Support La Croix International and high-quality journalism
Enjoy unlimited access to La Croix International
Interview. Church historian Yann Raison du Cleuziou discusses the church’s historical debates on popular religion, highlighting tensions between modernization efforts during Vatican II and traditional practices.
Pope Francis’ participation in a conference on popular religion in Corsica underscores the evolving role of grassroots faith practices within the Catholic Church. Yann Raison du Cleuziou, a scholar of the church’s historical debates, discusses the complex relationship between popular religion and official church doctrine.
Since the post-war era, popular religion has sparked intense debate, especially during the 1950s, when missionary concerns about the dechristianization of workers led to critiques of what was called the “sacramental illusion.” Practices such as solemn communion and infant baptism were sometimes viewed as pagan misappropriations of Christian rituals. The debates intensified during Vatican II in the 1960s, as the church sought modernization. Popular devotions, including candles, saint statues, and pilgrimages, were eliminated in favor of a focus on Christ and the Eucharist.
Yet, this was met with resistance from both traditionalists and ordinary parishioners, notes Raison du Cleuziou, also a professor of political science at the University of Bordeaux in France.
Yann Raison du Cleuziou: That’s true. Since the post-war period, popular religion has sparked numerous debates, reflecting shifts in pastoral priorities. In the 1950s, missionary concerns about the dechristianization of workers led to critiques of what was termed the “sacramental illusion.” Practices like solemn communion and infant baptism were suspected of being pagan misappropriations of Christian ritual. At the same time, ethnographic studies by figures such as André Varagnac revealed that where ancient pagan rites faded, Christian religiosity soon followed. In 1965, French Jesuit cardinal and theologian Jean Daniélou (1905–1974) wrote in L’oraison, problème politique (“Prayer, a Political Problem”) that “a Christian is never more than a pagan on the path to conversion.”
Indirectly. During the 1960s, popular religion became entangled in broader discussions about modernizing Catholicism. Efforts to reaffirm Christ and the Eucharistic liturgy’s centrality prompted an iconoclastic movement among parts of the clergy—candles, saint statues, pilgrimages, and votive celebrations were eliminated. Popular devotions came to symbolize resistance to the church’s aggiornamento.
In June 1968, Father Louis Coache organized a Corpus Christi procession without his bishop’s authorization, giving the liturgy a rebellious dimension. [Editor’s note: Father Louis Coache (1920–1994) was a French Catholic priest known for his staunch traditionalist stance and opposition to the liturgical and doctrinal changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council.] But traditionalists weren’t alone in their resistance. In May 1972, in the Communist municipality of Outreau, an “inter-parish self-defense group” rallied 50 families against a priest’s decision to cancel solemn communion. These were ordinary parishioners defending their traditions. In response, they invited an external priest to conduct an unofficial solemn communion after a clandestine three-day retreat.
Yes, his work was deeply shaped by observing the piety of Polish and Italian Catholics working in Lorraine’s steel industry. Bonnet saw that Christian freedom was embedded in private life, family celebrations, and customs surrounding the sacraments. He condemned the clergy’s arbitrary decisions to cancel celebrations or deny baptisms, noting the laity had no recourse for appeal. “The new baptismal pastoral care,” he wrote, “places the power to admit entry into the church solely in the hands of one cleric, without recourse to appeal. To whom can one turn when a priest refuses to baptize a child?” Bonnet criticized how clergy “speak for the people without giving them a voice,” decrying this subtle neo-clericalism.
Certainly, especially with youth autonomy emerging as a significant factor in the early 1970s. Pastoral reflections on youth ministry culminated in the 1973 manifesto of the catechumenal movement. Jesuit Joseph Moingt argued that chaplains should prioritize teaching adolescents autonomy. He believed only authentically free, responsible adults could develop genuine Christian faith. [Editor’s note: Joseph Moingt (1915–2020) was a French Jesuit priest and theologian renowned for his progressive and innovative approach to Catholic theology.] Conversely, Father Robert Pannet region contended that young people’s innate religious sense should not be dismissed, as it offered valuable resources for evangelization. [Editor’s note: Father Robert Pannet known for his contributions to pastoral care and theological thought. His writings often explore the relationship between tradition and modernity within the Catholic faith.]
By the mid-1970s, debates over popular religion became entwined with the political divides between Catholicism’s left and right. The Christian Left accused popular devotions of distracting from social justice and infantilizing the faithful. Progressives from the Lettre magazine advocated dismantling popular religion, labeling it an “ideology that turned Christ into an idol serving the dominant classes.” The Marxist ideal of a united, militant working class justified their disdain for popular culture and individualistic devotions. However, Pope John Paul II, elected from Eastern Europe, championed popular religion as a tool for individual and collective resistance to oppression, marginalizing such critiques.
Yes, but with shifted priorities. Pope Francis views the inculturation of Christianity as vital, arguing that sacramentals (candles, medals, blessings) sustain a sense of wonder in life. Popular devotions—honoring angels, saints, and the Virgin Mary—help believers see God as close and responsive to their prayers and sacrifices. This piety fosters hope, generosity, solidarity, and resistance to materialism and selfishness.
Français 
English