Anti-clericalism
From Free net encyclopedia
Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious (generally Catholic) institutional power and influence in all aspects of public and political life, and the encroachment of religion in the everyday life of the citizen. It suggests a more active and partisan role than mere laïcité. The goal of anti-clericalism is to reduce religion to a purely private belief-system with no public profile or influence. Anti-clericalism has at times been violent, leading to attacks and seizure of church property. Anti-clericalism has tended to be associated with the left of the political spectrum, and with middle and working class intellectuals.
Anti-clericalism in one form or another has existed through most of Christian history, and is considered to be one of the major popular forces underlying the 16th Century reformation. The philosophers of the enlightenment, including Voltaire, continually attacked the Catholic Church, its leadership and priests. These assaults led to the expulsion of the Jesuits from most Catholic countries by 1800, and played a major part in the wholesale attacks on the very existence of the Church during the French Revolution.
Contents |
France
Anti-clericalism is particularly discussed in the context of the French Third Republic and its dissensions with the Catholic Church. To summarize, prior to 1905, the Catholic Church enjoyed preferential treatment from the French State (along with the Jewish, Lutheran and Calvinist minority religions). During the 19th century, priests were employed as teachers in public schools, and religion was taught in schools. The Church also appeared to support royalist opinions, and was involved in anti-semitic attacks such as the Dreyfus Affair.
As a consequence, many people, especially in the political left, sought the separation of Church and State and the imposition of laïcité — that is, the separation of government and religion and the neutrality of government with respect to religious issues. Note that the division between "clericalists" and "anti-clericalists" does not exactly fit the boundaries of "believers" and "nonbelievers": on the one hand, some Christians felt the Church should not intervene in political life, on the other hand, some, like Charles Maurras, while they did not believe in God, supported the power of the Catholic Church, for they felt it was essential to national cohesion and their political goals (see also reactionary).
The 1905 Separation of Church and State was highly controversial. Most Catholic schools and educational foundtions were closed, and many religious orders were dissolved.
Italy
Anti-clericalism in Italy is connected with reaction against the alleged tyranny of the Papal States, overthrown in 1870. For a long time, the pope required Catholics not to participate in the public life of the Kingdom of Italy that had invaded the Papal States to complete the reunification of Italy, leaving the pope confined in the Vatican. Some politicians that had played important roles in this process, such as Camillo Cavour, were known to be hostile to the church.
This hostility between the Holy See and the kingdom was settled by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who sought an agreement with the church to bolster his image through Italy: the Lateran treaties were finalised in 1929.
After World War II, anti-clericalism was embodied by the communist and socialist parties, in opposition to the Vatican-endorsed Christian Democracy.
The revision of the Lateran treaties in the eighties by a socialist prime minister of Italy, Bettino Craxi, removed the status of "official religion" of the Catholic Church, but still granted a series of provisions in favour of the Church, such as the eight per thousand law, the teaching of religion in schools, and other advantages.
Recently, the Catholic Church has been taking a more aggressive stance in Italian politics, in particular through Cardinal Camillo Ruini, who often makes his voice heard commenting the political debate and indicating the official line of the church on various matters. This interventionism has increased with the papacy of Benedict XVI. Anti-clericalism, however, is not the official stance of most parties (with the exception of the Italian Radicals), as most party leaders consider it an electoral disadvantage to openly contradict the Church: since the demise of the Christian Democracy as a single party, Catholic votes are often swinging between the right and the left wing, and are considered to be decisive to win an election.
Mexico
Following the Revolution of 1860, US-backed President Benito Juárez, issued a decree nationalizing church property, separating church and state, and suppressing religious orders.
Following the revolution of 1910, the new Mexican Constitution of 1917 contained further anti-clerical provisions. Article 3 called for secular education in the schools; Article 5 outlawed monastic orders; Article 24 forbade public worship outside the confines of churches; and Article 27 placed restrictions on the right of religious organizations to hold property. Most obnoxious to Catholics was Article 130, which deprived clergy members of basic political rights. Many of these laws were resisted, leading to the Cristero Rebellion of 1927 - 1929.
Portugal
A first wave of anti-clericalism occurred in 1834 when under the government of Dom Pedro all convents and monasteries in Portugal were abolished, simultaneously closing some of Portugal's primary educational establishments. The fall of the Monarchy in the Republican revolution of 1910 led to another wave of anti-clerical activity. Most church property was put in State control, and the church was not allowed to inherit property. The wearing of religious garb and religious instruction in schools were abolished, as well as religious oaths and church taxes.
Spain
In 1836 following the First Carlist War, the new regime abolished the major Spanish Convents and Monasteries. The Radical Alejandro Lerroux distinguished himself by his inflamatory pieces of opinion. During the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, many of the Republican forces were violently anti-clerical Anarchists and Communists, whose assaults included sacking and burning monasteries and churches and killing an estimated 6,000 priests, including 259 Claretians, 226 Franciscans, 204 Piarists, 176 Brothers of Mary, 165 Christian Brothers, 155 Augustinians, 132 Dominicans, and 114 Jesuits. The Catholic Church (mainly John Paul II) has recognized several martyrs of the Spanish Civil War.
The Role of Freemasonry
Freemasonry has historically been seen, especially by the Catholic church <ref name="cathencmason1">"From the official documents of French Masonry contained principally in the official "Bulletin" and "Compte-rendu" of the Grand Orient it has been proved that all the anti-clerical measures passed in the French Parliament were decreed beforehand in the Masonic lodges and executed under the direction of the Grand Orient, whose avowed aim is to control everything and everybody in France." From the Catholic Encyclopedia article Freemasonry citing "Que personne ne bougera plus en France en dehors de nous", "Bull. Gr. Or.", 1890, 500 sq.</ref> as a principle source of anti-Clericalism - especially in historically, but not limited to<ref name="cathencmason2">"But in spite of the failure of the official transactions, there are a great many German and not a few American Masons, who evidently favour at least the chief anti-clerical aims of the Grand Orient party." From the Catholic Encyclopedia article Freemasonry</ref>, historically Catholic countries. Freemasonry is acknowledged by Masonic sources as a major source of anti-clericalism in Mexico<ref name="salinas">"After the defeat and exile of the dictator in the 1910 revolution, a succession of Presidents who were Masons and strongly anticlerical ruled the country under the 1917 Constitution that maintained substantially the same liberal principles of 1857." From Mexican Masonry- Politics & Religion by Oscar Salinas, Senior Grand Warden-York/Mexico</ref>, Italy<ref name="Venzi">“never before has a Masonic lodge made such a gesture towards the Catholic Church, distancing itself from other irregular Masonic lodges that, with their anti-clericalism, have caused much harm to the image of freemasonry in the world.” Grand Master Fabio Venzi of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Italy quoted in Catholic priest made chaplain to Italian Masonic lodge, Catholic World News, Auguist 9th 2005</ref> and France<ref name="builder">"We do not think that it would be accurate or just to describe, even the Grand Orient of France as anti-Christian, though it is undoubtedly very strongly anticlerical." Editorial of the Builder August 1928 - Volume XIV - Number 8</ref>.
Communism
Most communist governments have been violently anti-clerical, abolishing religious holidays, teaching atheism in schools, closing monasteries, church social and educational institutions and many churches. In Russia it is estimated that thousands of priests and monks were either executed or sent to forced labour camps to die during the Stalin era.
Nowadays, the interferences of the Catholic Church into public life are fairly reduced and traditional anti-clericalism seems passé. It's still a somewhat popular topic in some left-wing circles, or for instance for the newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné.
Current anti-clericalism often focuses on the most "backwards" aspects of Islam, especially its consideration of women as inferior beings. One may see the French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools as a consequence of anti-clericalism.
See also
fr:Anticléricalisme it:Anticlericalismo nl:Antiklerikalisme pl:Antyklerykalizm pt:Anticlericalismo uk:Антиклерикалізм
References
<references/>