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France is the heart of Christian civilization. A thread:
The first barbarian nation to convert directly from paganism to Catholicism was the Franks under King Clovis. All the other barbarian tribes went through a period of Arianism first.
The baptism of Clovis marked the beginning of medieval Christendom.
The baptism of Clovis marked the beginning of medieval Christendom.
It was another Frank, Charles Martel, who defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Tours, protecting western Europe from Islam until modernity.
This would be an essential step in ensuring the temporal peace needed to form Christendom.
This would be an essential step in ensuring the temporal peace needed to form Christendom.
Bl. Charlemagne refounded the Western Roman Empire. The self identity of Europe as a Christian Empire would be founded upon this view that they were the successors of Rome.
He was also the first Emperor crowned by the Pope, showing the submission of the temporal to the Spiritual
He was also the first Emperor crowned by the Pope, showing the submission of the temporal to the Spiritual
The height of France was St. Louis IX, the only canonized king of France. He created the closest example to a Christian kingdom in human history.
I highly recommend Andrew Willard Jones’ book on St. Louis IX as a model of Christendom.
But only two generations after this glorious Christian age, France began the downfall of Christendom. Philip IV began to tax the churches, placing himself over spiritual authority. He then sought to arrest Boniface VIII for rebuking him, and eventually started the Avignon papacy.
During the wars of the reformation, France sided with Protestants. Much of this was even orchestrated by a cardinal of the Church. Rather than seeing themselves as a Christian kingdom, France began to assert themselves as a nation which only sought its own good.
King Louis XIV completely destroyed any concept of the subordination of powers. He saw himself as a god, “the Sun king”. He ignored the plight of the people, and instead plundered them to build temples to himself. He even had people venerate him instead of the host during mass.
God allowed atheists revolutionaries to take over the country as punishment. This revolution was the beginning of a world wide revolution against Christendom.
We should not forget though that France only suffered this revolution after nearly *600 years* of rebellion against the proper subordination of powers. They despised what God had given them.
I will destroy you, O Israel; who can help you? Where now is your king, to save you; where are all your princes, to defend you—those of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”? I have given you kings in my anger, and I have taken them away in my wrath.
- Hosea 13:9-11
- Hosea 13:9-11
Napoleon became a new, but inverted, Charlemagne. Rather than being crowned by the Pope, the Pope had to sit by and watching Napoleon crown himself. His new Roman Empire was not founded on natural law, but enlightenment law. And it was totalitarian, no subsidiary.
The Treaty of Versailles, which created the modern political order, was signed in the very palace built by Louis XVI.
Nowadays, France is almost entirely secular. It hates God and frequently oppresses Catholics. It welcomes in the very Islamic invaders Charles Martel fought to keep ought 1300 years earlier.
As a result, God allowed the destruction of the great cathedral built by St. Louis IX.
As a result, God allowed the destruction of the great cathedral built by St. Louis IX.
But many saints have prophecied the coming of the Great French Monarch. He will restore Christendom. But France must repent and turn back to ancestors and to Christ.
In France was the construction of Christendom
In France was the greatest glories of Christendom
In France was the fall of Christendom
In France was the rise of modernity
In France, Christendom will be restored
In France was the greatest glories of Christendom
In France was the fall of Christendom
In France was the rise of modernity
In France, Christendom will be restored
I’m also not French at all, so this isn’t an attempt at nationalism at all on my part. Just some interesting history.
I actually think French hyper-nationalism was the downfall of France. It placed being French before being Catholic.
I actually think French hyper-nationalism was the downfall of France. It placed being French before being Catholic.
