Essay on Napoleon Bonaparte and the Catholic Church

Tension grew between the Catholic Church and France during the French Revolution, leading to a schism, which deeply devastated the Church’s economy. Pope Pius VII and Napoleon Bonaparte came into power as the French Revolution was ending. For different reasons they both saw the importance of restoring Roman Catholicism’s position in France. The Catholic Church’s initial support of Napoleon greatly affected both parties (O’Dwyer 12-14, 43, 49). This statement has led me to ask the following question: To what extent did the support of Napoleon affect the Church’s role as a political and economic power in France? In this paper I will argue against the traditional view that Napoleon’s contract with the Catholic Church was solely beneficial to†¦show more content†¦The loss of one of its great powers caused the Catholic Church great distress. Pope Pius VI, who ruled during the Revolution, died and in 1799, Pope Pius VII was elected. Pius V II inherited many problems, including the division between France and Rome. Just as Pope Pius VII was coming into power, Napoleon Bonaparte, a young, military genius, was elected as First Consul of the Post-Revolutionary French government (O’Dwyer 43, 49). Both Napoleon and Pius VII saw the importance in ending the schism and restoring Catholicism in France. Napoleon saw the reestablishment of the Catholic Church in France â€Å"as a social bedrock and as an ideological anodyne† (Ellis 41) and used it to gain immediate political power. The Catholic Church wanted influence in France again and was willing to strike a deal with Napoleon to do so. In 1801 they officially published the Concordat, which restored Catholicism as the main religion in France (O’Dwyer 56). In 1802, Napoleon, without Pius’ consent, added an additional â€Å"a list of police regulations that severely restricted the Papacy’s role in France (Ellis 41), known as the Organic Articles, which aggravated Pope Pius VII. The Church’s support of the Conco rdat legitimized Napoleon’s autocratic rule, but it also stopped the schism that the Revolution had started. From Napoleon’s coronation in 1804 to the imprisonment of Pope Pius VII in Fontainebleau, the relationshipShow MoreRelatedNapoleon And The Enlightenment1214 Words   |  3 PagesNapoleon And The Enlightenment The enlightenment was a time of great learning throughout Europe during the eighteenth century. Although the period is significant for scientific and other scholastic advancements, it is most important because it allowed for the opening of great minds--such as that of Napoleon Bonaparte. Shortly after this enlightenment made its way through Europe, revolution and civil war ripped through France between 1879 and 1899. 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