Comments for The French Revolution and the Church at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 5 out of 5 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:45:30 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/the-french-revolution-and-the-church.html#comment-7400 We ought to study the example of the Catholics of this time period because we are about to got through our own period of persecution. I don't think anyone will actually have to shed blood as the means of punishment will be mostly financial (diabolism with a happy face!), though some might have to go to prison for the Faith. As we are not that used to suffering and are used to being treated as full citizens rather than second class ones it will be a difficult wake-up call. - Ben Horvath Thu, 14 Jul 2011 07:30:17 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/the-french-revolution-and-the-church.html#comment-7399 A visit to the ruins of Cluny will provide a concrete measure of what once was and what has been lost. - Other Joe Thu, 14 Jul 2011 07:20:59 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/the-french-revolution-and-the-church.html#comment-7397 Richard's comment is right on...The Church is missionary...I am acting like a child when I yearn to be defended from the encroaching world...the problem I have, and so many Catholics share with me, is that I forget that The Church on earth is part of the army of God, and Jesus commanded us, at the end of Matthew's Gospel, that our mission is to be on offense. - Chris in Maryland Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:28:15 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/the-french-revolution-and-the-church.html#comment-7396 A well-written and timely analysis. Allow me to indulge a pet peeve which was inflamed by the last sentence. You indicate that Christ's promise to Peter was that the Church founded upon him would survive Satan's assaults. Would we approach our mission as Catholics differently if we appreciated fully that that's not really Christ's promise? His promise is that Satan's kingdom will not survive the Church's assault. To appropriate Patton's (the movie) words: "We're not holding onto anything ... We are advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy". - Richard A Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:32:29 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/the-french-revolution-and-the-church.html#comment-7395 Hilaire Belloc describes the situation very well "The feudal dues of the nobles, if abandoned, must fall rather to the peasantry than to the State. Of the existing taxes few could be increased without peril, and none with any prospect of a large additional revenue. The charge for debt alone was one-half of the total receipts of the State, the deficit was, in proportion to the revenue, overwhelming. Face to face with that you had an institution not popular, one whose public functions were followed by but a small proportion of the population, one in which income was most unequally distributed, and one whose feudal property yielded in dues an amount equal to more than a quarter of the total revenue of the State. Add to this a system of tithes which produced nearly as much again, and it will be apparent under what a financial temptation the Assembly lay." The mere fact of the Revolution confirms the sources that suggest less than 10% and, in the cities, rather less than 55 of the population attended weekly mass. It was only in Brittany and the Vendée that Catholic practice was at all widespread. - Michael Paterson-Seymour Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:43:06 +0100