What did the civil constitution do?

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy, enacted in 1790 during the French Revolution, aimed to reorganize the Catholic Church in France by making it a state-controlled institution. It established that bishops and priests would be elected by citizens rather than appointed by the Pope, and it required clergy to swear allegiance to the state. This led to a significant schism within the Church, as many clergy members refused to accept the changes, resulting in tensions between revolutionary authorities and religious communities. Ultimately, the Civil Constitution contributed to the broader conflict between revolutionary ideals and traditional religious authority.