Ralliement (Catholicism in France)

The Ralliement refers to the policy adopted by some Catholics in France to support the French Third Republic following the publication of the papal encyclical Au milieu des sollicitudes on February 16, 1892, by Pope Leo XIII.

By endorsing openness, Roman and episcopal authorities fostered initiatives attempting a conservative Catholic right-wing experiment, which renounced monarchy and accepted republican institutions.".

[2] This policy of rapprochement with French secular republicanism initially generated great hope among the Ralliés—Christian democrats and liberal Catholics—but was shattered by the Dreyfus affair at the end of the 19th century.

[2] 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 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.

Les Ralliés , a satirical cartoon by Édouard Pépin published in Le Grelot in October 1892. French president Sadi Carnot drives the train, with Charles de Freycinet at his side; just behind them, Charles Lavigerie tries to grab hold with his crosier .
Caption: "We board the train, but it is to seize the engine," a quote from Catholic priest Théodore Garnier on 19 June 1892. [ 1 ]
Excerpt from La Croix (November 14, 1890) reporting Cardinal Lavigerie's "Toast of Algiers"