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What did the Concordat of 1801 change about relations between France and the Catholic Church?
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Napoleon I
The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries, oil on canvas by Jacques-Louis David, 1812; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
The Concordat of 1801 reconciled the Roman Catholic Church with the French state, effectively ending the schism caused by the French Revolution and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.12
Key changes included:
- State Control: Napoleon Bonaparte gained the right to nominate bishops, and the government later added the "Organic Articles," which further strengthened state authority over church affairs.13
- Reconciliation: Pope Pius VII accepted the loss of church property confiscated during the Revolution, while the government agreed to provide suitable salaries for bishops and curés.1
- Administrative Reform: The church’s dioceses and parishes were redistributed to align with the state's administrative structure, and the establishment of seminaries was permitted.1
By securing this agreement, Napoleon enlisted the clergy to support his regime, using them to promote public order, tax collection, and military recruitment. This rapprochement deprived royalists of a key political ally and solidified the church's role as a pillar of the First French Empire.3