French Revolution and Persecution of the Church
1789-1799 AD
📂 REVOLUTION
📖 About This Event
The French Revolution (1789-1799) brought unprecedented persecution to the Catholic Church in France. The National Assembly confiscated Church property, suppressed religious orders, and imposed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790), which required all priests to swear an oath of loyalty to the state. Those who refused—the 'refractory' priests—were persecuted, imprisoned, and executed.
During the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), the revolutionaries actively tried to eradicate Christianity. Churches were closed or converted to 'Temples of Reason,' religious symbols were destroyed, and a new revolutionary calendar replaced the Christian one. Approximately 10,000 priests were expelled from France, and 300 were executed. St. John Marie Vianney, the famous Curé of Ars, hid from the revolutionaries in a cave.
During the Revolution, approximately 10,000 priests were expelled, 3,000 were imprisoned, and 600 were guillotined. Bishop Scarron of Pamiers was forced to watch his own altar being desecrated before he was executed. St. Marianne Cope wrote of this period: 'The Church of France was in ruins.' Key Sources: Fauriel, History of the French Revolution; Chateaubriand, Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb; Catholic Encyclopedia, French Revolution
📜 Key Facts
Date
1789-1799 AD
Category
Revolution
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