The Concordat of 1801 was the Concordat between revolutionary France (led at that time by Napoleon Bonaparte) and the Holy See (occupied by Pope Pius VII).
After successfully carrying out a coup d'etat against the Directory in 1799 and proclaiming himself First Consul a month later with the support of the popular vote, Napoleon was convinced that an agreement with the Catholic Church would be crucial for the stability of his regime and the consolidation of the revolutionary achievements. The Holy See had had fundamental disagreements with the Revolution, especially since the National Assembly, through the Civil Constitution of the clergy, confiscated land owned by the Church, which became a department of the state, rejecting the authority of the Pope over its inner workings.
The Concordat of 1801 included, in addition to other things, the following:
-A statement that "Catholicism was the religion of the great majority of the French" but not the official religion of the state, thus extending religious tolerance to Jews and Protestants.
-According to article 4, the First Consul of the Republic was the one who would appoint the archbishops and bishops, while "His Holiness will grant them the canonical endowment". In addition, according to Article 5 before entering into office, they shall deliver to the First Consul an oath of allegiance.
-The State would pay a clerical salary and the clergy would swear allegiance to the state.
-The Church would renounce claiming lands that were confiscated during the French Revolution.
-The French republican calendar would be abolished and replaced by the traditional Gregorian calendar
Some Catholic communities in France rejected the signing of the Concordat and decided to split the Roman Church by staying away from it until today under the name of the Petite Eglise.
