Editing Jansenism (section)

== Jansenism and the French Revolution ==

=== The role of the Jansenists in the Civil Constitution of the Clergy ===
[[File:Henri Gregoire.jpg|thumb|''Abbé Grégoire''—[[Henri Grégoire]] (1750–1831), Jansenist priest and [[French Revolution|revolutionary]] leader]]
Among the early defenders of the [[French Revolution]] were personalities known for their Gallicanism, sympathy for Jansenism and more or less marked adherence to the theology of [[Edmond Richer]]. The role of the Jansenists in the Revolution was essentially a product of the ecclesiological character of late Jansenism, which was tinged with Gallicanism.

The role of Jansenising priests was noted from the beginning of the Revolution. Indeed, without the addition of a few priests to the [[Third estate|Third Estate]] during the assembly of the [[Estates General of 1789]], it would not have been able to declare itself a [[National Assembly (French Revolution)|National Assembly]] on 17 June 1789. These priests were led by Abbot [[Henri Grégoire]], whose attachment to Port-Royal and Jansenism was known. Grégoire shared with the Jansenists a figurist vision of history, which underlay his statement that the Revolution was part of the fulfilment of God's will. Around Grégoire and the priests favourable to the Revolution mainly Gallicans and other Jansenists from the ''parlements'' gathered together. Louis Adrien Le Paige was generally favourable to the Revolution. Likewise, [[Armand-Gaston Camus]] and [[Jean-Denis Lanjuinais]], renowned parliamentarians, were heavily involved in Revolutionary events while remanining attached to the Jansenist cause. Lanjuinais was notably a member of the ecclesiastical committee which prepared the [[Civil Constitution of the Clergy]]. The importance of Jansenists in the drafting of this constitution, so favourable to their demands on many points, meant that the Abbot [[Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès]] attacked those who "seem to have seen in the Revolution merely a superb opportunity to lift up the theological importance of Port-Royal and to establish the apotheosis of Jansenius over the tomb of his enemies".<ref>{{Cite book |title=Archives parlementaires, tome 25 |date=May 7, 1791 |pages=648 |language=fr |trans-title=Parliamentary archives}}</ref> The Civil Constitution of the Clergy satisfied the Jansenists on many points; it put an end to practices that were widely criticised, for example the residence of bishops outside of their dioceses or non-canonical [[benefice]]s. The Constitution reinstated diocesan [[synod]]s, considerably reduced the influence of the pope and reproved formulas such as [[Regiminis Apostolici|that of Alexander VII]]. Furthermore, it satisfied the wealthy fringe of the clergy by establishing election within the Gallican Church and by promoting cooperation between parish priests and [[prelate]]s, rather than a relationship of subordination.<ref name="Van Kley-2002">{{Cite book |last=Van Kley |first=Dale |translator=Alain Spiess |title=Les Origines religieuses de la Révolution française 1560-1791 |date=2002 |publisher=Éditions du Seuil |isbn=978-2-02-085509-9 |language=fr |trans-title=The religious Origins of the French Revolution 1560-1791}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=517–518}}

For these Jansenists, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and all the ecclesiastical constitution that resulted from it were nothing other than the culmination of all the religious and parliamentary struggles of the 18th century. [[Dale K. Van Kley]] lists five points which brought together the interests of Gallican Jansenists and those of France in the early Revolution, and which Camus in particular developed.<ref name="Van Kley-2002" />{{Rp|pages=521–522}}

* The administration of ecclesiastical property fell to the hierarchy, but its ownership fell to the Church in France as a whole. By property and goods, not only material goods are meant but also 'spiritual keys', that is, the [[Sacraments of the Catholic Church|sacraments]] and [[anathema]]s.
* The Church was not only made up of its clerical hierarchy, but of all the Roman Catholic faithful. As France almost entirely consisted of Roman Catholics, it can be said that the National Assembly, which brought together all French people, was a representation of the Church. It could therefore declare that the property of the Church was the property of the nation, and so sell it to repay the national debt or pay priests and bishops.
* There was no usurpation of the Church, since the state only acted on the public, external and temporal aspects of the Church's mission, leaving the spiritual aspect untouched. Even when the National Assembly suppressed monastic orders, redrew the ecclesiastical map or abrogated the 1515 [[Concordat of Bologna]], it denied that it affected the spiritual mission of the Church.
* The suppression of ecclesiastical governance were justified on the grounds that the sacrament of ordination is purely spiritual, and gives to the one who receives it the unlimited and illimitable power to preach and administer the sacraments. On the other hand, the actual exercise of this power was the responsibility of the Assembly since it was temporal. A priest who did not submit to the Assembly could therefore be denied a parish, for example.
* Camus further justified the constitution by claiming that the [[Early Church]] was a model of spiritual authority detached from the temporal, and therefore that the Constitutional Church was only returning to this state of purity. The Church could therefore free itself from the approval of the pope, who was not considered superior to other bishops.

[[File:Assembleia Constituinte vota a Constituição Civil do Clero.jpg|left|thumb|The [[National Constituent Assembly (France)|National Constituent Assembly]] votes on the [[Civil Constitution of the Clergy]] (1790). Opposing clergy are depicted as speaking anti-constitutional venom, whereas supporting clergy are swearing the oath of loyalty to the Constitution, France, the law and the king.]]
The Jansenist and Gallican influence in the Civil Constitution of the Clergy explains why so many of the new [[Constitutional bishopric|constitutional bishops]] were classified as Jansenists or at least as Jansenist sympathisers.<ref name="Préclin-1929">{{Cite book |last=Préclin |first=Edmond |year=1929 |title=Les jansénistes du XVIIIe siècle et la Constitution civile du clergé |pages=480–527 |language=fr |trans-title=The Jansenists of the 18th century and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy}}</ref> Thus, in addition to Abbé Grégoire, bishop of [[Blois]] and ''de facto'' head of the Constitutional Church, were Claude Debertier, Jean-Baptiste Pierre Saurine, Louis Charrier de La Roche and about fifteen others who, without necessarily being ''appelants'', nevertheless identified themselves strongly with Jansenism and Richer.

Laypeople and clerics joined the ''Société de philosophie chrétienne'' ('Society of Christian philosophy'), which pursued religious studies during the Revolution<ref>{{Cite book |last=Plongeron |first=Bernard |title=L'abbé Grégoire et la République des savants |date=2001 |publisher=CTHS |location=Paris |language=fr |trans-title=Abbé Grégoire and the Republic of savants}}</ref> in a strongly Jansenist spirit. In the final years of the Revolution, the Society published the ''Annales de la religion'' ('Annals of religion'), a Gallican and Jansenist journal, which published the first version of Abbé Grégoire's ''Ruines de Port-Royal des Champs en 1801'' ('Ruins of Port-Royal-des-Champs in 1801'). Members of the Society frequently took residences for reflection at Port-Royal-des-Champs, and were in close contact with the Italian Jansenists {{Interlanguage link|Eustache Degola|fr}} and [[Scipione de' Ricci]].

There were, however, a significant number of Jansenists who completely rejected the Revolution. As for clergymen, the best known were {{Interlanguage link|Henri Jabineau|fr}} and {{Interlanguage link|Dom Deforis|fr}}. But others, like Abbots Mey, Dalléas and the [[Oratory of Jesus|Oratorian]] clergy of [[Lyon]], were also very much in opposition to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. They were supported by [[canonist]]s like Gabriel-Nicolas Maultrot, and by pious laypeople such as [[Nicolas Bergasse]] in Lyon or {{Interlanguage link|Louis Silvy|fr}} in Paris. Some, like {{Interlanguage link|Augustin-Jean-Charles Clément|fr}}, a notable Jansenist, swore the oath of loyalty to the Constitution, but only with great hesitation.<ref name="Préclin-1929" />
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=== Analysis of the Jansenist involvement in the Revolution ===
<blockquote>Let the [[National Constituent Assembly (France)|Constituent Assembly]], once it has emerged from the stormy discussions that mark its beginning and the votes of its major state laws, address the civil constitution of the clergy; Jansenist inspiration will preside over the organisation of the new Church. Camus will triumph over [[Louis XIV]]; the ecclesiastical committee will avenge the ashes of [[Port-Royal-des-Champs|Port-Royal]], and the Jansenist legislators who spoke so much about returning to the organisation of the Early Church will in fact return it to martyrdom.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Abbé Sicard |title=Les évêques avant la Révolution |date=1893 |publisher=V. Lecoffre |pages=421 |language=fr |trans-title=The bishops before the Revolution}}</ref> (Abbé Sicard, ''The Old Clergy of France'', 1893)</blockquote>Jansenism is often cited, if not as one of the causes of the Revolution, at least as having shaped the state of mind necessary for its outbreak.<ref name="Van Kley-2002" />{{Rp|pages=521–522}} This accusation was first made by [[Counter-revolutionary|counter-revolutionaries]], who saw the Jansenists as allies of [[Protestantism|Protestants]] and [[Freemasonry|Freemasons]]; others supposedly responsible for the fall of the French monarchy. Even if the reasons for this accusation are erroneous, there was a strong link between Jansenism and the Revolution.

For the counter-revolutionaries and [[Ultramontanism|ultramontanists]] of the 19th century, Jansenism was accused of having prepared and accompanied the Revolution for the following reasons.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barruel |first=Augustin |title=Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire du jacobinisme |language=fr |trans-title=Memoires relating to the history of Jacobinism}}</ref>

* Jansenism maintained a seditious spirit. Its revolts and resistance against popes and kings were a negative influence for the people, who could reproduce in politics the religious attitude of Jansenists.
* Jansenism discouraged the faithful. They preferred to distance themselves from religion rather than satisfy the demands of Jansenist priests. This accusation is based on the correlation between the geographical distribution of the ''appelants'' and [[Constitutional clergy|constitutional priests]] during the Revolution and the zones of [[dechristianisation]]. However this correlation is difficult to interpret.
* Through its association with Gallicanism, Jansenism was a source of [[schism]] in France under the Revolution, between the constitutional clergy, favourable to a national church, and the 'refractory clergy' who followed the condemnation of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy by [[Pope Pius VI]].
* Finally, Jansenism was often associated with [[republicanism]], because it dissociated itself from court life, with the ''Solitaires'' giving an image of a 'Republic of Letters', and because leading figures during the Revolution, such as Abbé Grégoire, did not hide their attachment to Port-Royal.

[[File:Illustration humoristique des bulles du XVIIIe siècle.jpg|thumb|Anonymous 18th-century satirical engraving of [[papal bull]]s being returned to the pope by France, strengthened by the [[Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen]] (1789). The historical Jansenist opposition to papal bulls coincided with Revolutionary anti-clericalism.]]

Among 19th-century republicans, who were quite favourable to Port-Royal and Jansenism as movements which fought against absolute monarchy and royal authority, there were also defenders of the theory according to which the Jansenists were largely responsible for the outbreak of the Revolution. Thus [[Jules Michelet]], [[Louis Blanc]], [[Henri Martin (historian)|Henri Martin]] and [[Charles-Louis Chassin]] argued for a partly Jansenist origin of the Revolution.

If it is possible to associate Jansenism and the Revolution outside the religious domain, it is because there was a tradition of protest among Jansenists and because socially, those who drove the Revolution (bourgeoisie of the legal and parliamentary worlds) were the same as those who embraced the ''appelant'' cause in the 18th century.

Some (mainly among the Jesuits) were convinced of the existence of a Jansenist plot aimed at overthrowing monarchical power.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sauvage |first=Henri-Michel |title=La Réalité du projet de Bourgfontaine, démontrée par l'exécution |date=1755 |location=Paris |language=fr |trans-title=The Reality of the project of Bourgfontaine, demonstrated by its execution}}</ref> At the beginning of the 20th century, historians such as [[Louis Madelin]] and [[Albert Mathiez]] refuted this Jansenist conspiracy thesis and emphasised a conjunction of forces and demands as responsible for both the outbreak of the Revolution and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.<ref name="Préclin-1929" /> The theory that the explanation of the Revolution must appeal to several causes, of which Jansenism is only one among others, is now the consensus among historians.