</s> ▁The ▁foreign ▁relations ▁between ▁Pope ▁P ius ▁IX ▁and ▁France ▁were ▁character ized ▁by ▁the ▁host ility ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Republic ' s ▁ant ic ler ical ▁politics , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Napoleon ▁III ' s ▁influence ▁over ▁the ▁pap al ▁states . ▁ ▁This ▁did ▁not ▁stop , ▁however , ▁Church ▁life ▁in ▁France ▁from ▁fl our ishing ▁during ▁much ▁of ▁P ius ▁IX ' s ▁pont ificate . ▁ ▁Con cord ▁between ▁ ▁liberal ▁and ▁conserv ative ▁fa ctions ▁When ▁P ius ▁IX ▁assumed ▁the ▁pap acy ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁French ▁C athol ics ▁were ▁divided ▁into ▁a ▁liberal ▁fraction ▁under ▁Charles ▁For bes ▁René ▁de ▁Mont alem bert ▁and ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁fraction ▁under ▁Louis ▁Ve u ill ot . ▁They ▁agreed ▁on ▁right ▁to ▁private ▁schools , ▁freedom ▁of ▁instruction , ▁financial ▁support ▁by ▁the ▁State ▁and ▁a ▁re jection ▁of ▁gall ican ism . ▁P ius ▁addressed ▁the ▁French ▁b ish ops ▁with ▁his ▁en cyc lic al ▁Inter ▁Mult ip lices ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁asked ▁for ▁conc ord ▁of ▁mind ▁and ▁will ▁among ▁the ▁French . ▁Under ▁Napoleon ▁III , ▁French ▁C athol ics ▁got ▁much ▁of ▁what ▁they ▁wanted . ▁Napoleon ▁III , ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁Pap al ▁States , ▁was ▁also ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁def ender ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁and ▁of ▁Catholic ▁interests . ▁ ▁Bl oss oming ▁of ▁Church ▁life ▁in ▁France ▁ ▁French ▁religious ▁life ▁bl oss omed ▁under ▁P ius ▁IX . ▁Many ▁French