MICHEL DE L'HOPITAL

This issue of who has the wisdom and competency to determine policy in matters of war has been a constant one in most societies. Even in the Iraq war of the early 21st century, the Congress and the President argued as to what competence the Congress had to determine policy, strategy and tactics.

This amazing pronouncement separated the right of citizenship from religion. This was opposed by most clerics as to them excommunication meant that the person should have no rights whatsoever. There was a practical side to the Chancellor’s view. At the time there were bitter religious civil wars in France. Each sect would castigate and excommunicate its religious and often military enemies. Things had reached such a point where anybody who was anybody had been excommunicated by somebody. If citizenship were to be nullified by excommunication, then the state would have to take sides. If it treated all excommunications as equal, too many people would be denied their citizenship. Therefore the only practical solutions were to have a single state religion or to separate excommunication from citizenship. France was beyond the possibility of a state religion with Catholics, Lutherans, Huguenots--all had large established congregations of followers and there were smaller sects.

This amazing pronouncement separated the right of citizenship from religion. This was opposed by most clerics as to them excommunication meant that the person should have no rights whatsoever. There was a practical side to the Chancellor’s view. At the time there were bitter religious civil wars in France. Each sect would castigate and excommunicate its religious and often military enemies. Things had reached such a point where anybody who was anybody had been excommunicated by somebody. If citizenship were to be nullified by excommunication, then the state would have to take sides. If it treated all excommunications as equal, too many people would be denied their citizenship. Therefore the only practical solutions were to have a single state religion or to separate excommunication from citizenship. France was beyond the possibility of a state religion with Catholics, Lutherans, Huguenots--all had large established congregations of followers and there were smaller sects.

This issue of who has the wisdom and competency to determine policy in matters of war has been a constant one in most societies. Even in the Iraq war of the early 21st century, the Congress and the President argued as to what competence the Congress had to determine policy, strategy and tactics.