Liberté, Égalité, Laïcité!
Whoops
Following the publication of a report this week about sexual abuse of children by the clergy, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, who is archbishop of Reims and head of the Bishops’ Conference of France, said in a radio interview that the secrecy of the confession rite takes precedence over the laws of the republic.
Not so fast, Eric.
“Nothing takes precedence over the laws of the republic in our country,” French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Thursday.
He added that Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin – who also oversees religious issues – would receive de Moulins-Beaufort next week at the request of President Emmanuel Macron “in order to make sure that things are clear”.
Note on the Secular State
"France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic, guaranteeing that all citizens regardless of their origin, race or religion are treated as equals before the law and respecting all religious beliefs" states the Constitution of 1958. The “freedom to practice religion” has been recognised since 1905 when the Law on the Separation of the Church and State (la loi sur la séparation de l’Église et de l’État) came into effect. Far from being a weapon against religion, this text returned all religions to the private sector and established state secularism in the public sphere. The French State does not favour any one religion and guarantees their peaceful co-existence in respect of the laws and principles of the Republic.
In application of the secular principle, the law of 15 March 2004 prohibits all clothing or other attire displaying religious worship to be worn in schools.
What is Laïcité [secularism]?
Laïcité is the product of the long evolution of the relationship between the Church and the State. If Rome’s authority impregnated Western Europe up to the Reformation, France partially broke away from Papacy with the rise of the Capetian monarchy. From the beginning of the 14th century, Philip IV of France opposed the Pope’s interference in kingdom affairs. He inaugurated an autonomy policy, which partly includes the ecclesiastical establishment and posits that, in its order, the civil jurisdiction does not recognize any superior jurisdiction. A principle the religious wars tragically confirmed.
However, no matter how violent the debate is, revising the 1905 law appears inconceivable to a majority of French people. Indeed, such a change would profoundly challenge the national cement uniting France, the political reason structuring its culture, and the emancipation principle animating its History. Laïcité provokes a lot of incomprehension outside of the country, which isn’t surprising given the current financial globalization trend that privileges individual rights over collective fraternity. Yet, in France, the political community takes precedence over subjective communities, as it is the only body able to guarantee both freedom and equality. And a community transcending particular interests cannot exist without universalism, the founding principle of laïcité.
It is inconceivable. Too much blood has been spilt over the centuries to forget its importance.