They went from doing quite well as landed gentry to the roll of peasant when most of the land, property and wealth of the Catholic Church was confiscated by the state and sold off to the highest bidder or converted to secular use by the state.
The Catholic clergy were the First Estate.
The First Estate was Catholic clergy, so essentially, the Pope.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy did NOT accomplish the following things:Allow women to become priestsCreate the position of popeWin the clergy over to the side of the Revolution
Nothing.
The Catholic Clergy.
During the French Revolution, Catholicism was the official religion of the French state. On those times, the clergy wore long white robes.
The Catholic Clergy.
Before the French Revolution, France was ruled by the absolute monarchy, with King Louis XVI as the reigning monarch until 1789. The government operated under a feudal system, where the king held centralized power, and governance was largely influenced by the clergy and the nobility. The Estates-General, a representative assembly of the three estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners), had not been convened since 1614 until its calling in 1789, shortly before the revolution began.
The clergy supported the revolution primarily because it promised to promote ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, which resonated with Enlightenment values. Many clergy members were disillusioned with the privileges of the aristocracy and the rigid structures of the Ancien Régime, seeking a more equitable society. Additionally, the revolution aimed to reduce the power of the Catholic Church by limiting its influence in government, which led some clergy to view the revolution as an opportunity for reform within the church itself. Ultimately, the clergy's support was driven by a combination of personal beliefs and the desire for systemic change.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy did NOT accomplish the following things:It did not confiscate Church holdings in France.It did not create the position of pope.It did not win the clergy over to the side of the Revolution.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy did NOT accomplish the following things:It did not confiscate Church holdings in France.It did not create the position of pope.It did not win the clergy over to the side of the Revolution.
Before agriculture we were hunter/gatherers.