French catholicism in new france

The history of the Catholic church in New France from the 1680s through the 1730s is outlined. This period roughly corresponds to the bishopric of Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Vallier, when the former missionary church transformed itself into another branch of the Gallican church. The author contends that, contrary to traditional opinion, Saint-Vallier's mandate did not differ much from the mandate of the previous bishop of Québec, François de Laval. They both complained about the dearth of priests in the diocese. They were also unable to evenly distribute their clergy in the regions outside of the St. Lawrence valley, such as the far countryside, Acadia, the West and Louisiana. They also favoured a strict alliance with the Crown, irrespective of some individual disputes they met with. Finally, the author explains that for neither Laval or Saint-Vallier Indian missions were at the centre of their activity, and that the difference in religious standards, from stricter to looser, mirrored society at large not a different attitude on their part.