Henri Gregoire poses a problem to all scholars who see the French Revolution as an anti-religious event. Most of his fellow 'red priests', those not-so-few who in 1789 asked for some kind of democracy and more rights for the 'damned of the earth', gradually abandoned either their faith or their patriotism. Gregoire, until his death in 1831, always proclaimed the compatibility of Christianity and republic. Not only is his position representative of that of many Catholics at the beginning of the Revolution, it also asks anew the important question of the link between religion and revolution, and gives it an unusual answer. As many philosophes did, Gregoire was speaking in terms of reason, of the Enlightenments, and of natural rights---but nevertheless believed Catholicism was the only good religion. If a good Christian is the best citizen possible, how can one fight for the recognition of the 'natural rights' of the Jews and the freedom of worship for all without being inconsistant?

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