

In addition, the church claimed dominance over the individual and the state. It was believed that it was she who had a special mission, to lead humanity to salvation. Therefore, it had the right to decide everything, to create the norms by which society would live and develop. A person will be saved only when he lives according to the laws that she prescribed for him.

The Church knew everything, and why the sun rises and sets, where life came from and what will happen to it in the future. And only with the end of the Middle Ages, the church and science, theology and philosophy will disperse and begin an independent life. Therefore, medieval France cannot be imagined without the church. In addition to leaving behind the most magnificent temples and works of art, she also left a code of moral standards, on the basis of which modern French society was formed.

Note! It should not be forgotten that the Catholic Church also influenced French, which was formed from Latin (the official language of the church, science, medicine in the Middle Ages) and Gaulish.

Which excursions in France related to religion can be visited (detailed information)

If you want to visit France, you can go on a tour of religious places. This is primarily to visit the majestic temples. From huge list several can be suggested.

Avignon Cathedral or Notre-Dame-de-Dome. It was built in the 12th century. In the history of the Catholic Church is important.

Interesting to know! It was there that in 1309-1378 the Holy See was located, i.e. From there came the administration of the entire Catholic Church.

Amiens Cathedral is the largest Catholic church in France, its volume is 200,000 m3. The height of the Spitz is 112.7 m. Its construction began in 1220. The Spitz was built in 1528.

Louis Cathedral - the temple is located in the city of Versailles, it was built by the architect Jacques Hardouin-Mansart the Younger, the grandson of the architect of the Palace of Versailles.

Lyon Cathedral - included in the UNESCO register, founded in the 12th century.

Important! Tourists can visit it from 8 to 12, and from 14 to 19.30. And on weekends and holidays until 17.00.

Reims Cathedral, built in the 13th century. Most of the French monarchs were crowned in it. It is included in the UNESCO register. The height of the temple is 81 m.

Basilica of the Sacre Curve Paris. Outside, the basilica is 100 m long, 50 m wide, and 83 m high; interior space: length 85 m, width 35 m, dome 55 m high and 16 m long; the height of the bell is 94 m. The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1875, construction began in 1878. In 1900-1922. a great mosaic was created, stained glass windows in 1903-1920. Already in 1914, the cathedral was ready for consecration, but was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War, because of which the church was consecrated only in 1919. The temple is located in one of the most beautiful areas - Montmartre. By visiting this temple, you will also enjoy the splendor of Paris.

Note! When visiting this temple, it is important for tourists to know that you can’t take pictures inside, you can only outside. Entrance to the basilica itself is free for tourists. But if you want to climb the tower, you have to pay 5 euros. Therefore, you must be prepared for this.

One of the most visited religious places in France is Lourdes. According to legend, in 1858 Our Lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous. A sanctuary was founded on that spot. More than 5 million pilgrims and tourists come every year. The place is considered holy, and people believe that miracles still happen there, seriously ill people are healed. Therefore, you can see a large number of disabled people there.

Religion in France played a significant role in the formation of the state, language and culture. Today it does not play an important role in the life of the French and is represented by numerous denominations. The traditional Catholic Church is losing the number of believers. Nevertheless, there remain important centers not only for the Church of France, but for all Catholicism, such as the Louvre, where millions of pilgrims go every year.

Visiting France and studying the history of the religion of the country, we will not only enjoy the grandeur of the temples, but also see more places associated with the active practice of the Catholic faith and the preservation of its centuries-old traditions.

In today's France, religion, like the French Church, has been publicly split off from state authorities since 1905. The only exceptions are the territories of Alsace and Moselle, which were annexed after the division of spheres of influence.

French and religion

Discussing one's religious views or imposing them on anyone in France is not accepted: the topic of religion is not raised either in educational institutions, or in offices, or in ministries. Since 2004, religious French have been officially banned from wearing church symbols, and since 2011, from praying on the street.

Prayer places are visited by a few (although most citizens sympathize with Catholics), and numerous temples, abbeys, cathedrals and monasteries are officially recognized as public property. However, the French can hardly be called a nation of atheists - representatives of various religious associations (Muslims, Protestants, Jews) peacefully coexist here. The main religion in France is Catholicism.

About believers in France (religion in percentage) in detail

According to the results of sociological studies conducted in 2015, representatives of various religions in France were distributed as follows:

84% of religious French were Catholics. In 2009, 64% of believers professed Catholicism, and in 1972 - 87%. According to information published on the Internet, the beginning of the new century in France was marked by the destruction of religious Christian buildings that were in disrepair. Currently, about forty thousand French Catholic churches are active.
4.5% of believers living in France, according to data collected in 2015, practice Islam. As of 2007, the number of Muslims was estimated at 4%, and by 2007, 7.5%. It is known that by 2000 more than one and a half thousand mosques were built in France, and by 2012 their number had increased to two and a half thousand.
1.5% of devout French are Protestants (Huguenots).
1.3% of the devout inhabitants of the country are Jews.

Will France become a Muslim country?

Some users of the Global Network are seriously concerned about this issue. Their fears regarding the main religion of France (most of the French, as mentioned above, profess Catholicism) are supported by irrefutable facts.

So, for example, according to statistics for 2011, the number of Catholic churches built and restored by that time was 20 buildings, which is almost eight times less than the number of mosques built or under design as of today (in total - about 150 religious buildings).

It is also known that many French Muslims are outraged by the small number of religious buildings. This was announced to the public in 2011 by Islamist Dalil Boubaker, who appealed to the French authorities to increase the number of mosques in France to four thousand.

The birth of Christianity

In the Middle Ages, Christianity was the main and only religion of France. In the Middle Ages, when the first French kings needed constant protection from their own vassals, representatives of the clergy, whose lands were a tasty morsel for local feudal lords, sided with the rulers appointed "by the grace of God", and the foundations of Christianity (in particular, the rejection of wealth) were their main weapon.

The search for allies "brought" the French kings even to distant Kyiv: as you know, the wife of one of the offspring of the Capetian dynasty - Henry the First, was the Kyiv princess Anna, the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise.

The religion of France in the 16th-17th centuries (the era of the ideas of the Reformation)

When Luther's reform ideas were just beginning to penetrate into France (this happened at the beginning of the 16th century), all devout French professed Catholicism, cruelly persecuting all dissident compatriots without exception. A biased attitude towards foreign religions was fueled by the hostility of the French king Francis I to the German emperor Charles: two powerful states were at war for a long time.

Historians call the father of the Reformation in France the mathematician and philosopher from Etauples Jacques Lefebvre, who in 1523 translated into his native language and published the New Testament. The French, after reading the translated edition, noted the existence of obvious discrepancies between Biblical truths and the foundations of Catholicism, and representatives of the clergy could not explain the reasons forcing them to act in this way and not otherwise.

The French Huguenots were not the only Protestants: in Germany, their protest was shared by the Lutherans, in England by the Puritans, and in Scotland by the Covenanters.

The French Huguenots fully experienced the cruelty of the representatives of the religious majority: many families who joined the Protestants were displaced, burned or sent to hard labor.

French religious art of the 20th century

In the 20th century, the religion of France, glorified in the works of artists, sculptors, publicists and poets, becomes a link between representatives of the clergy and society.

The first significant exhibitions of Christian art took place in 1915 (the venue is the Payan Terrace), 1921 (the Marsan Pavilion) and in 1932 (the Gallier Museum in Paris).

The Catholic faith, as the main religion of France, was actively “promoted” through the paintings of famous artists (Chagall, Denis, Derain and others), as well as the works of the French philosopher Jacques Maritain, the author of Antimodern (published in 1922) and Integral Humanism (1936). year of publication) - famous for his futile attempts to reconcile science and religion.

The theme of Catholic mysticism, dressed in poetry, “impregnated” the works of some writers who worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: for example, the playwright Paul Claudel and the novelist Georges Bernanos.

Some historians call the 20-30 years of the last century the heyday of church art: the religious theme “migrated” from paintings and books to wall carpets and stained-glass windows.

The church is separated from the government and does not have the political influence that it had in the Middle Ages. The times of religious wars are gone. IN public institutions France is forbidden any religious propaganda. Historically, the main denomination in France is Catholicism. Along with this, one can single out the ever-increasing proportion of Muslims among believers, which is increasing due to immigrants from the Maghreb countries. Despite the fact that modern French people are not very religious, the majority still observe religious traditions and customs. In modern France, 4 main confessions have spread: 84% of believers are Catholics, 4.5% are Muslims, 1.5% are Protestants, and 1.3% are Jews. The dominant denomination in France is Catholicism. Catholicism (Greek katholikos - universal) is one of the main, along with Protestantism and Orthodoxy, directions in Christianity. Catholicism has a number of features in doctrine, cult and the structure of religious organization, introduced by Western European feudalism. The Catholic Church is strictly centralized, has a single center in the state of the Vatican, single chapter- Pope, strict church hierarchy and discipline. Catholics recognize (unlike Protestants) as the source of doctrine not only Holy Scripture, but also Holy Tradition, which in Catholicism includes both the decrees of the ecumenical councils of the Catholic Church and the judgments of the popes. The clergy in Catholicism take a vow of celibacy (celibacy). A feature of Catholicism is also the veneration of the Mother of God, the recognition of the dogmas of her immaculate conception and bodily ascension, the addition to the creed of the filioque, the dogma of purgatory. Catholicism is characterized by a magnificent cult, a wide veneration of relics, a cult of martyrs, saints and blessed. This was reflected in French medieval architecture. Thousands of Catholic cathedrals were erected throughout France, the most famous of which are: Notre Dame de Paris, Notre Dame de Chartres, Saint Maurice, Reims Cathedral. Islam is the second largest religion in France by the number of believers. According to the Ministry of the Interior, there are about 4.5 million Muslims. Islam finally established itself in France in the 60s with the mass arrival of immigrant workers from the Maghreb, Black Africa and Turkey, who were joined by families in the 70s. Half of them today have become French. Among foreigners, most come from the three countries of the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), then from Turkey, Senegal, Mali, Lebanon. Most believers practice their religion privately without visiting mosques, but there are cathedral mosques in Lyon, Mantes-la-Joli, Evry. The youth minority practice Islam more militantly than their parents, claiming to be French or "European" citizens. In addition, thousands of French people have converted to Islam in recent years.