Editing Jansenism (section)

=== 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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