Category:France

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France is a country in Europe.

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Jews, Christians, and Muslims in France

Christianity spread very quickly in the decades following the death of Jesus and grew to become the State religion in France until modern times. During the Reformation, the large Protestant minority in France suffered persecution; the notorious 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day massacre was the darkest moment. From 1598 the Edict of Nantes issued by Henry IV guaranteed some tolerance, but its revocation in 1685 caused a massive emigration of around 500,000 Protestants from France. Equal rights came only with the French revolution of 1789, which laid the foundations for freedom of religion and separation between Church and State.

Judaism is attested in France since Roman times, and in spite of periods of expulsion and persecution has maintained a strong and influential presence in French society up to the present. The French Revolution of 1789 resolved into the emancipation of French Jews. The Holocaust dramatically affected the survival of the Jewish community in France.

In the 8th and 9th centuries Islam forces held territories in southern France. Islam reentered France only after the French revolution through immigrants from the French colonies. The Great Mosque of Paris was built in 1922.

Contemporary times

Today, the majority of French population is Roman Catholic, with significant Protestant and Christian Orthodox minorities (especially Russians and Armenians).

Islam is the second religion in France (7%-10%) with en estimated population of more that 5 millions.

More than 500,000 Jews in France makes French Jews the world's third largest Jewish community.

The French Constitution maintains a strict separation between Church and State.

External links

• Wikipedia / Wikipedia (Religion in France)