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Roman Catholicism was the major religion in the real of the French monarchy for more than a millennium, and it also held the role of state religion; [1] the monarchy had such close ties to the Roman papacy that France was called the "eldest daughter of the Church" (French: fille aînée de l'Église).
Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides a right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.This includes the freedom to change a religion or belief, and to manifest a religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance, subject to certain restrictions that are "in accordance with law" and "necessary in a democratic society".
Freedom of religion in France is guaranteed by the constitutional rights set forth in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. From the conversion of King Clovis I in 508, the Roman Catholic faith was the state religion for a thousand years, as was the case across Western Europe .
Laïcité (; 'secularism') [1] [2] is the constitutional principle of secularism in France. Article 1 of the French Constitution is commonly interpreted as the separation of civil society and religious society. It discourages religious involvement in government affairs, especially in the determination of state policies as well as the ...
France has been a member of the United Nations (UN) since its foundation in 1945 [1] and is one of the five countries, alongside China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, that holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), [2] which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
The foundations of secularism, or the historical underpinnings that facilitated its emergence, largely originated within the Church itself. The investiture controversy between Pope Gregory VII and the German Emperor in the 11th century, in which the Pope sought to define his independence and that of the Church alongside the political powers, is a fundamental point.
The main terms of the Concordat of 1801 between France and Pope Pius VII included: A declaration that "Catholicism was the religion of the great majority of the French" but not the official state religion, thus maintaining religious freedom, in particular with respect to Protestants.
The fact that most Muslims in France come from former French colonies has added a racist/antiracist tint to the debate. The issue has deeply divided France and debate has raged on ever since. The issue of religion has wider implications than the mere wearing of headscarves, which contributed to the complexity of the debate.