What role did religion play in absolute monarchs?

Answer 1

The biggest religion in France then was the Roman Catholic religion. In July of 1790, the National Constituent Assembly published the Civil Constitution of the Clergy that stripped clerics of their special rights --- the clergy were to be made employees of the state, elected by their parish or bishopric, and the number of bishoprics was to be reduced --- and required all priests and bishops to swear an oath of fidelity to the new order or face dismissal, deportation or death. One version of the oath had the clergy swear to "hatred" of the nobility. French priests had to receive Papal approval to sign such an oath, and Pius VI spent almost eight months deliberating on the issue. On April 13, 1791, the Pope denounced the Constitution resulting in a split in the French Catholic church. Those who accepted were known as the constitutional clergy, and those who obeyed the Pope, the refractory priests or "non-jurors". In September of 1792, the National Assembly legalised divorce, contrary to Catholic doctrine. At the same time, the State took control of the birth, death, and marriage registers away from the Church.