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89-468: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord ( / ˈ t æ l ɪ r æ n d ˈ p ɛr ɪ ɡ ɔːr / ; French: [ʃaʁl mɔʁis də tal(ɛ)ʁɑ̃ peʁiɡɔʁ, – moʁ-] ; 2 February 1754 – 17 May 1838), 1st Prince of Benevento , then Prince of Talleyrand , was a French secularized clergyman, statesman, and leading diplomat. After studying theology, he became Agent-General of the Clergy in 1780. In 1789, just before

178-772: A prayer derived from religious text or doctrine, worshipping through the context of a religion, performing corporal and spiritual works of mercy , and attending a religious seminary school or monastery are examples of religious (non-secular) activities. In many cultures, there is little dichotomy between "natural" and "supernatural", "religious" and "not-religious", especially since people have beliefs in other supernatural or spiritual things irrespective of belief in God or gods. Other cultures stress practice of ritual rather than belief. Conceptions of both "secular" and "religious", while sometimes having some parallels in local cultures, were generally imported along with Western worldviews, often in

267-439: A byword for crafty and cynical diplomacy. He was Napoleon's chief diplomat during the years when French military victories brought one European state after another under French hegemony. However, most of the time, Talleyrand worked for peace so as to consolidate France's gains. He succeeded in obtaining peace with Austria through the 1801 Treaty of Lunéville and with Britain in the 1802 Treaty of Amiens . He could not prevent

356-616: A good name among the elites of European nations outside France. Having wearied of serving a master in whom he no longer had much confidence, Talleyrand resigned as minister of foreign affairs in 1807, although the Emperor retained him in the Council of State as Vice-Grand Elector of the Empire. He disapproved of Napoleon's Spanish initiative, which resulted in the Peninsular War beginning in 1808. At

445-399: A limp, which caused him to later be called le diable boiteux (French for "the lame devil") among other nicknames. In his Memoirs , he linked this infirmity to an accident at age four, but recent research has shown that his limp was in fact congenital. It might have been a congenital clubfoot . In any case, his handicap made him unable to follow his father into a military career, leaving

534-403: A parallel language to religion, and intensifies Protestant features such as iconoclasm, skepticism towards rituals, and emphasizes beliefs. In doing so, secularism perpetuates Christian traits under a different name. Most cultures around the world do not have tension or dichotomous views of religion and secularity. Since religion and secular are both Western concepts that were formed under

623-706: A passport from Danton personally. The National Convention issued a warrant for Talleyrand's arrest in December 1792. In March 1794, with the two countries at the brink of war, he was forced to leave Britain by Pitt's expulsion order. He then went to the neutral country of the United States. The ship he took to the US was forced by rough weather in the Channel to stop at Falmouth where Talleyrand recounts an awkward chance meeting with Benedict Arnold at an inn. During Talleyrand's stay in

712-414: A process by which anything becomes secular is named secularization , though the term is mainly reserved for the secularization of society ; and any concept or ideology promoting the secular may be termed secularism , a term generally applied to the ideology dictating no religious influence on the public sphere . Scholars recognize that secularity is structured by Protestant models of Christianity, shares

801-487: A rapprochement in late 1808 and entered into discussions over the imperial line of succession. Napoleon had yet to address this matter and the two men knew that without a legitimate heir a struggle for power would erupt in the wake of Napoleon's death. Even Talleyrand, who believed that Napoleon's policies were leading France to ruin, understood the necessity of peaceful transitions of power. Napoleon received word of their actions and deemed them treasonous. This perception caused

890-1018: A vital role in the London Conference of 1830 , rebuking a partition plan developed by his son Charles de Flahaut and helping bring Leopold of Saxe-Coburg to the throne of the newly independent Kingdom of Belgium . In April 1834 he crowned his diplomatic career by signing the treaty which brought together as allies France, Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal . After resigning from his position as ambassador in London in November 1834, Talleyrand stopped playing an active role in French politics. He split his time between Château de Valençay and Saint-Florentin , where he hosted frequent banquets and played whist with his visitors. His physical health began to steadily deteriorate and he began using an armchair on wheels provided to him by Louis Philippe I. He spent most of his time in

979-666: Is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France . Erected as a diocese around 250 by Sixtus of Reims , the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese around 750. The archbishop received the title "primate of Gallia Belgica " in 1089. In 1023, Archbishop Ebles acquired the Countship of Reims , making him a prince-bishop ; it became a duchy and a peerage between 1060 and 1170. The archdiocese comprises

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1068-475: Is best understood not as being "anti-religious", but as being "religiously neutral" since many activities in religious bodies are secular themselves, and most versions of secularity do not lead to irreligiosity. The idea of a dichotomy between religion and the secular originated in the European Enlightenment . Furthermore, since religion and secular are both Western concepts that were formed under

1157-601: Is doubted by historians who have examined the issue (for example, Léon Noël , French ambassador); the "Mysterious Charlotte", possibly his daughter by his future wife, Catherine Worlée Grand ; and Pauline , ostensibly the daughter of the Duke and Duchess Dino . Of these four, only the first is given credence by historians. However, the French historian Emmanuel de Waresquiel has lately given much credibility to father-daughter link between Talleyrand and Pauline whom he referred to as "my dear Minette". Thaddeus Stevens "suffered too from

1246-459: Is unfounded, as Talleyrand served not every regime as had been said, but in reality "France behind every regime". Near the end of his life, Talleyrand became interested in Catholicism again while teaching his young granddaughter simple prayers. The Abbé Félix Dupanloup came to Talleyrand in his last hours, and according to his account Talleyrand made confession and received extreme unction . When

1335-577: The Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790, Talleyrand celebrated Mass. Notably, he promoted public education in full spirit of the Enlightenment by preparing a 216-page Report on Public Instruction. It proposed pyramidical structure rising through local, district, and departmental schools, and parts were later adopted. During his 5-month tenure in the Estates-General, Talleyrand was also involved in drawing up

1424-407: The arrondissement of Reims and the département of Ardennes while the province comprises the former région of Champagne-Ardenne . The suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Reims are Amiens ; Beauvais, Noyon, and Senlis ; Châlons ; Langres ; Soissons, Laon, and Saint-Quentin ; and Troyes . The archepiscopal see is located in the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims , where

1513-503: The British naval domination of the seas. After Napoleon's defeat, he withdrew claims to the title "Prince of Benevento", but was created Duke of Talleyrand with the style "Prince de Talleyrand" for life, in the same manner as his estranged wife. Described by biographer Philip Ziegler as a "pattern of subtlety and finesse" and a "creature of grandeur and guile", Talleyrand was a great conversationalist , gourmet , and wine connoisseur . He

1602-640: The Congress of Erfurt in September–October 1808, Talleyrand secretly counseled Tsar Alexander . The Tsar's attitude towards Napoleon was one of apprehensive opposition. Talleyrand repaired the confidence of the Russian monarch, who rebuked Napoleon's attempts to form a direct anti-Austrian military alliance. Napoleon had expected Talleyrand to help convince the Tsar to accept his proposals and never discovered that Talleyrand

1691-797: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and proposed both the Decree on the goods of the clergy placed at the disposal of the Nation in 1789 and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy that nationalized the Church in preference to allegiance to the Pope. He also swore in the first four constitutional bishops, even though he had himself resigned as Bishop following his excommunication by Pope Pius VI in 1791. During

1780-570: The French Revolution , he became Bishop of Autun . He worked at the highest levels of successive French governments, most commonly as foreign minister or in some other diplomatic capacity. His career spanned the regimes of Louis XVI , the years of the French Revolution, Napoleon , Louis XVIII , and Louis Philippe I . Those Talleyrand served often distrusted him but, like Napoleon, found him extremely useful. The name "Talleyrand" has become

1869-515: The Kings of France were traditionally crowned . In 2022 it was estimated that there was one priest for every 7,608 Catholics in the diocese. Pope Francis appointed Éric de Moulins-Beaufort Archbishop of Reims in 2018. Reims was taken by the Vandals in 406. According to Flodoard, on Holy Saturday, 497, Clovis was baptized and anointed by Archbishop Remigius of Reims in the cathedral of Reims. In 719

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1958-483: The Latin word saeculum which meant ' of a generation, belonging to an age ' or denoted a period of about one hundred years. The Christian doctrine that God exists outside time led medieval Western culture to use secular to indicate separation from specifically religious affairs and involvement in temporal ones. Secular does not necessarily imply hostility or rejection of God or religion, though some use

2047-583: The New Testament in the Vulgate translation ( c.  410 ) of the original Koine Greek phrase εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ( eis toùs aionas ton aiṓnōn ), e.g. at Galatians 1:5 , was used in the early Christian church (and is still used today), in the doxologies , to denote the coming and going of the ages, the grant of eternal life, and the long duration of created things from their beginning to forever and ever . Secular and secularity derive from

2136-670: The Peace of Tilsit in 1807. In 1806, after Pressburg, he profited greatly from the reorganization of the German lands, this time into the Confederation of the Rhine . He negotiated the Treaty of Posen with Saxony , but was shut out completely from the negotiations at Tilsit. After Queen Louise of Prussia failed in her appeal to Napoleon to spare her nation, she wept and was consoled by Talleyrand. This gave him

2225-550: The Treaty of Fontainebleau and adopted a new constitution to re-establish the Bourbon monarchy. When Napoleon was succeeded by Louis XVIII in April 1814, Talleyrand was one of the key agents of the restoration of the House of Bourbon , although he opposed the new legislation of Louis's rule. Talleyrand was the chief French negotiator at the Congress of Vienna ; earlier that same year he signed

2314-517: The Treaty of Paris . It was due in part to his skills that the terms of the treaty were remarkably lenient towards France. As the Congress opened, the right to make decisions was restricted to four countries: Austria, the United Kingdom, Prussia and Russia. France and other European countries were invited to attend, but were not allowed to influence the process. Talleyrand promptly became the champion of

2403-438: The duc de Broglie and published in 1891. Talleyrand had a reputation for promiscuity and as a voluptuary . He left no legitimate children, though he possibly fathered over two dozen illegitimate ones. Four possible children of his have been identified: Charles Joseph, comte de Flahaut , generally accepted to be an illegitimate son of Talleyrand; the painter Eugène Delacroix , once rumoured to be Talleyrand's son, though this

2492-527: The youngest children of their respective families, had no important income. Talleyrand's father had a long career in the French Royal Army , reaching the rank of lieutenant general, as did his uncle, Gabriel Marie de Périgord, despite having the same infirmity from which Talleyrand would suffer throughout his life. His father served all through the Seven Years' War . From childhood, Talleyrand walked with

2581-560: The "state of security and independence". Talleyrand, having managed to establish a middle position, received some favors from the other countries in exchange for his support: France returned to its 1792 boundaries without reparations, with French control over the papal Comtat Venaissin , County of Montbéliard , and Salm , which had been independent at the start of the French Revolution in 1789. It would later be debated which outcome would have been better for France: allowing Prussia to annex all of Saxony (Talleyrand ensured that only part of

2670-432: The 1780s, where she lived as a notorious courtesan for several years before divorcing Grand to marry Talleyrand. Talleyrand was in no hurry to marry, and it was after repeated postponements that Napoleon obliged him in 1802 to formalize the relationship or risk his political career. While serving as a high level negotiator at the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), Talleyrand entered into an arrangement with Dorothea von Biron ,

2759-499: The Clergy, and was instrumental in promoting the drawing up of a general inventory of Church properties in France as of 1785, along with a defense of "inalienable rights of the Church", the latter being a stance he later denied. In 1788, the influence of Talleyrand's father and family overcame the King's dislike and obtained his appointment as Bishop of Autun , with a stipend of 22,000 livres . He

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2848-683: The Directory in favor of the Jacobins headed by Paul Barras . Talleyrand, along with Napoleon's younger brother, Lucien Bonaparte , was instrumental in the 1799 coup d'état of 18 Brumaire , establishing the French Consulate government, although he also made preparations for flight if necessary. He also persuaded Barras to resign as Director. Talleyrand was soon made Foreign Minister by Napoleon, although he rarely agreed with Napoleon's foreign policy. Domestically, Talleyrand used his influence to help in

2937-665: The European system as far as possible. Napoleon forced Talleyrand into marriage in September 1802 to longtime mistress Catherine Grand (née Worlée). Talleyrand purchased the Château de Valençay in May 1803, upon the urging of Napoleon. This later was used as the site of imprisonment of the Spanish royal family in 1808–1813, after Napoleon's invasion of Spain . In May 1804, Napoleon bestowed upon Talleyrand

3026-649: The French-German frontier, for the first time; made Prussia the largest German power in terms of territory, population and the industry of the Ruhr and Rhineland ; and eventually helped pave the way to German unification under the Prussian throne. However, at the time Talleyrand's diplomacy was regarded as successful, as it removed the threat of France being partitioned by the victors. Talleyrand also managed to strengthen his own position in France ( ultraroyalists had disapproved of

3115-620: The Left Bank, should receive new territories on the Right Bank through the secularization of ecclesiastical principalities. Many of these rulers gave out bribes in order to secure new lands, and Talleyrand and some of his associates amassed about 10 million francs in the process. This was the first blow in the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire . While helping to establish French supremacy in neighboring states and assisting Bonaparte in securing

3204-665: The US, he supported himself by working as a bank agent, involved in commodity trading and real estate speculation. He was a house guest of Aaron Burr of New York and collaborated with Theophile Cazenove in Philadelphia. On 19 May 1794, Matthew Clarkson, the mayor of Philadelphia, received his oath. Talleyrand swore "that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to...the United States of America... " Burr later sought similar refuge in Talleyrand's home during his self-imposed European exile (1808–12). However, Talleyrand would refuse to return

3293-463: The United Kingdom was opposed to their expansion as well—and Talleyrand managed to take advantage of these contradictions within the former anti-French coalition. On 3 January 1815, a secret treaty was signed by France's Talleyrand, Austria's Metternich and Britain's Castlereagh . By this tract, officially a secret treaty of defensive alliance, the three powers agreed to use force if necessary to "repulse aggression" (of Russia and Prussia) and to protect

3382-456: The United States government to open negotiations, precipitating a diplomatic disaster (the " XYZ Affair "). The difference between his diplomatic success in Europe and failure with the United States illustrates that his diplomacy rested firmly on the power of the French army that was a terrible threat to the German states within reach, but lacked the logistics to threaten the US not the least because of

3471-495: The abbé tried to anoint Talleyrand's palms, as prescribed by the rite, he turned his hands over to make the priest anoint him on the back of the hands, since he was a bishop. He also signed, in the abbé's presence, a solemn declaration in which he openly disavowed "the great errors which … had troubled and afflicted the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church, and in which he himself had had the misfortune to fall." He died on 17 May 1838 and

3560-427: The cause of order in the turbulent capital. Though he was often on strained terms with Mirabeau, his views generally coincided with those of that statesman, who before he died is said to have advised Talleyrand to develop a close understanding with England. In 1792, Talleyrand was sent twice, unofficially, to London to avert war, and he was cordially received by Pitt and Grenville . After his first visit, he persuaded

3649-553: The city took up arms against Charles Martel, who besieged the city, took it by assault, and devastated it. In 816, Pope Stephen IV crowned Louis the Pious as Emperor at Reims. On 28 January 893, Charles III "the Simple' was crowned King of West Francia at Reims. King Robert I was consecrated and crowned 'Rex Francorum' at Saint-Remi in Reims on 29 June 922 by Archbishop Hervée. Hugh Capet

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3738-596: The company of the Duchess Dino and concerned himself with the education of her daughter Pauline . Talleyrand suffered from bouts of recurring depression which were caused by his concern over his legacy and the development of the Napoleonic myth. To that end he ordered that his autobiography, the Memoirs , be published 30 years after his death. He also sought to gain the friendship of people he believed would shape public opinion in

3827-705: The conditions, not the prevalence, of belief, and these conditions are understood to be shared across a given society, irrespective of belief or lack thereof. Taylor's thorough account of secularity as a socio-historical condition, rather than the absence or diminished importance of religion, has been highly influential in subsequent philosophy of religion and sociology of religion , particularly as older sociological narratives about secularisation , desecularisation , and disenchantment have come under increased criticism. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims or Rheims ( Latin : Archidiœcesis Remensis ; French : Archidiocèse de Reims )

3916-472: The context of colonialism . Attempts to define either the "secular" or the "religious" in non-Western societies, accompanying local modernization and Westernization processes, were often and still are fraught with tension. Due to all these factors, secular as a general term of reference was much deprecated in social sciences, and is used carefully and with qualifications. Philosopher Charles Taylor in his 2007 book A Secular Age understands and discusses

4005-539: The council on 9 July 1815, Talleyrand resigned in September of that year, over his objections to the second treaty. Louis XVIII appointed him as the Grand Chamberlain of France , a mostly ceremonial role which provided Talleyrand with a steady income. For the next fifteen years he restricted himself to the role of "elder statesman", criticizing and intriguing against Minister of Police Élie, duc Decazes , Prime Minister Duc de Richelieu and other political opponents from

4094-442: The duchess of Dino and Adolphe de Bacourt . The latter revised them with care, and added to them other pieces emanating from Talleyrand. They fell into some question: first that Talleyrand is known to have destroyed many of his most important papers, and secondly that de Bacourt almost certainly drew up the connected narrative which we now possess from notes which were in more or less of confusion. The mémoires were later edited by

4183-594: The end of March after the fall of Paris, persuaded him that the best chance of stability lay with the House of Bourbon , and gained his support. On 1 April 1814, he led the Sénat conservateur in establishing a provisional government in Paris, of which he was elected president. On 2 April the Senate officially deposed Napoleon with the Acte de déchéance de l'Empereur ; by 11 April, it had approved

4272-521: The fact that their values , morality , or sense of life's meaning are no longer underpinned by communally-accepted religious facts. All religious beliefs or irreligious philosophical positions are, in a secular society, held with an awareness that there are a wide range of other contradictory positions available to any individual; belief in general becomes a different type of experience when all particular beliefs are optional. A plethora of competing religious and irreligious worldviews open up, each rendering

4361-414: The famous dressing down of Talleyrand in front of Napoleon's marshals , during which Napoleon famously claimed that he could "break him like a glass, but it's not worth the trouble" and added with a scatological tone that Talleyrand was "shit in a silk stocking", to which the minister coldly retorted, once Napoleon had left, "Pity that so great a man should have been so badly brought up!" Talleyrand opposed

4450-553: The favor because Burr had killed Talleyrand's friend Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 duel . Talleyrand returned to France in 1796. After 9 Thermidor , he mobilized his friends (most notably the abbé Martial Borye Desrenaudes and Germaine de Staël ) to lobby in the National Convention and the newly established Directoire for his return. His name was suppressed from the émigré list and he returned to France on 25 September 1796. After gaining attention by giving addresses on

4539-550: The further harsh treatment of Austria in 1809 after the War of the Fifth Coalition . He was also a critic of the French invasion of Russia in 1812. He was invited to resume his former office in late 1813, but Talleyrand could see that power was slipping from Napoleon's hands. He offered to resign from the council in early 1814, but Napoleon refused the move. Talleyrand then hosted the tsar at

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4628-532: The future, including Honoré de Balzac , Lady Granville and Alphonse de Lamartine . During the last years of his life Talleyrand began planning his reconciliation with the Catholic Church. On 16 May 1838, he signed a retraction of his errors towards the church and a letter of submission to Pope Gregory XVI . He died the following day at 3:55 p.m., at Saint-Florentin. By a codicil added to his will on 17 March 1838, Talleyrand left his memoirs and papers to

4717-654: The gains of the French Revolution. Napoleon rejected peace; when he fell in 1814, Talleyrand supported the Bourbon Restoration decided by the Allies. He played a major role at the Congress of Vienna in 1814–1815, where he negotiated a favorable settlement for France and played a role in unwinding the Napoleonic Wars . Talleyrand polarizes opinion. Some regard him as one of the most versatile, skilled and influential diplomats in European history, while some believe that he

4806-456: The influence of Christian theology, other cultures do not necessarily have words or concepts that resemble or are equivalent to them. Historically, the word secular was not related or linked to religion, but was a freestanding term in Latin that would relate to any mundane endeavour. However, the term, saecula saeculorum ( saeculōrum being the genitive plural of saeculum ) as found in

4895-436: The influence of Christian theology, other cultures do not necessarily have words or concepts that resemble or are equivalent to them. One can regard eating and bathing as examples of secular activities, because there may not be anything inherently religious about them. Nevertheless, some religious traditions see both eating and bathing as sacraments , therefore making them religious activities within those world views . Saying

4984-471: The kingdom would be annexed) or the Rhine provinces. The first option would have kept Prussia farther away from France, but would have needed much more opposition as well. Some historians have argued that Talleyrand's diplomacy wound up establishing the fault lines of World War I , especially as it allowed Prussia to engulf small German states west of the Rhine. This simultaneously placed the Prussian Army at

5073-514: The mouthpiece of the Orléanist cause and gaining popularity among the French liberal bourgeoisie. Following the ascent of Louis-Philippe I to the throne in the aftermath of the July Revolution of 1830, Talleyrand reluctantly agreed to become ambassador to the United Kingdom, a post he held from 1830 to 1834. In this role, he strove to reinforce the legitimacy of Louis-Philippe's regime. He played

5162-580: The obvious career of the Church . The latter held out the hope for Charles-Maurice of succeeding his uncle, Alexandre Angélique de Talleyrand-Périgord , then Archbishop of Reims , one of the most prestigious and richest dioceses in France. At eight years old, Talleyrand attended the Collège d'Harcourt , the seminary of Saint-Sulpice , while studying theology at the Sorbonne until the age of 21. In his free time, he read

5251-425: The other more "fragile". This condition in turn entails for Taylor that even clearly religious beliefs and practices are experienced in a qualitatively different way when they occur in a secular social context. In Taylor's sense of the term, a society could in theory be highly "secular" even if nearly all of its members believed in a deity or even subscribed to a particular religious creed; secularity here has to do with

5340-496: The police regulations of Paris, proposed the suffrage of Jews, supported a ban on the tithes , and invented a method to ensure loans. Few bishops followed him in obedience to the new decree, and much of the French clergy came to view him as schismatic . Just before his resignation from the bishopric, Talleyrand had been elected, with Mirabeau and the Abbé Sieyès , a member of the department of Paris. In that capacity he did useful work for some eighteen months in seeking to support

5429-483: The presence of a former "revolutionary" and "murderer of the Duke d'Enghien " in the royal cabinet). Napoleon's return to France in 1815 and his subsequent defeat, the Hundred Days , was a reverse for the diplomatic victories of Talleyrand (who remained in Vienna the whole time). The second peace settlement was markedly less lenient and it was fortunate for France that the business of the Congress had been concluded. Having been appointed foreign minister and president of

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5518-411: The quixotic nature of Spain's agenda), but France (Talleyrand) was allowed to participate until the end. Russia and Prussia sought to enlarge their territory at the Congress. Russia demanded annexation of Poland (already occupied by Russian troops); this demand was finally satisfied, despite protests by France, Austria and the United Kingdom. Austria was afraid of future conflicts with Russia or Prussia and

5607-424: The renewal of war in 1803 but by 1805 he opposed his emperor's renewed wars against Austria , Prussia , and Russia . He resigned as foreign minister in August 1807, but retained the trust of Napoleon. He conspired to undermine the emperor's plans through secret dealings with Tsar Alexander I of Russia and the Austrian minister Klemens von Metternich . Talleyrand sought a negotiated secure peace so as to perpetuate

5696-551: The renowned French chef Marie-Antoine Carême , one of the first celebrity chefs known as the "chef of kings and king of chefs", and was said to have spent an hour every day with him. His Paris residence on the Place de la Concorde , acquired in 1812 and sold to James Mayer de Rothschild in 1838, is now owned by the Embassy of the United States . Talleyrand has been regarded as a traitor because of his support for successive regimes, some of which were mutually hostile. According to French philosopher Simone Weil , criticism of his loyalty

5785-434: The repeal of the strict laws against émigrés, refractory clergy , and the royalists of the west. The Pope released him from the ban of excommunication in the Concordat of 1801 , which also revoked the Civil Constitution of the Clergy . Talleyrand was instrumental in the completion of the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. He wanted Napoleon to keep peace afterwards, as he thought France had reached its maximum expansion. Talleyrand

5874-432: The rumor that he was actually the bastard son of Count Talleyrand, who was said to have visited New England in the year before Stevens' birth. ... Actually Talleyrand did not visit New England till 1794, when Stevens was already two years old." Aristocratic women were a key component of Talleyrand's political tactics, both for their influence and their ability to cross borders unhindered. His presumed lover Germaine de Staël

5963-565: The scholasticus, and the poenitentiarius. There were also a number of collegiate churches in the diocese, whose clergy were led by canons: Saint-Symphorien in Reims (a dean and 20 prebends); Saint-Timothée in Reims (12 prebends); Saint-Côme in Reims (4 prebends); Sainte-Nourrice in Reims (11 prebends); Saint-Pierre aux Dames in Reims (4 prebends); Mézières (a dean, a treasurer and 12 prebends); Braux (12 prebends); Montfaucon (a provost and canons); and Avenay (6 prebends). The two archdeacons were already in existence in 877, when they are mentioned at

6052-457: The secularity of Western societies less in terms of how much of a role religion plays in public life ( secularity 1 ), or how religious a society's individual members are ( secularity 2 ), than as a "backdrop" or social context in which religious belief is no longer taken as a given ( secularity 3 ). For Taylor, this third sense of secularity is the unique historical condition in which virtually all individuals – religious or not – have to contend with

6141-409: The sidelines. In celebration of the birth of the Duc de Bordeaux , Louis XVIII made Talleyrand a knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit . In December 1829, Talleyrand funded the foundation of the National newspaper. The newspaper was run by his personal friend Adolphe Thiers , alongside Armand Carrel , François Mignet and Stendhal . Its first issue appeared on 3 January 1830, quickly becoming

6230-438: The small countries and demanded admission into the ranks of the decision-making process. The four powers admitted France and Spain to the decision-making backrooms of the conference after a good deal of diplomatic maneuvering by Talleyrand, who had the support of the Spanish representative, Pedro Gómez Labrador, Marquis of Labrador . Spain was excluded after a while (a result of both the Marquis of Labrador's incompetence as well as

6319-586: The term this way (see " secularism ", below); Martin Luther used to speak of "secular work" as a vocation from God for most Christians. Secular has been a part of the Christian church's history, which even developed in the medieval period secular clergy , priests who were defined as the Church's geographically-delimited diocesan clergy and not a part of the diasporal monastic orders. This arrangement continues today. The Waldensians advocated for secularity by separation of church and state. According to cultural anthropologists such as Jack David Eller, secularity

6408-499: The then foreign minister, Charles François Dumouriez , of the importance of having a fully accredited ambassador in London, and the marquis de Chauvelin was duly appointed, with Talleyrand as his deputy. Still, after an initial British declaration of neutrality during the first campaigns of 1792 , his mission ultimately failed. In September 1792, just at the beginning of the September massacres , he left Paris for England, having acquired

6497-514: The time in the history of the Church. Shortly after he was consecrated as Bishop of Autun, Talleyrand attended the Estates-General of 1789 , representing the clergy, the First Estate . During the French Revolution, Talleyrand strongly supported the anti-clericalism of the revolutionaries. Along with Mirabeau , he promoted the appropriation of Church properties. He participated in the writing of

6586-548: The title of First Consul for life, Talleyrand sought all means of securing the permanent welfare of France. He worked hard to prevent the rupture of the peace of Amiens which occurred in May 1803, and he did what he could to prevent the Louisiana Purchase earlier in the year. These events, as he saw, told against the best interests of France and endangered the gains which she had secured by war and diplomacy. Thereafter he strove to moderate Napoleon's ambition and to preserve

6675-456: The title of Grand Chamberlain of the Empire , with almost 500,000 francs a year. In 1806, he was made Sovereign Prince of Benevento (or Bénévent), a former Papal fief in southern Italy. Talleyrand held the title until 1815 and administered the principality concurrently with his other tasks. Talleyrand was opposed to the harsh treatment of Austria in the 1805 Treaty of Pressburg and of Prussia in

6764-509: The two became close allies. Talleyrand was against the destruction of the Republic of Venice , but he complimented Napoleon when the Treaty of Campo Formio with Austria was concluded (Venice was given to Austria), probably because he wanted to reinforce his alliance with Napoleon. Later in 1797, Talleyrand was instrumental in assisting with the Coup of 18 Fructidor , which ousted two moderate members of

6853-638: The value of commercial relations with England, and of colonization as a way of renewing the nation, he became Foreign Minister in July 1797. He was behind the demand for bribes in the XYZ Affair which escalated into the Quasi-War , an undeclared naval war with the United States, 1798–1800. Talleyrand saw a possible political career for Napoleon during the Italian campaigns of 1796 to 1797. He wrote many letters to Napoleon, and

6942-576: The wife of his nephew , the Duke of Dino. Shortly after, he separated from Catherine. Talleyrand's venality was notorious; in the tradition of the ancien régime , he expected to be paid for the state duties he performed—whether these can properly be called "bribes" is open to debate. For example, during the German mediatization, the consolidation of the small German states, a number of German rulers and elites paid him to save their possessions or enlarge their territories. Less successfully, he solicited payments from

7031-417: The works of Montesquieu , Voltaire , and other writers who were beginning to question the authority of the ancien régime in matters of church and state. As subdeacon he witnessed the coronation of Louis XVI at Reims in 1775. He was not ordained a Catholic priest until four years later, on 19 December 1779, at the age of 25. Very soon, in 1780, he attained the influential position of Agent-General of

7120-509: Was a frequent visitor at the salon hosted by Adèle de Bellegarde and her sister Aurore, with whom he dined regularly over a period of five years. From 1801 to 1804, he owned Château Haut-Brion in Bordeaux . In 1803, Napoleon ordered Talleyrand to acquire the Château de Valençay as a place particularly appropriate for reception of foreign dignitaries, and Talleyrand made it his primary place of residence until his death in 1838. There he employed

7209-494: Was a major influence on him, and he on her. Though their personal philosophies were most different (she a romantic, he very much unsentimental), she assisted him greatly, most notably by lobbying Barras to permit Talleyrand to return to France from his American exile, and then to have him made foreign minister. He lived with Catherine Worlée, born in India and married there to Charles Grand. She had traveled about before settling in Paris in

7298-470: Was a traitor, betraying in turn the ancien régime , the French Revolution and Napoleon. Talleyrand was born in Paris into an aristocratic family which, though ancient and illustrious, was not particularly prosperous. His father, Count Charles Daniel de Talleyrand-Périgord , was 20 years of age when Charles was born. His mother was Alexandrine de Damas d'Antigny . Both his parents held positions at court, but as

7387-511: Was an integral player in the German mediatization . While the Treaty of Campo Formio of 1797 had, on paper, stripped German princes of their lands beyond the left bank of the Rhine , it was not enforced until the Treaty of Lunéville in 1801. As the French annexed these lands, leaders believed that rulers of states such as Baden , Bavaria , Württemberg , Prussia, Hesse and Nassau, who lost territories on

7476-747: Was buried in the Notre-Dame Chapel, near his Château de Valençay . Today, when speaking of the art of diplomacy, the phrase "they are a Talleyrand" is variously used to describe a statesman of great resourcefulness and craft, or a cynical and conscienceless self-serving politician. Secularity Today, anything that is not directly connected with religion may be considered secular, in other words, neutral to religion. Secularity does not mean ' anti-religious ' , but ' unrelated to religion ' . Many activities in religious bodies are secular, and though there are multiple types of secularity or secularization, most do not lead to irreligiosity. Linguistically,

7565-525: Was consecrated a bishop on 4 January 1789 by Louis-André de Grimaldi . The undoubtedly able Talleyrand, though hardly devout and even free-thinking in the Enlightenment mold, was outwardly respectful of religious observance. In the course of the Revolution, however, he was to manifest his cynicism and abandon all orthodox Catholic practice. He resigned his bishopric on 13 April 1791. On 29 June 1802, Pope Pius VII laicized Talleyrand, an event most uncommon at

7654-465: Was crowned at Reims on Christmas Day 988, by Archbishop Adalberon. In 990 the city was attacked by Charles of Lorraine , the rival of Hugues Capet, who seized the city and devastated the area. In 1801, the archdiocese was suppressed by the Concordat of 1801 and its territory were divided between the diocese of Meaux (department of Marne) and Metz (department of Ardennes). In 1822, the diocese of Reims

7743-463: Was in Reims for the dedication of the church of the monastery of Saint-Rémi, in fulfilment of a promise made to Abbot Herimar. In 1657, the chapter of the Cathedral of Reims contained nine dignities and sixty-four canons. The dignities included the major archdeacon (Archdeacon of Reims), the minor archdeacon (Archdeacon of Champagne), the provost, the dean, the cantor, the treasurer, the vicedominus,

7832-442: Was reestablished, with the territory once again restored, including the department of Marne and the department of Ardennes. The First Council of Reims took place in 625, under the presidency of Archbishop Sonnatius. It produced at least twenty-five canons. In 1049, from 3 to 5 October, a Council of the Church took place at Reims under the presidency of Pope Leo IX , with twenty bishops and some fifty abbots in attendance. The Pope

7921-410: Was working at cross-purposes. Talleyrand believed Napoleon would eventually destroy the empire he had worked to build across multiple rulers. After his resignation in 1807 from the ministry, Talleyrand began to accept bribes from hostile powers (mainly Austria, but also Russia), to betray Napoleon's secrets. Talleyrand and Joseph Fouché , who were typically enemies in both politics and the salons , had

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