Social significance and some manifestations of economic activity of the dominant religious institution: the roman-catholic church of France

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The realities of modern European society development, associated with the religious sphere enable us to single out some clearly emerging trends. First, a significant part of the native population of the countries of the region, where Christianity has been spread for many centuries, demonstrates a refusal to belong to the national Church. This is manifested in the withdrawal, sometimes numerous 1 , from membership in religious organizations of traditional confessions, which in a number of countries (Germany, Sweden, Finland, etc.) is recorded by officialstatistics2; in a low degree of religious activity, confirmed by the number of parishioners who regularly participate in religious services, church ceremonies and rituals [9]. An important peculiarity, demonstrating the intensively proceeding processes of secularization among European society is the adherence of its representatives to liberal tendencies that run counterto the ethics and moral norms of Christianity (a bright example is the legitimation of same-sex marriage in many European countries).

But paradoxically, simultaneously with the indicated tendencies, the opposite ones are also observed, indicating a high role of religious institutions in the development of European societies [16; 17]. The actualization of the importance of religions in various spheres of social life can be traced at international level: within the framework of the official provisions of the UNO, high importance of religious organizations in achieving the goals of sustainable development is declared [11]. In many states, the doctrinal and institutional influence of the Christian Church on the mentality of the population, as well as on social and economic processes, still remains essential [12; 21].

France deserves researchers' attention as a special example of a national territory with a major religion as the dominant confessional space.

The share of the Roman Catholic Church (RCCF) followers among the population of the country is over 60%3, with the role of the above mentioned religious institution in the social and economic life remaining high.

Theory

Modern domestic and foreign experts have repeatedly shown keen interest in the coverage of a wide range of problems associated with social and economic manifestations of the functioning of the institutional and structural elements of the geo-confessional space. The authors also focused on the processes caused by the influence of the doctrine of religious teachings on the formation of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of social capital, mentality, models of consumer, reproductive and other types of population behavior. At the same time, modern studies on the subject raise theoretical and methodological issues [13] and make attempts to scientifically understand particular problems. If we consider the latter in more detail, the subject of research is most often the influence of religions on certain industries [1], directions for the implementation of social responsibility of religious institutions [10], religious tourism [2; fourteen; 15], etc. consequences of the spread of Islam [20; 22].

Scientific works of a comprehensive nature using institutional-territorial approach to regional-confessional research, which presents the characteristics of the religious space of individual states of the world or Europe [8], are not common in scientific research, although the need for them is high.

The authors of this article focus on the model of church-state relations in France, manifestation of the economic aspect of the activities of its dominant religious institution, the RCCF, and the forms of the latter's influence on social processes in the country.

Due to its history, rich in events, developed culture, a dense network of religious infrastruc-

И ЗА РУБЕЖОМ ture and a diverse religious composition of the population, France has repeatedly attracted the attention of scholars. But turning to the issues of state-legal relations [3], the problems associated with the diffusion of the values of Islam [7; 18] or the influence of the religious spheres on the educational system in the country [5; 19], researchers left aside institutional and territorial-organizational structure of the national Church and did not pay enough attention to its role in the economic and social development of the country.

Lack of scientific developments that would characterize the model of the functioning and development of the confessional space of France exemplified as a religious dominant idea - the RCC, as well as using modern methods of statistical processing of primary information, revealed the role of the RCC of the country in some areas of economic activity and social processes, predetermined the main the purpose of this article, which is to conduct this kind of research.

Research data and methods

The source of the main empirical materials for the analysis and data processing was the data of the official websites of the RCCF4, as well as of its individual metropolises 5 and dioceses 6.

In addition to analyzing and synthesizing information, methods of scientific processing of statistical information, typical for the regional economic studies (calculation of the ratio of territorial concentration / diversification) were used.

The model of a com prehensive study, whose subject is the dominant structural element of the national confessional space, its social significance and some peculiarities of economic activity, is based on the institutional-territorial approach to scientific work on regional confessional issues.

Results

Social role and peculiarity of economic activity of confessional organizations of the state depend on a number of factors, among which one of the leading factors is legal status of religious institutions. The separation of the Church from the state in the country dates back to 19057. At the same time, the objects of religious infrastructure were transferred, depending on their status and historical and cultural value, into the possession of local self-government bodies or the state. Since then, heads or governing bodies of religious organizations have had the right to dispose of church property (buildings of churches, parish houses, territories and buildings of monasteries, etc.), but do not own them. In general, the existing model of economic relations between the state and the Church in modern France resembles the one adopted in Russia: the main source of income for religious associations is voluntary contributions in the form of donations from parishioners. The funds collected in this way are not subject to taxation, because they belong to the category obtained by a non-profit organization to ensure its own functioning. Religious associations in France are exempt from land tax in case the building of worship, which they own was erected before 19O5.Temples dating back to a later period, as well as other types of real estate that the Church uses for the implementation of its main activities, are taxed accordingly.

Not only separation of the Church from the state, but also the manifestation of the weakening of the influence of the RCCF on the mentality and way of life of the French, the reduction in the number of regularly practicing believers in the structure of the population of France [6] dates back to the early XXth century. Currently, secular trends have become widespread among the population of the country.

But for almost two millennia, Catholicism has been and remains the majority religion in France and has become an integral part of the material and spiritual culture of the French.

RCCF has a continuous distribution area. At the national level, it is headed by a cardinal, followed by the division of the territory into macro- units, called metropolises, uniting several dioceses. The latter consist of deaneries, including 10-15 parishes. In addition, there are extraterritorial units in the RCCF, for example, the military ordinaries, as well as separate dioceses of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of the Eastern Rite, the Maronite and Armenian Catholic churches.

Overall, the RCCF forms 15 metropolises, 9 archdioceses and 72 dioceses on the "mainland" of France. Two bishoprics - the dioceses of Metz and Strasbourg are not included into the metropolinate and are directly subordinate to the Holy See in the Vatican.

There are 10,873 church parishes - minor territorial units of the French RCC with a temple building in the center, which are precisely the main focus of the religious life of practicing Catholics, the main objects of religious tourism and points where the main activities of the Church related to social responsibility are implemented, including those located abroad. Mainland France numbers 10,576 8Catholic parishes. To identify the degree of uniformity of their location, the ratio of territorial (geographical) concentration for 2000 and 2020 was calculated using the following formula:

Кгк = ^(Oi-O-Si-S) (1)

with Oi as the quantitative value of the studied attribute (Catholic parishes) for the i-th territorial unit (archdiosece) of the RCCF); О - the total quantitative value of the studied attribute О (Catholic parishes) for all territorial units of the region under consideration (mainland France); Si -the area of the territory of the i-th territorial unit (each of the RCC metropolises of mainland France); S is the total area of the territory of all territorial units of the considered region (mainland France); n is the total number of territorial units of the region considered [4].

Table 1 demonstrates calculation results.

Table 1 - Ratio of territorial concentration of RCCF parishes according to 2000 and 2020 data

№	Archdioceses	Area (square meters)	2000		2020
			Number of RCCF parishes	RGC	Number of RCCF parishes	RGC
1	Besancon Metropolis	28343	744	-0,019	289	-0,025
2	Bordeaux Metropolis	42245	1607	-0,005	748	-0,007
3	Clermont Metropolis	25651	1171	0,006	376	-0,012
4	Dijon Metropolis	31578	1019	-0,012	154	-0,044
5	Lille Metropolis	12379	1198	0,031	247	0,001
6	Lyon Metropolis	45249	1910	0,003	667	-0,020
7	Marseilles Metropolis	40429	1698	0,002	1331	0,052
8	Montpellier Metropolis	27443	1447	0,015	507	-0,003
9	Paris Metropolis	12036,4	1497	0,046	671	0,041
10	Poitier Metropolis	42750	1217	-0,024	435	-0,038
11	Reims Metropolis	45145	705	-0,051	322	-0,053
12	Rennes Metropolis	59768	1702	-0,033	679	-0,046
13	Rouen Metropolis	29110	695	-0,022	283	-0,027
14	Toulouse Metropolis	45372	3252	0,063	1910	0,097
15	Tours Metropolis	39349	819	-0,036	513	-0,024
16	Metz Diocese	6216	649	0,018	649	0,050
17	Strasbourg Archdiocese	8280	767	0,019	767	0,057
Total:		541343,4	22097	0,203	10548	0,298

8This information is presented on the official website of the RCCF. At the time of the preparation of the manuscript of this article (spring 2021), an asymmetry of information is recorded: the total number of Catholic parishes is indicated as 12054, but in total this number does not coincide with the parishes distributed among individual dioceses. URL:

И ЗА РУБЕЖОМ

The number of RCCF parishes in the first two decades of the XXI century in general, nearly halved, butthey remain dispersed throughoutthe country more or less evenly, which enables French citizens interested in this to satisfy their religious needs, take part in various parish events, and receive the necessary assistance within the framework of the social activities of the RCCF.

Among the objective indicators, one of the most significant is quantitative data indicating the number and proportion of the population participating in religious rituals and sacraments (Fig. 1).

Accordingto statistical data information presented on the official website of the RCCF (available until 2018) for the first decades of the XXI century the number of people who are baptized annually at the RCCF has halved, falling from 400 thousand (approximately 51% of the total number of births per year) in 2000 to slightly more than 2 00 thousand people (about 28% of the total number of births per year) in 2018. At the same time, the number of those who join the RCCF through baptism at the age of over 7 years old, throughoutthe period under consideration remains stable, but low (about 20-25 thousand people a year).

The number of confirmations performed annually at the RCCF is even less than that of baptism. It is understood that the person resorting to it expresses a conscious acceptance of the belief system of the confession being professed. If in 2 000 62 thousand parishioners of the RCCF were confirmed, in 2018 their number was 50 ।----------------------------------- approximately 45 thousand, having significantly decreased. Slightly rough calculation shows that out of 400 thousand baptized in 2000, in 2012-2016, having reached adolescence, traditional for participation in confirmation, only 10% of those whom the RCCF considers to be their flock began this sacrament upon baptism.

The data reflecting the dynamics of the number of marriages taking place in the RCCF is of interest as well for the assessment of the rate of active participation of the French population in religious rituals and sacraments. For example, in 2000, according to the Catholic rite, 120 thousand married couples were married in churches in France, i.e. 40% of the total number of registered marriages per year. But by 2018, the number of weddings had more than halved, reaching about 50 thousand (about 22%).

Taking into account the level of secularization of the population of modern France, the specifics of the secular model of church-state relations, it still cannot be argued that the above mentioned indicators are very low. This is confirmed by comparison of similar statistics for other European countries [8].

Despite the peculiarities of the legal status of religious organizations in France, the military ordinaries are preserved here. The main purpose of the clergy in the troops is to provide spiritual and psychological support to officers and soldiers who need it. The Catholic bishopric, under which the parishes of the military units are united, was established in 1949. Since July 21, 1986, it operates as a military ordinaries centered on the cathedral L'eglise Saint-Louis-des-lnvalides in Paris. The state partly shares the responsibilities for financing the ministry of military priests with the RCCF, although, in principle, budgetary funds in the country are not allocated for the activities of religious organizations9.

In general, the revenue of the RCCF consists of voluntary donations. Figure 2 demonstrates the analysis of the main revenue sources of the RCCF. These include the following types:

• -    voluntary donations (Fr. "Contribution volontaire") consisting of regular voluntary

contributions in favor of the RCCF by its followers;

• -    donations collected during the Mass (French "Les quetes"), allocated to cover the household and operational needs of the parishes;

• -    voluntary donations for the performance of individual church sacraments and rituals (Fr. "Le casuel"). In the parishes of the RCCF, there is no requirement for a certain fixed monetary payment for the performance of the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, marriage or funeral rites. However, the amount of the recommended donation in monetary terms is declared. For example, as regards the parishes of the Metropo-linate of Dijon, the recommended fee is 80 euros for baptism, and 180 euros for a wedding or funeral rites;

• -    voluntary donations for ordered masses (Fr. Les offrandes de messe);

• -    revenue from property and funds received by the RCCF as a gift and by inheritance (Fr. Les legs). Members of the RCCF can dower real estate, cash deposits, life insurance. Overthe course of many years, this source item of revenue has been enough to cover financing of construction and repair work of temples and other structures, and to carry out social responsibility activities.

  

  9L'aumdnerie militaire. URL: (p.12)

  
  

И ЗА РУБЕЖОМ

Statistical information enabling to analyze the economic activity of the RCCF is presented in the official electronic resources of a religious organization without details and is limited to the period 2012-2016. Based on these data, we can conclude that in the indicated period, with the exception of 2015, the total revenue of the RCCF increased. It should also be noted that the structure of revenue sources as a percentage remains practically stable, and most of them are voluntary donations in the form of regular contributions from Church members (39.5 - 40.6%). Voluntary donations for ordered masses (7.6% in 2016) account for the smallest degree of influence on the economic life of the RCCF /

The income of the RCCF related to voluntary donations for the performance of church rituals and sacraments is quite substantial. In addition, their share is stable throughout the period under consideration and accounts for nearly 13%. It turns out that the culture-forming and ethnoidentification role of the RCCF turns out to remain remains significant for the population of France, and its representatives prefer to accompany the birth, marriage, death of loved ones with appropriate church rituals, despite the fact that payment is required.

Participation of more than 20-25% of the French population in the sacraments of baptism and wedding according to the traditions of Catholicism, as well as the presence of military ordinaries, which is provided by the budget funds, are not the only evidence confirming the significant role of the national RCC in the economic and social processes of France. The designated religious institution actively carries out a variety of activities related to social responsibility, partially duplicating some of the functions of the state.

Analysis of the information posted on the official websites of territorial structures of the RCCF of various ranks made it possible to identify several key areas of social work of its religious organizations at the present stage. They differ in a variety of areas of activity and forms of implementation.

First of all, it should be noted that the RCCF, represented by the leadership of the metropolises, dioceses, clergy and parishioners of individual parishes, responded to the need to address social and economic problems associated with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the Archdiocese of Avignon of the Metropolinate of Marseille, starting from April 2020, has carried out a number of measures aimed at helping the victims, allocating money and other funds for this purpose. The clergy of the designated bishopric raised 50 thousand euros in order to further distribute the amount among the parishioners of the RCCF, who faced the problem of unemployment due to the pandemic. In addition, with the help of attracting the labor of volunteers - active parishioners, distribution of food packages for homeless people, large families and other categories of citizens in need was organized in individual parishes. Due to the activities of the Archdiocese of Avignon at the territory of Vaucluse, one of the French departments, for a year from spring to spring 2020-2021 about 40 tons of food were distributed.

Providing material, advisory, accompanying and other types of assistance to those in need at the expense of its own resources is traditional for the RCCF, not only during the pandemic. In some dioceses, local charitable Catholic organizations of various target orientations have been operating for a long time. One of them called "Saint-Vincent de Paul" is registered in the Archdiocese of Aix-en-Provence and Arles. Members of this charity provide care for elderly people living alone and for elderly people who need special care. The wards are provided with material assistance, home visits are carried out to provide food. If necessary, free psychological and legal advice is offered.

Another charitable organization of the Archdiocese of Aix-en-Provence and Arles, the Saint Vincent Team, provides the most diverse assistance to women in difficult situations (those left without a livelihood, lost their jobs, single mothers, etc.). For the designated and other categories of socially unprotected women in the Catholic parishes of the Archdiocese, classes are organized in groups of 8-15 people, where training in cooking, cutting and sewing, the use of information technology, and various types of arts and crafts is conducted. The purpose of such classes is not only to help women in difficult situations acquire skills that can become a source of income if they wish, but also to provide them with psychological support. In addition, a small cash allowance is allocated to the permanent participants of the project, a nursery is offered for children under 3 years old.

As support to those in need in the dioceses of the RCCF, a variety of charitable undertakings are being implemented. For example, in Clermont-Ferrand, the center of the Diocese of Clermont, where the cathedral is located, hot breakfast is served outside on Sundays on from November 01 to late spring (before Easter) to those in need. Often, Catholic parishes distribute free clothes, household items, food sets to socially unprotected categories of citizens.

The results of work with socially unprotected categories of citizens in the southern archdiocese of Montpellier look quite large-scale. During 2019, from, about 7,800 people who found themselves in dangerous or difficult life situations received individual assistance from 610 volunteers of the organization Secours Catholique Caritas France. In terms of individual actions, support is provided to single mothers, as well as to families without permanent housing (places in shelters and temporary accommodation centers are provided), clothing and food are distributed among those in need.

In many dioceses of the RCC, projects are being implemented (sometimes simultaneously) aimed at helping people with disabilities. For example, in the diocese of Koutance there is a large volunteer movement, whose main activities are the following:

• -    providing psychological support to people with limited abilities, disabilities, mental disabilities;

• -    provision of adaptive assistance to the disabled;

• -    attracting the attention of RCCF members to the problems of people with limited abilities and disabilities to assist them;

• -    communication and cooperation with other similar target volunteer organizations (church and secular) for the exchange of experience and constructive interaction.

In Lozere, one of the dioceses of the south of France, there are several charitable associations that provide assistance to people with disabilities and people suffering from serious illnesses. The list and main directions in the functioning of these organizations gives an idea of a wide range of targeted types of social responsibility:

• -    FCPMH (La Fraternite Chretienne des Per-sonnes Malades et Handicapees) - Christian Brotherhood of Persons with Serious Diseases and Disabled Persons. The representatives of the clergy and volunteers organize the celebration of the Nativity of Christ and other holidays of the Christian calendar in the nursing homes of Luc and Oourou, Saint-Nicolas-de-Langogne, etc., and also provide the most diverse assistance to their sponsored contingent;

• - The mission of St Privat Hospitality provides people with disabilities and those suffering from serious illnesses with assistance to participate in the pilgrimage to Lourdes - once every 2 years: in April-May special bus transportation is provided for 80 pilgrims. On an ongoing basis, community volunteers accompany those in need to Sunday masses and other parish events.

• -    Lourdes Cancer Esperance is a diocesan charitable organization with about 9 thousand members, which since 1985 has been taking care of people suffering from cancer.

The system and coordination of volunteer assistance in medical institutions in France by the structures of the RCCF is widely represented and accessible. For example, the management and staff of any hospital or nursing home located on the territory of the Diocese of Agen (Metropolitanate of Bordeaux) are supposed to contact the Diocesan Pastoral Health Service operating there in order to receive volunteer assistance for

В РОССИИ И ЗА РУБЕЖОМ patient саге10.

Another area of social work of the RCCF, which is being implemented in some of its dioceses, is helping orphans and children left without parental care. For example, in the region of Con-drieu (Lyon), a shelter has been opened in a Catholic monastery, where 120 adolescents aged 16to 18 years11 old live on full support and receive the skills necessary for successful socialization and further independent life.

There are examples when in individual parishes of the RCCF active work is carried out with school-age children in the form of organizing their leisure time and assisting in the preparation of homework. In particular, since 2015, the Catholic parish of St. Peter and St. Paul in Vai d'Azergues (Lyon) has taken over the implementation of such a project. In the village, where 2,700 people live, schoolchildren after school can come to the parish Catholic church, where volunteers help them cope with homework, and then they offer music, cooking, outdoor and board games, a theater group, etc12.

Quite often, in some parishes, assistance is provided in terms of free family psychological counseling for married couples, whose purpose is to help maintain marriage and warm family relationships13.

The development of the qualitative characteristics of the human capital of the country and its individual regions is also facilitated by the activities of the RCCF, aimed atthe adaptation of migrants. In general, in the countries of foreign Europe, this problem is very topical and religious institutions are actively involved in solving it [9]. The parishes of the RCCF also carry out all sorts of targeted activities aimed at helping migrants in mastering the French language, familiarizing themselves with national culture and traditions, as well as in finding work, housing, etc.

For example, the Metropolitanate of Lyon has a program, which implements the following areas of work with migrants by the clergy and volunteers:

• -    courses of teaching French as a foreign language;

• -    cooperation with the state employment service to assist in the employment of migrants;

• -    drawing the attention of the general public and government institutions to the problems caused by the need for adaptation of migrants.

Another example is the Catholic parish of Saint Bernard de la Chapelle, located in the northern part of Paris. Since 2010, a local organization called Solidarites Saint Bernard (SSB14,) has been operating under its supervision, whose members provide material assistance to migrants in need who live near the parish. Among the regular specific activities carried out by the parishioners and volunteers of the Catholic Church of Saint-Bernard de la Chapelle in this direction, we can name the following ones:

• -    distribution of free breakfasts for migrants on weekends (except during Ramadan)

• -    free distribution of clothing for migrants on weekends;

• -    organization and maintenance of a parish shelterfor migrants, where 8 people can stay at the same time (migrants who have received a recommendation from France Terre d'Asile or Secours Catholique organizations can live in the shelter).

RCCF implements social activities outside the country, but this issue is a matter of a separate research10.

Conclusions

Despite the long period of existence as an institution separated from the state, the lack of budgetary funding for the activities of religious organizations, secular trends in society, the spread of Islamic values, the RCCF retains a significant social and cultural role in the country.

In France, there is still a high proportion of the population who preferthe Catholic church rituals to the most important events of the life cycle - birth, marriage, death. At the same time, none of them has a legitimate status, and the ceremony implies payment.

The RCCF not only dominates in terms of the number of followers and the degree of dominance of cult infrastructure in the national territory, but in its activities related to social responsibility, it duplicates many functions of the state in terms of its own financial and other means, thereby influencingthe development of the country and its regions.

Priority areas of social activities, proactively carried out in the parishes of the RCCF, are aimed at solving the most topical problems in the country - combating the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, successful adaptation of migrants and their subsequent employment, the provision of material and other types of assistance to socially vulnerable groups of the population, those with disabilities and in crisis situations.

All socially significant parish events, as well as the professional assistance offered (psychological, legal advice, teaching French as a foreign language, crafts, various types of arts and crafts) are positioned as public ones and do not require payment from participants.

It can be stated that the social role of the RCCF in the country and due to the activities of foreign missions outside its borders is high. The activities of the designated religious organization significantly affect the qualitative characteristics of the social capital of the indigenous population of the country, migrants who arrived to its territory, residents of countries where missionary work is carried out.

Subject areas related to confessional entrepreneurship due to the activities of the RCCF, as well as the development of religious tourism in the country open up further prospects for research in this direction.