PETITE-ÉGLISE. - The name designates the anti-Concordat schism of 1801, in France and in Belgium. On 18 Aug. 1801, Pope Pius VII, in execution of art. 3 of the Concordat, demanded the resignation of all the former bishops of France; 46 submitted their resignations, most of them reluctantly and with protests, but 38, of whom only 2 were appointees, addressed canonical appeals to the Pope (6 Apr. 1803), though these were quite full of respect (v. Mémoire des évêques français, Traduction, Lyon 1898, published by the P.-E.).
These appeals were approved by certain priests and faithful in various parts of France and Belgium; the dissidents took various names according to the dioceses: Basniéristes at Coutances, Enfarinés at Rodez, Clémentins at Rouen, Blanchardistes at Bayeux, Purs at Montpellier, Stévénistes at Namur, P.-E. at Lyon. The latter name prevailed. The dissident bishops submitted in part at the time of the Restoration, in 1815. Others died without having submitted. The two most obstinate were Alexandre de Thémines, former bishop of Blois, called "the venerable" by his followers, and Jean de Coucy, former bishop of La Rochelle. The last bishop died in 1829, the last priest in 1847. After the death of their bishops and their priests, the heads of families took over the direction of the schism, which still endures today, albeit in greatly reduced proportions. Two delegates of the P.-E. of Lyon, J. Berliet and M. Duc, went to plead their cause at the Vatican Council, but the Council was interrupted before it had examined their memorials. Leo XIII, asked for a response, wrote to them on 19 July 1893: while acknowledging their moral virtues, he invited them to return to the fold of Christ. Once the Concordat was abolished, the archbishop of Lyon invited them again, since there no longer existed any reason for schism. They did not respond to that appeal, which was repeated other times and lastly by Card. Gerlier (20 Feb. 1949).
They affirm: we are Catholics, we baptize and instruct our children in the Catholic faith; if we have neither the Mass nor any other Sacrament besides Baptism, the fault is not ours; we are victims of our fidelity for the good of the Catholic Church; we await the hour of providence, which will demonstrate that we are right; the Pope has never condemned us directly; having us, indeed, Pope Pius XII had word sent that we would be received without abjuration and without a profession of faith; he recognizes that we are within our rights and shows that he understands us; but we cannot without perjury return to the Church before the "wrongs have been repaired."