Why was Pope Pius VI arrested by French forces in 1798?

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Side-by-side maps of central Italy showing the changing boundaries of the Papal States. The left map highlights the Papal States after the Treaty of Vienna in 1815 in green, showing their greatest extent. The right map shows the Papal States' reduced territory just before absorption into Italy, with orange marking areas annexed in 1860 and yellow showing the final area annexed in 1870, centered ar — Papal States The Papal States in 1815 (left) and at their annexation by Italy in 1870.

Pope Pius VI was arrested and imprisoned by French forces in 1798 primarily due to his refusal to recognize the newly proclaimed Roman Republic.

Following the French occupation of Rome in February 1798, French troops and Italian patriots established the republic, effectively ending the pope's temporal authority in the region. Pius VI’s steadfast opposition to this new state and his refusal to acknowledge its legitimacy led directly to his arrest and subsequent exile from Rome.1