Religion?

             The Catholic Church was a pivotal factor in the French Revolution. Before the French Revolution, the Catholic Church was very influentially. The vast majority of the population of France were Catholic, making it the official religion of the country. Those who weren't apart of the majority were mainly Jews and Protestants. This minority did not have equal citizenship under the law. In addition to owning about six percent of the land in France, the Church paid no taxes and collected a national tithe. The Church also had substantial political power being that they were at the top of the three estates.    
         Tensions started to arise between Revolutionaries and the Catholic Church from the perceived inequality of wealth throughout the three estates. In just a short few months, the Church gave up it's tithe and Church property was taken from them and declared property of the state. There monasteries and property were also seized and sold as a result. The Church was eventually re-established when Napoleon came to power in 1799. However, much of what the revolutionary government put in place remained in place and although a lot of the population remains Catholic it is no longer the official state religion.
           Religion played a major role in the French Revolution. Most of the imbalance that the revolutionaries were fighting to balance came from the people of the Catholic Church.
     

 "Religious Changes During the French Revolution." People. Web. 15 May 2015.

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Author: Matthew Caldera