Legate in France
When the Concordat of 1801 between Pope Pius VII and the French First Republic was concluded, Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, asked for the appointment of a papal legate with residence in Paris. Napoleon's choice fell upon Cardinal Caprara; he may have expected in this way little or no opposition to his plans. Caprara was appointed legate a latere for France on 24 August 1801; he departed at once for his destination and arrived in Paris on 4 October.
During the negotiations which followed concerning the execution of the Concordat of 1801 he displayed a conciliatory spirit in dealing with the ten constitutional bishops who were to be appointed to as many of the newly-established dioceses; in fact, he went contrary to specific instructions from Rome, under persistent pressure exerted by Napoleon Cardinal Caprara officiated at the Solemn restoration of public worship in the cathedral of Notre-Dame on Easter Day (18 April 1802), at which function the First Consul, the high officers of state, and the new ecclesiastical dignitaries assisted. In a letter written 18 August 1803, he protested against the Organic Articles added to the Concordat by the French Government.
Read more about this topic: Giovanni Battista Caprara
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