The ''Imperial Catechism'' (French: ''Catéchisme impérial'') was established in 1806 by

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

to replace the diocesan

catechisms A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult converts. Catechisms ...

throughout the

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

. Derived primarily from the Gallican catechisms of

Bossuet Bossuet is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet Jacques-Bénigne Lignel Bossuet (; 27 September 1627 – 12 April 1704) was a French Bishop (Catholic Church), bishop and theology, theologian. Re ...

and Fleury, it included a controversial section on the duties owed to the Emperor, added at Napoleon's request. This addition rendered it incompatible with the universal doctrine of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

History

The

Organic Articles The Organic Articles (French language, French: ''Articles Organiques'') was a law administering public worship in France. History The Articles were originally presented by Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte, and consisted of 77 Articles relating to Cat ...

promulgated in 1802 alongside the

Concordat of 1801 The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between the First French Republic and the Holy See, signed by First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace–Lorraine, ...

mandated a single

catechism A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...

"for all the Catholic churches of France". Previously, dioceses had their own catechisms. In 1803, the drafting of the Imperial Catechism began under the direction of Abbé Paul d'Astros (chief of staff and nephew of the Minister of Worship Portalis), assisted by Abbé Emery and several members of the

Society of Saint-Sulpice The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (; PSS), also known as the Sulpicians, is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, where it was founded. The members of the Society add the ...

. Their work, which involved revising the Gallican catechisms of

and Fleury, was completed in September 1803. Theological reviews continued until 1804. Publication was delayed by Bonaparte, then

First Consul The Consulate () was the top-level government of the First French Republic from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799 until the start of the French Empire on 18 May 1804. During this period, Napoleon Bonap ...

, who wanted additional sections on the Fourth Commandment. These sections addressed the duties of citizens toward the government and civil authority. The commission led by Abbé d'Astros objected, noting that obedience to the French government was not a universal dogma. In 1803, Portalis asked Bishop Bernier to draft these additions, but Bonaparte rejected them. In 1805, Napoleon revisited the issue, and Bernier produced a new draft, which was revised with Portalis and Cardinal Caprara. While the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

demanded in August 1805 that the cardinal congregation be kept informed, Cardinal Caprara,

Papal legate 300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the Pope's legate. A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title '' legatus'') is a personal representative of the Pope to foreign nations, to some other part of the Catho ...

, approved the Imperial Catechism in its entirety on March 30, 1806, without consulting

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

. The catechism was made mandatory throughout the Empire by a decree on April 4, 1806, and published on May 5. Despite its "abundance of maxims not belonging to Catholic doctrine", only the Archbishop of Bordeaux, d'Aviau, among the French clergy, openly denounced the catechism. In Belgium, it faced strong opposition from the lower clergy, and the bishops of Tournai and Liège refused to publish it. Although

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remained silent, Pius VII's reservations contributed to the eventual rupture between the Pope and Napoleon two years later.

Content

The Imperial Catechism was a single catechism taught throughout the Empire. It emphasized duties such as "love, respect, military service, taxes, obedience, and loyalty to the Emperor". The glorification of

and his regime was interwoven with universal Catholic doctrine.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Portal, France, Catholicism First French Empire Catechisms History of Catholicism in France