France to mark 150th anniversary of anti-religious uprising
Paris Commune's proclamation in 1871 sought to erase the Catholic Church from the public domain
Updated: May 20, 2021 05:39 AM GMT
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Sacré-Cour Basilica on Montmartre in Paris.
On Paris' Rue Haxo, a white-brick church commemorates dozens of Catholic clergy who fell victim to one of modern Europe's bloodiest uprisings. Its 150th anniversary will be marked in the last week of May with a series of commemorative events.
"The Paris Commune was an attempted revolution, and it was essentially anti-religious -- seeking not just separation of church and state but the confiscation of church properties," explained Father Jacques Benoist, a French theologian and historian.