Concordat of 11 June 1817 facts for kids

The Concordat of 11 June 1817 was an important agreement. It was signed between the kingdom of France and the Holy See, which is the government of the Catholic Church, led by the Pope. This agreement was signed on June 11, 1817. However, it was never officially approved in France. Because of this, France continued to follow the rules of an older agreement, the Concordat of 1801. This continued until a new law was passed in 1905, called the 1905 law on the Separation of the Churches and the State.

Who Signed the Agreement?

For Pope Pius VII, the main person negotiating was Cardinal Ercole Consalvi. He was the Pope's Secretary of State, which is a very important job. Cardinal Consalvi had a lot of experience, as he had also helped negotiate the 1801 agreement. He was chosen as the special representative for these talks.

King Louis XVIII of France chose his favorite person, the Comte de Blacas, to represent France. The Comte de Blacas was the Ambassador to Rome at the time. He had also served as the Prime Minister of France before.

What Did the Agreement Say?

The first part of the Concordat of 1817 was similar to an older agreement called the Concordat of Bologna. However, the other parts of the 1817 agreement added new rules and limits to how this older agreement would be brought back.

Plans for Church Areas in France

One of the main goals of this agreement was to increase the number of dioceses in France. A diocese is a church district managed by a bishop. An important part of the agreement (article 4) said that many dioceses in France, which had been removed in 1801, should be brought back. Both sides wanted to agree on the best number of dioceses to help the Catholic religion in France.