hate watching that all sorts of forces have for the progress of the holy Roman Church in our times we see the persecution of the more ancient of the Catholic religion. The enemies of true religion are indeed cunning, but the methods they use and what their goals are pursued - despite the passage of years - very similar and sometimes identical. It is therefore important to look at how to proceed earlier centuries of persecution in order to have no illusions that the persecution will stop today at a moderate stage.
Excellent help in this endeavor is a book St. Jozef Sebastian Pelczar French Revolution against the Catholic religion and its clergy. The author discusses in her brief history of the French Revolution (and sometimes more accurately called a revolution antyfrancuską) with particular reference to the persecution that affected the Church. It is not unreasonable, since one of the fundamental objectives of social transformation planned by the architects of the revolution was precisely to eliminate the influence of the Church on human society and the state.
author discusses extensively the cause of the outbreak of the revolution. Part of them are - unfortunately - errors on the part of kings (especially Louis XV), aristocracy and clergy who are not in every case were the model of conduct for the people. Undeniable impact on the development of the situation, however, had other factors. Well, in France accused of religious education for young people called. classical (strong appeal to antiquity and mythology), also worked there at the time a lot of Masonic lodges, which shortly after import of the movement in England was already about one million people. What's more, throughout the eighteenth century French thinkers hostile act Church and traditional values, like Voltaire and Rousseau, Diderot, and they are met with respect and appreciation of the broad masses (you probably already steeped in Masonic influences).
carrying out its purposes revolutionaries seized all the possible measures. From the beginning, when he convened the Estates General were concerned only with mild reforms that could heal France, and especially its public finances. Soon, however, there was a radicalizing demands and means of action. Soon after the fall of the Bastille was adopted and proclaimed the Declaration of Human Rights, which - as rightly observed by the author - a strange silence, exclude the existence of eighteen centuries of Christianity, which had the greatest contribution to improving the conditions prevailing in these societies. Subsequent moves were becoming more radical and openly that infringes upon the existence of the Church. Abolished the functional material through the abolition of tithes of the clergy, have been erased nearly all the religious and abolished monastic vows.
July 12, 1790 was passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which was to reform the political system in the style Calvinist church. Every bishop and priest had in mind the choice of assumptions come from, but he chose his subject to all the inhabitants of the area, including Jews and Protestants. Abolished all previous ways of keeping the clergy, in exchange for the state-set salaries. Those priests and bishops, who swore this constitution were harshly persecuted. What is worse - not all the clergy refused to swearing in it. As you might guess, Pope Pius VI condemned the constitution as the people of Paris received a demonstration and burnt effigies antypapieską representing the pope. Later brought
the beheading of King Louis XVI, and the zeal for "reform" of religion took on more and larger sizes. Reign of terror, as a result of which claimed the lives of many priests and nuns. He then began to practice various methods of mass murder, such as the melting of barges filled with priests in the rivers. They began to introduce some kind of state religion with its own calendar and their own holidays. Religion was officially the cult of reason and freedom, which manifested itself in a humorous and slightly pompous worship of these two values. Moreover, in place of sacred memories down the memories of heroes and sages (ancient and modern) and a variety of feasts in honor of carrot, donkey, etc. Besides, the guillotine became the subject of a bizarre cult. People with great eagerness and delight watched the executions (especially executions of the clergy), a miniature guillotine wore around their necks (rather than crosses), and ears - as earrings.
Persecution of the Church lasted for over ten years. Once were heavier, sometimes a bit lighter. During the reign of Robespierre was a kind of revival of religion (although in a non-Christian) and traditional morality, were alleged persecution of the clergy. Later, however, reverted to persecution. Their size was not smaller than those before Robespierre. Go nearly even that the deceit was imprisoned Pope Pius VI in Rome, was proclaimed a republic. The Pope died in prison 29 VIII 1799, but due to the imprisonment of many of the cardinals could not elect a new pope. It succeeded only 14 III 1800 in Venice, through the intervention of the Tsar's commander Alexander Suvorov. Era of persecution ended in France only 15 VII 1801 with the signing of the concordat.
History of the French Revolution against the Church and the clergy should be our science. Similar phenomena to those which took place at the beginning of the revolution we see today in Poland and the European Union. Further escalation of this process is only a logical consequence of what is happening today. Therefore, no Catholic can not delude ourselves that can not be worse.
Wlodzimierz Jan Ziolkowski
JS Pelczar, French Revolution against the Catholic religion and its clergy , Rzeszów 2005.
text appeared for the first time at number 6 (November - December 2009) "Counter-
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