CH 310 Dr. Dieter Mitternacht Presentation by Robert E. Graham (AA., BA., MA Theol. Cand.) 11 May 2010 Christianity in France Notre Dame de Paris at night

Personal Introduction Moved to France after leaving High School in 1996 and lived there for nearly ten years Commissioned as a Deacon in the Lutheran Church at the age of 18 Ordained by Pastors Jacques Henslée and Léon Prix on 15 May 2002 in Saint- Brevin, attending the Église Protestante Evangélique After moving to Tours in 2005 I worked in the ministry of the Franciscan Tertiaries (Ecumenical) and attended Paroisse Notre Dame la Riche (Catholic) and the Basilique Saint-Martin de Tours (Catholic)

Saint-Brevin

Paroisse Notre Dame la Riche

Basilique Saint-Martin de Tours

Brief History of Christianity in France France has been a Christian country since at least the last half of the second century One of the earliest and most well known Christians of France is the Church Father Saint Irenaeus During the time of the Roman Empire, France was scene of many bloody persecutions of Christians by the Romans Christianity first became a state religion of France with the conversion of Clovis I in the last half of the fifth century The Protestant Reformation was represented in France by the Huguenots, French Presbyterians Bloody wars and persecutions followed the Protestant Reformation, with many Huguenots leaving France for other parts of the Empire The French Revolution, the leaders of which were primarily deists and atheists, attempted at times to separate religion from government and at other times to entirely eliminate it

Brief History of Christianity in France The Revolution closed churches, destroyed crosses, church bells and outlawed external signs of worship, while instituting “civic religions” After the French Revolution, the new government attempted to separate the French Church entirely from Rome and place it under government control The French Revolution and the Reign of Terror saw new persecutions of Christians in France, including wholesale massacres

Brief History of Christianity in France This official anti-Church attitude lasted until Napoleon Bonaparte re- established relations with Rome, giving the Church a privileged role in society and government in exchange for the Church’s recognition of the legitimacy of his rule Napoleon also recognized and protected Lutheranism, Calvinism (the Huguenots) and Jews in France After Napoleon, France’s political systems changed many times, going from monarchies to republics to empires and back to republics (on average) every 16 years With each change in political system, the status of the Church, as well as society’s attitudes toward the Church, has changed as well The anti-Church attitude of the Revolution was revived with the rule of the Third Republic (in the late 1800s). This was represented by the adoption of many secularist laws which aimed to remove religion from all aspects of political and social life in a movement referred to as Déchristianisation. This culminated in the adoption of the Loi du 9 décembre 1905 concernant la séparation des Églises et de l'État

Brief History of Christianity in France The long term effect of this cycle of religious zealotry, anti-religious persecution, and official dechristianization was to dissuade the traditionally Catholic French from religious sentiment almost entirely, except for brief revivals during the past 150 years As religious sentiment was abandoned and officially discouraged, it ceased to be passed down from generation to generation, to the point that France today is almost entirely secular and French society has a decidedly ambiguous attitude towards the Church and Christianity

Demographics Total Population: 65,447,374

Church Attendance 8% of Catholics attend weekly worship services 15% of all French citizens attend regular religious services (compared to only 10% of British citizens) 31% attend worship “occasionally” 46% attend services “only for baptisms, weddings and funerals”

Challenges and Personal Reflections Apathy and hostility towards the Church Declining Church attendance Assert and develop relevance in French society Laïcité and opposition to encroachment on Civil Liberty Effective work with the Muslim Population of France Spirituality among the French Opportunities for the Church

Merci!