Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet

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Façade of the church

St. Nicolas du Chardonnet is a Roman Catholic church in the centre of Paris, France located in the 5th arrondissement^[1].

In the nineteenth century the adjacent Mutualite site was occupied by a seminary where Renan studied under the direction of the Abbe Dupanloup who attained celebrity in 1838 when he reconciled the former bishop and diplomatist Talleyrand on his death-bed. (Dupanloup subsequently became Bishop of Orleans and a member of the Academie Francaise}.

It is now occupied by the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X; it is now their only church in the city of Paris itself (many others exist in the whole of the Île de France) and although it is not their official French headquarters^[2] it is seen as their de facto national centre.

On a typical Sunday there are about 6 masses sung back to back, with almost no interruption.^[3] There is worry that if the church becomes too crowded the society will occupy another church; in 1993, the Society of St. Pius X attempted to occupy another church in Paris, St-Germain l'Auxerrois.^{[citation needed]}

Due to the 1905 French law on the separation of Church and State, the city of Paris owns the church, which in turn grants the Roman Catholic Church a free usage right. In 1977, members of the Society of St. Pius X took over the church, peacefully expelled the Novus Ordo priest and his followers, and began to occupy it,^[4], which was criticised by the city authorities.^[5] In 1978, the Cour de Cassation confirmed that the occupation was illegal,^{[citation needed]} although the Society has never been expelled.^[6] On February 20, 1987, the Conseil d'État ruled that the disturbance to public order resulting from an expulsion would be higher than that resulting from the illegal occupation.^{[citation needed]} In 2002, several executives of the Society of St Pius X were accused of disseminating anti-Semitic propaganda at St Nicolas, but were found unguilty.^{[citation needed]} On June 22, 2002, the municipal council of Paris passed a resolution that the Society of St Pius X should be expelled from the church,^[7] against the wishes of the Socialist Mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, who considered it an internal matter for the Catholic Church,^{[citation needed]} remarking that the Archbishop of Paris had not requested that the Society be expelled.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

^ Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet Church from the website structurae.de
^ The SSPX list their French headquarters as Prieure Saint Pie X, 11, rue Cluseret, BP 125, from Headquarters of the SSPX, from their website in the USA
^ Saint Nicholas du Chardonnet Contact Details
^ In February, 1977, traditional Catholics liberate the church of Saint Nicolas du Chardonnet in Paris., 1977, A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SSPX, Hosted by the web site of the United States District
^ Peu à près cette occupation illégale d'un bâtiment appartenant à la Ville de Paris, un arrêté d'expulsion a été pris. Transl. As this concerned the Parisian authorities , they ruled that [the society] should be evicted. 2002 V. 83 - Vœu relatif à l'occupation de l'église Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet.
^ Peu à près cette occupation illégale d'un bâtiment appartenant à la Ville de Paris, un arrêté d'expulsion a été pris. Malgré plusieurs demandes d'exécution de cette décision, cette occupation perdure depuis 25 ans. Transl. As this concerned the Parisian authorities , they ruled that [the society] should be evicted. Despite several requests for the eviction to be carried out, the occupation has been sustained for 25 years. 2002 V. 83 - Vœu relatif à l'occupation de l'église Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet.
^ 2002 V. 83 - Vœu relatif à l'occupation de l'église Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet. the motion from the website of Paris Council