This week in Christian history: ‘Festival of Reason,’ Asa Mahan born, first American Episcopal bishop consecrated
France holds 'Festival of Reason' to celebrate secularization – Nov. 10, 1793
This week marks the anniversary of when revolutionaries in France solidified their commitment to erasing Christianity from their country through an event known as the “Festival of Reason.”
Earlier in 1793, the French Revolution leadership had already passed a law that, among other things, prohibited Christian worship and called for the execution of Catholic priests.
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The Festival of Reason involved ceremonies held at several churches, including the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, centered on worshipping the goddess of reason.
At Notre Dame, the festival included a performance where a singer portraying “Liberty” dressed in white holding a pike, bowed to a flame representing the concept of Reason.
“The churches themselves were often stripped of all sacerdotal objects. There were, in any case, urgent practical reasons for this despoliation. Church bells were needed for the arms foundries, gold and silver for the Republic’s treasury,” wrote historian Simon Schama.
“But there was also pure vandalism on a massive scale. Altarpieces were slashed, stained-glass windows broken. … devotional manuals and hymnals were burned in great bonfires, together with the plaster and wood saints found on every road crossing.”
