Le Sillon
Encyclopedia
Le Sillon was a French political and religious movement founded by Marc Sangnier
(1873 - 1950) which existed from 1894 to 1910. It aimed to bring Catholicism into a greater conformity with French Republican and socialist ideals, in order to provide an alternative to Marxism and other anticlerical labour movement
s.
called for the Church to adopt a more open involvement in social issues in his encyclical Rerum Novarum
. The opportunity created by this policy led liberals within the church in France to hope for an improved relationship between the Church and the Republic. As a result Le Sillon was founded in 1894, and began publication of their journal of the same name, edited by Sangnier.
Le Sillon called for a large scale project to reconcile the labour movement with Christianity. Sangnier wrote "Le Sillon is designed to make France a democratic republic. This is not a Catholic movement, in that its purpose is not to make work available to the bishops and priests to help them in their own ministry. Le Sillon is a secular movement, which does not affect the fact that it is also a deeply religious movement."
In 1905 Sangnier set up a confederation of groups intended as "circles of Catholic education", where young priests could discuss religion and society. The intention was to create a less hierarchical atmosphere in the church, in which ideas emerged from ordinary priests and laity. The organisation met with considerable popular enthusiasm with up to 500 000 members in France. At this time Le Sillon enjoyed the support of Pope Pius X
and the French episcopate.
However, Church support was short lived. The group was perceived as too modernist
and Republican. After the 1905 law of separation of church and state, the movement was increasingly criticized, particularly because it emphasised the authority of ordinary Christians within the Church rather than the Pope and the hierarchy. Le Sillon was finally condemned by the papal letter of 25 August 1910 Notre Charge Apostolique
(Our Apostolic Mandate). As a result the organisation dissolved itself.
In 1912 Sangnier founded a replacement group, the Young Republic League (Ligue de la jeune République) to promote his vision of social Catholicism.
Marc Sangnier
Marc Sangnier was a French Roman Catholic thinker and politician, who in 1894 founded le Sillon , a liberal Catholic movement. He aimed to bring Catholicism into a greater conformity with French Republican ideals and to provide an alternative to anticlerical labour movements...
(1873 - 1950) which existed from 1894 to 1910. It aimed to bring Catholicism into a greater conformity with French Republican and socialist ideals, in order to provide an alternative to Marxism and other anticlerical labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
s.
History
In 1891, Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
called for the Church to adopt a more open involvement in social issues in his encyclical Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. It was an open letter, passed to all Catholic bishops, that addressed the condition of the working classes. The encyclical is entitled: “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labour”...
. The opportunity created by this policy led liberals within the church in France to hope for an improved relationship between the Church and the Republic. As a result Le Sillon was founded in 1894, and began publication of their journal of the same name, edited by Sangnier.
Le Sillon called for a large scale project to reconcile the labour movement with Christianity. Sangnier wrote "Le Sillon is designed to make France a democratic republic. This is not a Catholic movement, in that its purpose is not to make work available to the bishops and priests to help them in their own ministry. Le Sillon is a secular movement, which does not affect the fact that it is also a deeply religious movement."
In 1905 Sangnier set up a confederation of groups intended as "circles of Catholic education", where young priests could discuss religion and society. The intention was to create a less hierarchical atmosphere in the church, in which ideas emerged from ordinary priests and laity. The organisation met with considerable popular enthusiasm with up to 500 000 members in France. At this time Le Sillon enjoyed the support of Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
and the French episcopate.
However, Church support was short lived. The group was perceived as too modernist
Modernism (Roman Catholicism)
Modernism refers to theological opinions expressed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but with influence reaching into the 21st century, which are characterized by a break with the past. Catholic modernists form an amorphous group. The term "modernist" appears in Pope Pius X's 1907...
and Republican. After the 1905 law of separation of church and state, the movement was increasingly criticized, particularly because it emphasised the authority of ordinary Christians within the Church rather than the Pope and the hierarchy. Le Sillon was finally condemned by the papal letter of 25 August 1910 Notre Charge Apostolique
Notre Charge Apostolique
Notre Charge Apostolique was a papal encyclical promulgated by Pope Pius X on August 15, 1910. The Pope took issue with what he viewed as the socialist leanings of the Catholic 'Le Sillon' movement of Marc Sangnier....
(Our Apostolic Mandate). As a result the organisation dissolved itself.
In 1912 Sangnier founded a replacement group, the Young Republic League (Ligue de la jeune République) to promote his vision of social Catholicism.