The Cult of Reason

The Cult of Reason was created in Revolutionary France as a replacement for Christianity.  As the Revolution progressed more dechristianisation occurred taking most of the church's land and making priests swear an oath of loyalty to the Revolution.  There were however people who sought a deeper solution to what they saw as the problem of continued reliance on outdated superstition.

Jacques Hébert founded the “worship of reason” this rejected any form of deity.  The aim of this Cult of Reason was to seek the Revolutionary goals of Truth and Liberty through the exercise of Reason.  Joseph Fouché extended the Cult into the cemetery when he stated that all graveyards should have “death is an eternal sleep” placed at their entrance.  The Cult of Reason evolved to create formalised celebrations of Reason often with the equivalent of congregations.  

On the 10th of November 1793 a Festival of Reason occurred across France.  Created by Hébert, Momoro and Chaumette it sought to spread the Cult of Reason across France and beyond the narrow confines of the Hebertists and sans-culottes.  All over France churches were changed into Temples of Reason.  In Paris in the Cathedral of Notre Dame the altar was replaced with an altar to Liberty.  There were parades of girls dressed in white and the Goddess of Liberty was portrayed by Sophie Momoro wife of the organiser.  Since the Festival some more interesting accounts of the event were told including tales of prostitutes dressed as Goddesses scantily clad and singing lewd songs.  These are mostly likely exaggerations and pure inventions.

However Robespierre refused to acknowledge the Festival of Reason as an official event and his stance convinced many deputies not to attend.  His stance would harden later when he created his own Cult the Cult of the Supreme Being.  Robespierre believed that France did need a state religion.  Tensions rose and on the 24th March 1794 many Herbertists and supporters of the Cult of Reason including Chaumette, Momoro and Hébert were executed.  With this the Cult of Reason went into terminal decline being finally outlawed by Napoleon.

Gabriel Brute reports on de-Christianisation and Cult of Reason.  Taken from Memoirs of the Right Reverend Simon WM. Gabriel Brute, The Catholic Publication Society, New York (1876) p115-117

I could relate many curious things in regard to the profane celebration of the Festivals of Reason, as they were called. The Age of Reason, as Paine calls it, was, as they hoped, fully established in our France, and every decadi was sanctified by 'some new invention. I can still see with my mind's eye the curious processions which they made through the streets of the city on those days, going to the Temple of Reason. They were composed of youths on the Festival of Youth of hoary men, picked up for the purpose, on the Festival of Old Age of husbandmen, carrying with them the implements of agriculture, on the Festival of Agriculture of mechanics with their tools, on the days of the Arts. In the month of "Fructidor" they had exhibitions of Fruits and of the various returns of the harvest, in their special times.  Now it all seems like a dream, and these exhibitions and processions have a ridiculous effect, as seen through the faint memory of them. Those who had established them supposed that they would accustom the multitude to do without Religion, except the religion of nature, as they called it. As each Decadi came around, they endeavoured to make it more attractive by new inventions of pompous shows, or philosophical and sentimental exhibitions, mixing up with them special ovations and songs, civic banquets and public games, copied from the old Greek and Roman Republics. The first year, and first round of these profane and systematic attempts to root out the Christian Religion from the hearts of the people and make them Infidels, went on with such a continual supply of novelty and interest, for the multitude, that it made an impression which now it would be difficult to estimate correctly. Even then, however, the effect was often very ridiculous, and as the repetition of each Decadi proved more forced and tiresome, it became dark and hopeless, as the times were the best mark by which we could measure the slow but certain return of the old and true Religion, and the failure of this impious scheme self-defeated as it proved. The thought, the very memory of those miserable exhibitions, has true Religion, and the failure of this impious scheme self-defeated as it proved. The thought, the very memory of those miserable exhibitions, has vanished away.

Gabriel Brute reports on what happened to churches during French Revolution and their state after the revolution.  Taken from Memoirs of the Right Reverend Simon WM. Gabriel Brute, The Catholic Publication Society, New York (1876) p112-114

1. The Cathedral St. Melanie first Bishop of Rennes, an old, vast, high-towering building an abbey founded on this spot in the 6th century during the Revolution turned into a stable for the cavalry, the steps leading to the grand entrance having been removed, and a sloping way made for the horses, immense heaps of manure, &e., piled up on both sides of the public square ; the soldiers in their shirt-sleeves going out and coming in, and at work about the horses, with, continued oaths and vile songs, some of them in mockery of the offices of the Church manifesting their coarse impiety in every possible way.

2. Toussaint, All-Saints' the largest and most beautiful church in the city, turned into a stable was burnt one day, with forty horses and some of the men ; the ruins cleared away, a public square now where it stood.

3. St. Martin pulled down; a garden occupies the spot, and a house in the corner of the church-yard.

4. St. Helier's. This church, standing by itself, was turned into a powder-magazine, the windows being closed up with mason-work; since repaired and restored to the use of the parishioners.

5. St. Stephen's made a depot for the wagons of the army, and a shop for repairing them; still standing, but utterly desolate.

6. St. John's also turned into a shop for the workmen of the army.  The whole interior was so completely destroyed that it has never been restored to the use of Religion.

7. St. George's. Used as a stable for cavalry; since, part has been demolished, and part left standing in a ruinous condition.

8 St. Germain was turned into a barracks, and then into a depot of artillery; it was filled for many years with cannons, cannon carriages, & now repaired and restored to the use of the parishioners.

9. St. Sauveur's. Made the Temple of Reason, and resounded with all the vile and blasphemous speeches of the times; afterwards restored to religious uses.

10. St. Laurent's. Long neglected and almost in ruins; at length repaired and restored. It was in this church I married my brother to his good wife.  

So much for the parish churches. As regards the convents and religious houses:

11. The Convent of the Cordeliers was turned into a stable for the cavalry, then into a depot of wagons; finally part of it was restored and given to the Seminary.

12. The Convent of the Carmelites. Levelled to the ground; a street.

13. The Convent of the Minims. Bought by an architect, who turned it into an elegant house.

14. The Convent of the Augustins. The general blacksmith's shop of the army; since restored, and serves for the parish of St. Stephen.

15. The Jacobins. The bake-house for the army; still abandoned and half in ruins.

16. The Capuchins became a private dwelling with its fine walks and shades.

17. The discalced Carmelites. A private store-house.

18. St. Aubin (a parish church) turned into a stable, then into a store; half ruined, afterwards restored.

19. The Visitation turned into a store and private dwelling-house.

20. The Second Visitation into the Grand Masonic Hall.

21. The Ursulines A barrack; half destroyed.

22. The Second Ursulines the house of a notorious Atheist.

23. The Trinity Convent of Refuge, into a prison.

24. The Good Shepherd another house of refuge; also into a prison.

25. The House of Retreat a barracks for soldiers.

26. The Diocesan Seminary into a hospital for the soldiers.

27. The Preparatory Seminary a barrack.

28. St. Cyr into a hospital for foul diseases of the wicked.

29. The Grand Hospital turned into a school and depot of artillery.

30. The Mother House of the Sisters of Charity sold.

31. The House of the Daughters of Wisdom sold.

32, 33. The two Houses of the Brothers of the Poor Schools sold.

34. The House of the Confraternity of Notre Dame turned into a store-house, afterwards into a stable.

35. The Chapel of St. James into a store for toys, then into a dwelling house.

36. St. Ives, Hospital preserved but long shut up.

37. St. Yves, where the Canons officiated into a store.

38. The Hospital of the Incurables preserved, but no chapel permitted.

39. The Calvary into a place of meeting for the Revolutionary Club, a store, and then a theatre.

Letter of Carrier to the Committee of Public Safety 21st November, 1793 from Nantes.  Taken from Correspondence of Jean-Baptiste Carrier (People’s Representative to the Convention) During his mission in Brittany, 1793-1794, John Lane: The Bodley Head, New York (1920) p120

Citizen Colleagues,

At length Reason triumphs and prejudice disappears. The last decade of Brumaire was celebrated at Nantes with that touching simplicity and stirring enthusiasm inspired by a love of liberty.  Veterans carrying fasces of pikes, headed the procession; then came the Declaration of the Rights of Man, borne aloft by sans-culottes and followed by bands playing military and national music; several women holding horns of plenty, surrounded by children, who seemed to receive their gifts, offered a simple and touching sight. In a plough was seated an old man carrying a sheaf of corn, while small sans-culottes beside him trod under foot all those bonds of antique lies, titles of nobility, fanaticism, and aristocracy other children carried agricultural implements round the plough. The old man held in his hand the end of a long tri-coloured ribbon which entwined the Presidents of all the Administrations and the Vincent-la-Montagne Club; the consul of an allied people, our Anglo-American brothers, held the other end of the streamer; this symbol of union followed and surrounded the plough. Marat's bust, carried by a country Municipal Council, accompanied by the people, marching promiscuously, followed immediately after. Le Pelletier's bust was carried in the same fashion. One group, representing the destruction of fanaticism, came next; sans-culottes carried bishops, madonnas, saints of every shade, upside down

Members of one of the Administrations marched, without any distinction of rank, arm-in-arm with a sans-culotte officer and soldier. Here and there the procession was diversified by little groups of saints turned upside down and surrounded by drums. Then came the people. The sans-culottes surrounded the Column of Liberty on the arrival there, and sung the Hymn ^ to the tune of the national music. On the public square of the Department a stake had been prepared, and the old man descending from his plough, surrounded by little children, lit this new auto-da-fe, which received saints, bishops, madonnas, and all the paper-rubbish of the ancient regime which the sans-culottes vied with one another in throwing in. As the fire was devouring the last remains of tyranny, the people gathered round a mountain which was raised opposite the stake. Here all revolutionary emblems used in the fete were displayed; especially did the people steadfastly regard the assassination of Marat on one side of the Mountain and that of Le Pelletier on the other. Speeches in memory of Marat were pronounced by the Presidents of the People's Club and the Department. The morning's celebration ended in a general carmagnole.