Beschreibung:
THE « CURES ROUGES » (RED PRIESTS) The abdication of the « red priests », in the year II, is one of the elements of a religious rupture which is total in its « detestation » of the priesthood, whose errors they aim to expiate by burning their letters or by marriage ; partial, and pregnant with nuances, in their attitude to religion, which some condemn, whilst others worship the « Supreme Being ». Abdication is a patriotic act, the aim of which is to inculcate civic values and republican morality — for most an unfulfilled ambition. The expression « red priests », despite ambiguity and controversy, can be applied to some 2.500 priests — unequivocal abdicators, active members of peoples associations, anti-clerical, anti- Christ, repudiated by the Convention as soon as they call themselves « red ». Too republican or too priest, they have been forgotten or condemned by a century of historiography, whereas their original experience throws light on an aspect of the religious history and intellectual theories of the French Revolution. Serge BIANCHI.