After years of hostility between the Catholic Church and France, Napoleon's leadership ushered in an era of peace between the two. When Pius VII became Pope in 1800, he signed a Concordat along with Napoleon that reinstated Catholic influence in French daily life. Napoleon completed a series of actions that appeased the papacy further, such as abolishing the calendar from the Revolution and paying Bishops’ salaries using state money. Though Napoleon believed that the Church should remain separate from state affairs, he felt that religion within society was the only way to keep it under control, stating that “society cannot exist without some being richer than others, and this inequality cannot exist without religion”. Consequently, Napoleon’s
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After many years of turmoil in France due to political and social factions, Napoleon included phrases that encouraged French citizens to show him their utmost support. This notion was embedded in the minds of the French people from a very young age, as school children were required to memorize lines such as “we in particular owe to Napoleon I, our emperor, love, respect, obedience, fidelity, military service, and the taxes levied for the preservation and defense of the empire and his throne.” Not only does this clause encourage the citizens of France to show respect for their Emperor, but to dutifully abide by his governance. Napoleon wrote the Catechism with such careful articulation that he was able to intertwine religious duty, an integral part France culture, with civic duty. The Catechism also teaches the French people that they “owe him [Napoleon] fervent prayers for his safety and for the spiritual and temporal prosperity of the state.” Here Napoleon uses prayer, a routine part of life for Catholics in France, in order to ensure that he is always on the mind of the French people, and that through prayer they are helping to do their part in restoring …show more content…
Within the Imperial Catechism he reintroduced the concept of divine rule, the concept that leaders derive their power from God, rather than the people. This particular action began to sever the ties between Napoleon and the Pope, as the Emperor claimed that God had “established him as our sovereign and made him the agent of his power and his image upon earth.” Attempting to oust the Pope’s authority, Napoleon blatantly states that God has chosen him as the divine leader of France, doing away with every past attempt to establish France as a secular nation. He further embeds this idea by declaring that “it is he [Napoleon] whom God has raised up in trying times to re-establish the public worship of the holy religion of our fathers and to be its protector.” This was included to remind the French people of how Catholicism had once been integrated heavily in many aspects of their lives, and that God has chosen Napoleon to be not only the leader of France, but to ensure that the religion of the state is never forgotten. Despite creating the Imperial Catechism without any consent from the Pope (with whom he had agreed to consult with before making drastic religious changes such as these), Napoleon supersedes papal authority yet again by making the claim that his leadership was endorsed by
After many years of turmoil in France due to political and social factions, Napoleon included phrases that encouraged French citizens to show him their utmost support. This notion was embedded in the minds of the French people from a very young age, as school children were required to memorize lines such as “we in particular owe to Napoleon I, our emperor, love, respect, obedience, fidelity, military service, and the taxes levied for the preservation and defense of the empire and his throne.” Not only does this clause encourage the citizens of France to show respect for their Emperor, but to dutifully abide by his governance. Napoleon wrote the Catechism with such careful articulation that he was able to intertwine religious duty, an integral part France culture, with civic duty. The Catechism also teaches the French people that they “owe him [Napoleon] fervent prayers for his safety and for the spiritual and temporal prosperity of the state.” Here Napoleon uses prayer, a routine part of life for Catholics in France, in order to ensure that he is always on the mind of the French people, and that through prayer they are helping to do their part in restoring …show more content…
Within the Imperial Catechism he reintroduced the concept of divine rule, the concept that leaders derive their power from God, rather than the people. This particular action began to sever the ties between Napoleon and the Pope, as the Emperor claimed that God had “established him as our sovereign and made him the agent of his power and his image upon earth.” Attempting to oust the Pope’s authority, Napoleon blatantly states that God has chosen him as the divine leader of France, doing away with every past attempt to establish France as a secular nation. He further embeds this idea by declaring that “it is he [Napoleon] whom God has raised up in trying times to re-establish the public worship of the holy religion of our fathers and to be its protector.” This was included to remind the French people of how Catholicism had once been integrated heavily in many aspects of their lives, and that God has chosen Napoleon to be not only the leader of France, but to ensure that the religion of the state is never forgotten. Despite creating the Imperial Catechism without any consent from the Pope (with whom he had agreed to consult with before making drastic religious changes such as these), Napoleon supersedes papal authority yet again by making the claim that his leadership was endorsed by