Debauched Clerics : sexual Deviance of the French Clergy in the 18th century, through the study of Parisian sources

Au XVIIIe siècle, grâce aux efforts redoublés de l’Église post-tridentine, le clergé semble davantage formé, éduqué et moralisé, comme en atteste le topos littéraire du « bon prêtre ». L’étude d’un corpus de sources éclectiques, issues des archives de la Bastille, du parlement et de l’officialité de Paris, révèle la persistance d’un contingent non négligeable de membres déviants. Enjeux d’une surveillance multiforme de la part de leurs ouailles, de leurs pairs, de leur hiérarchie ou des instances policières, les ecclésiastiques contreviennent à l’impératif de chasteté en entretenant des relations ancillaires, sodomites et tarifées, de manière fortuite ou régulière. Outre la mise en lumière de leurs pratiques sexuelles et d’une géographie de la capitale tentatrice, la confrontation des sources souligne l’existence de plusieurs effets de seuils entraînant scandale, saisine de justice et répression, préalables indispensables à une réconciliation du corps social.During the 18th century, thanks to the efforts of the post-tridentine catholic church, the Clergy seems to be better trained, more educated and have a more ethical conduct, as confirms the figure of the “Good Priest” in French literature. Various sources from the archives of the Bastille, parliament and ecclesiastical courts reveal that a substantial number of clergy members had a deviant behavior. Some Clerics transgress chastity rules and engage in casual or regular intercourse with servants, other men or prostitutes. They are subsequently closely kept under close surveillance by their parishioners, fellow priests, hierarchy or by the police. The corpus studied has permitted to highlight their sexual practices as well as the geography of the places of debauchery in the city. It also revealed the existence of several threshold effects and the ensuing scandals, court cases and repression, which were essential for society to be reconciled with its Clergy