Les ordres religieux féminins et le compromis catholique: esquisse d'une recherche comparative France-Québec

Abstract

This article studies the compromise made by female religious orders in France and in Quebec. Their compromise is with both society and with the Church. The research, reflecting the particularity of the religious orders in the Church, alternates between the logic of network and the logic of territory. In two secularized societies, the sisters negotiate differently their social integration. The compromise acquires a polymorphous dimension linked to the diversity of the sisters and to the diversity of societies. Insertion in a national culture seems to have a strong impact on female religious orders. Furthermore, it is found that sisters react differently in France and in Quebec. Political speeches by some Quebecker sisters indicate perhaps that some of them are moving beyond compromise.