Editing Pope Pius VI (section)

===French Revolution===
{{main|French Revolution}}
[[File:Morte di S. S. Pio VI.jpg|thumb|170px|left|The death of Pope Pius VI]]
At the outbreak of the [[French Revolution]] in 1789, Pius VI witnessed the suppression of the old [[Catholic Church in France|Gallican Church]] as well as the confiscation of pontifical and ecclesiastical possessions in France. He saw the events as a sign of opposition against the social order ordained by God and also viewed it as a conspiracy against the church. The pope condemned both the [[Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen]] and the [[Civil Constitution of the Clergy]] and supported a league against the revolution. He issued two briefs – ''[[Quod aliquantum]]'' (1791) and ''[[Charitas (papal encyclical)|Caritas]]'' (1791) – to condemn the ecclesiastical reforms that were proposed.

1791 marked the end of diplomatic relations with France and the papal [[nuncio]], Antonio Dugnani, was recalled to Rome as a result.<ref name=Miranda/> One of the reasons for the breach was the seizure by the revolutionaries of the [[Comtat Venaissin]], ending 516 years of Papal rule in Avignon.

King [[Louis XVI of France]] was [[Execution of Louis XVI|executed]] via [[guillotine]] on 21 January 1793, and his daughter [[Marie Thérèse of France|Marie Thérèse]] petitioned Rome for the canonization of her father. Pius VI hailed the late king as a martyr on 17 June 1793 in a meeting with cardinals, giving hope to a potential possibility of sainthood. In 1820, two decades following the death of Pius VI, the [[Congregation of Rites]] put an end to the possible sainthood since it was impossible to prove the king died for religious reasons rather than political ones. Pius VI argued that the main thrust of the revolution was against the Catholic religion and Louis XVI himself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thejosias.com/2015/01/29/pius-vi-quare-lacrymae/|title=Pius VI: Quare Lacrymae|date=29 January 2015|access-date=20 April 2015}}</ref> He also wrote that the French revolutionaries abolished "the monarchy, the best of all governments".<ref>Pius VI, ''Pourquoi Notre Voix''</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Coulombe|first=Charles A.|title=A History of the Popes: Vicars of Christ|publisher=MJF Books|year=2003|page=392}}</ref>