When a Pope Declared War on Revolutionary France

Faith Facts

• Pope Pius VI issued a papal encyclical condemning the French Revolution’s assault on religious freedom and the Catholic Church in March 1791
• Richard Harvey Cain, a prominent African Methodist Episcopal bishop and Reconstruction-era congressman, was born this week in Christian history
• The faith-based film ‘Heaven is for Real,’ based on the bestselling book about a boy’s account of visiting heaven, debuted in theaters in April 2014

This week marks several significant milestones in Christian history that reveal the enduring tension between faith and secularism, the power of faithful leadership in times of national crisis, and the impact of testimony on American culture.

In March 1791, Pope Pius VI issued a powerful papal encyclical that condemned the French Revolution’s systematic attack on Christianity. The French Revolutionary government had seized church property, forced clergy to swear oaths of loyalty to the state over the Church, and attempted to replace Christian worship with a cult of reason.

The Pope’s bold stance came at great personal cost. Within years, French revolutionary forces would invade the Papal States, take the elderly pontiff prisoner, and force him into exile where he would die in captivity. His unwavering defense of religious liberty against totalitarian ideology foreshadowed the struggles Christian believers would face against atheistic regimes throughout the following centuries.

This same week also marks the birth of Richard Harvey Cain, an influential Christian leader who rose from slavery to become a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and later served in the United States Congress during Reconstruction. Born in Virginia, Cain’s life exemplified the transformative power of Christian faith and education in overcoming oppression.

As a pastor and political leader, Cain advocated for land ownership, education, and civil rights for newly freed African Americans. His commitment to both spiritual and social uplift demonstrated the Biblical call to pursue justice while spreading the Gospel.

In more recent history, April 16, 2014, saw the theatrical release of “Heaven is for Real,” a film adaptation of the bestselling book by Todd Burpo. The movie told the story of Burpo’s son Colton, who claimed to have visited heaven during a near-death experience at age four.

The film sparked national conversations about the reality of heaven, the afterlife, and the testimonies of faith. While the movie faced some theological scrutiny from Christian leaders who questioned certain aspects of the account, it reached millions of Americans with a message about eternal hope and the reality of the spiritual realm.

“Heaven is for Real” became a box office success, demonstrating the hunger among American audiences for faith-affirming content that challenges the materialistic worldview dominating much of contemporary culture.

These three events from Christian history—spanning different centuries and continents—remind believers that faithfulness often requires courage in the face of opposition, that Christian leadership can transform societies, and that personal testimony remains a powerful tool for spreading Biblical truth.

From a pope standing against revolutionary violence to a former slave preaching the Gospel in the halls of Congress to a family sharing their son’s extraordinary experience, each story demonstrates how God works through ordinary people committed to extraordinary faith.

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