Organic Articles
Encyclopedia
The Organic Articles was the name of a law
administering public worship
in France
.
and 44 Articles relating to Protestantism
. It was published as a unilateral addition to the Concordat of 1801
, which is also sometimes referred to as the "French Concordat," on April 8, 1802.
It met with opposition from the Catholic Church with Pope Pius VII
claiming that the articles had been promulgated without his knowledge.
in order to help the state
monitor any politically harmful Catholic
or Protestant movements or activities. In 1797, two years before Napoleon seized power
, there had been a revolt in the Vendée of lay Catholics which had been brutally suppressed. This incident is believed to have inspired the Organic Articles. It was also an attempt to prevent any more religious strife in the cities of France. For example, Article 45 states, “In cities where there are temples dedicated to different religions, no religious ceremony is to take place outside of the buildings consecrated for Catholic worship.” In towns with adherents of different dogmas, public processions were prohibited.
's affairs. Title II declared the power of ministers and regulated public worship, stating that rules and regulations of seminaries must be presented to the State, and the Declaration of 1682 must be taught. Title III explained not only restriction of public processions, but the proper clerical dress code with Article 43 instructing, "All ecclesiastics will be dressed in the French manner in black." Title IV served as a boundary for the jurisdictions of bishops and the amounts of their salaries. In the following passage, Nicholas Atkin
summarizes the basic idea of the Organic Articles:
, was divided into congregations of adherents governed by those appointed by large taxpayers, such as a pastor
and elders
. Parallel to the Articles relative to Catholicism, the pastors were salaried by the State, and following this, a Calvinist revival
was held by the Protestants.
for the Republic
. When referring to the Concordat and the Organic Articles collaboration, Napoleon claims that it “put a stop to disorders and obliged the faithful to pray for the Republic…” Minor issues were addressed in the Articles, but peace between theological controversies was not achieved.
The Concordat was presented to Pope Pius VII
for a signature of approval, along with Napoleon’s attachment of the Organic Articles, which somewhat abates parts of the Concordat. The Pope
protested against the Organic Articles, saying he had no knowledge of Napoleon's attachment at the time of the agreement, but the protest was in vain. Finally, Pius was humiliated and defeated by the publishing of the Articles. This raised more difficulties for the Pope rather than solved them.
Though Pius' disapproval was disregarded by Napoleon, many of the Articles eventually became a dead letter
. The obscurities of many of them were later shown to be irrelevant, and the need to enforce the laws was unnecessary. In 1905, a law was issued declaring the separation of Church and State
in France. This abolished the Organic Articles along with the Concordat of 1801.
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
administering public worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The Articles were originally presented by Napoléon Bonaparte, and consisted of 77 Articles relating to CatholicismCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and 44 Articles relating to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. It was published as a unilateral addition to the Concordat of 1801
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801. It solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and brought back most of its civil status....
, which is also sometimes referred to as the "French Concordat," on April 8, 1802.
It met with opposition from the Catholic Church with Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
claiming that the articles had been promulgated without his knowledge.
Purpose
Presenting the Organic Articles was Napoleon’s method of granting the Tribunate and the legislative body partial control of the concordatConcordat
A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...
in order to help the state
State (polity)
A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
monitor any politically harmful Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
or Protestant movements or activities. In 1797, two years before Napoleon seized power
18 Brumaire
The coup of 18 Brumaire was the coup d'état by which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory, replacing it with the French Consulate...
, there had been a revolt in the Vendée of lay Catholics which had been brutally suppressed. This incident is believed to have inspired the Organic Articles. It was also an attempt to prevent any more religious strife in the cities of France. For example, Article 45 states, “In cities where there are temples dedicated to different religions, no religious ceremony is to take place outside of the buildings consecrated for Catholic worship.” In towns with adherents of different dogmas, public processions were prohibited.
The Articles to Catholics
The Organic Articles of the Catholic Church consisted of 4 Titles with laws regarding specific religious activities. Titles 2 and 4 contained different Sections regarding social positions. The number of Articles per Title and Section varied:
Title I - “Of the governance of the Catholic Church in its general relations with the rights and the police of the state” (Articles 1-8)
Title II - “Of the Ministers”
- Section I - “General Provisions” (Articles 9-12)
- Section II - “Of the Archbishops or Metropolitans” (Articles 13-15)
- Section III - “Of the bishops, the vicars general and the seminaries” (Articles 16-26)
- Section IV - “Of curates” (Articles 27-34)
- Section V - “Of the cathedral chapters and the government of the diocese during the vacancy of the see” (Articles 35-38)
Title III - “Of the forms of worship” (Articles 39-57)
Title IV - “Of the circumscription of the archbishoprics, bishoprics and parishes, of the buildings intended for worship and of the salaries for the ministers”
- Section I - “Of the circumscription of the archbishoprics and bishoprics” (Articles 58-59)
- Section II - “Of the circumscription of the parishes” (Articles 60-63)
- Section III - “Of the salaries for the ministers” (Articles 64-74)
- Section IV - “Of the buildings intended for worship” (Articles 75-77)
Summary of the Articles
Title I referred to the French government and its ability to issue a papal document in France. Basically, this gave way for the State to interfere with the ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
's affairs. Title II declared the power of ministers and regulated public worship, stating that rules and regulations of seminaries must be presented to the State, and the Declaration of 1682 must be taught. Title III explained not only restriction of public processions, but the proper clerical dress code with Article 43 instructing, "All ecclesiastics will be dressed in the French manner in black." Title IV served as a boundary for the jurisdictions of bishops and the amounts of their salaries. In the following passage, Nicholas Atkin
Nicholas Atkin
Nick Atkin was appointed Lecturer in History at the University of Reading in 1986, having previously taught at the University of London. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2000 and the personal title of Professor of Modern European History was conferred on him in 2004...
summarizes the basic idea of the Organic Articles:
"Ostensibly these dealt with the policing arrangements referred to in Article 1, but in practice they went much further. Government approbation was required before papal pronunciations could be published, councils convoked, new parishes established and chapels set up. A uniform catechism was introduced, church weddings could not precede the civil ceremony, cathedral chapters were reduced to merely ceremonial function and the powers of papal delegates were severely circumscribed. Any breach of the articles was treated as a criminal offence and was referred to the Council of State, the keystone of Napoleonic government. Additionally, clerical salaries were specified, a mere 15,000 francs per annum for an archbishop of whom there were to be ten; 10,000 francs for each bishop who numbered sixty in total; and 1,000 to 1,500 francs for the 3,000 or so parish priests. Although it was not specifically referred to in the Organic Articles, the creation of a Ministry of Cults in 1801 reinforced a drive towards government oversight of ecclesiastical matters."
The Articles to Protestants
Although similar to the Catholic regulations, the Protestants favored parts of the Articles preventing Catholic domination in France. The Calvinist community, a variety of Protestant ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, was divided into congregations of adherents governed by those appointed by large taxpayers, such as a pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
and elders
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
. Parallel to the Articles relative to Catholicism, the pastors were salaried by the State, and following this, a Calvinist revival
Revival meeting
A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a church body, to raise funds and to gain new converts...
was held by the Protestants.
Reactions and Controversies
The Organic Articles read as a list of solutions to past problems in France, such as clerical abuses and sectarian altercations, and was also concerned by the Catholic Church to be a subtle attempt by the State to gain further control of the Church. Napoleon sought to allow the right amount of Catholicism, but not a large amount, in order to prevent further rebellion from the Protestants, therefore issuing of the Organic Articles was considered to be a fault in French Catholicism. Although it restricted specific religious practices in France, it partially allowed other religious freedoms yet still remained in favor of the State. A limited or regulated amount of worship was given, or simply enough to prayPrayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
for the Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. When referring to the Concordat and the Organic Articles collaboration, Napoleon claims that it “put a stop to disorders and obliged the faithful to pray for the Republic…” Minor issues were addressed in the Articles, but peace between theological controversies was not achieved.
The Concordat was presented to Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
for a signature of approval, along with Napoleon’s attachment of the Organic Articles, which somewhat abates parts of the Concordat. The Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
protested against the Organic Articles, saying he had no knowledge of Napoleon's attachment at the time of the agreement, but the protest was in vain. Finally, Pius was humiliated and defeated by the publishing of the Articles. This raised more difficulties for the Pope rather than solved them.
Though Pius' disapproval was disregarded by Napoleon, many of the Articles eventually became a dead letter
Dead letter
A dead letter is one that can neither be delivered nor returned to sender. The term may also mean:* "Dead letter", legislation which has not been revoked but is obsolete, inapplicable, or no longer enforced....
. The obscurities of many of them were later shown to be irrelevant, and the need to enforce the laws was unnecessary. In 1905, a law was issued declaring the separation of Church and State
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
in France. This abolished the Organic Articles along with the Concordat of 1801.