Prior to the
Ralliement, the
Roman Catholic Church in France maintained a predominantly monarchist stance, aligning itself with traditional royalist factions and opposing the
French Third Republic. The political upheaval of the 19th century, including the
French Revolution, the fall of the
Second French Empire, and the rise of republicanism, placed the Church at odds with the secular, often
anticlerical, policies of the republics that followed. The
First Vatican Council (1869–1870) and the proclamation of
papal infallibility further emphasized the Church's ultramontane position, asserting strong allegiance to the
Holy See over national political structures. As a result, the Church found itself increasingly isolated in French political life, with many clergy and lay faithful staunchly opposing republican institutions. This conflict was exacerbated by events such as the
separation of church and state debates and the
education reform efforts that promoted secular schooling over Catholic institutions. Prominent Catholic figures, including bishops, actively voiced their opposition to republican governance, often advocating for the restoration of a monarchy they believed would uphold Catholic values. By the late 19th century, however, a series of political and social changes—such as the failure of the
Boulangist movement and the solidification of republican institutions—began to shift the Church's perspective. Recognizing the need for reconciliation and the impossibility of a monarchical restoration, the groundwork for the Ralliement was laid, culminating in the
papal encyclical Au milieu des sollicitudes in 1892. == Background ==