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Glite Dictionary
Gallicanism

Gallicanism

1 9.9
A French church movement that limited the pope's power and supported a national church
  • noun
  • /ˈɡælɪkənɪzəm/
  • Specialized
: galicanismo
  • The rise of Gallicanism in France led to tensions between the monarchy and the papacy.

Examples

  • Historians debate the impact Gallicanism had on the development of French national identity.

  • Many bishops during the seventeenth century were influenced by Gallicanism and resisted papal interference.

  • The concept of Gallicanism emerged during the 17th century.

  • Many French clergy supported Gallicanism to limit papal power.

  • The council discussed the principles of Gallicanism, which aimed to limit the influence of the Pope on French affairs.

  • Many French clergy supported Gallicanism to ensure their national church had more autonomy from Roman authority.

  • During the 17th century, Gallicanism became a significant movement advocating for the independence of the French Church.

Surface Forms

Gallicanism singular
Gallicanisms plural

Morphology

Gallicanism = Gallican (semi-transparent) = Gallican + ism

The word is built transparently from 'Gallican' plus '-ism', but the specialized historical-political sense is not fully predictable for learners unfamiliar with the base term.

Etymology

Gallicanism comes from the Latin root Gallia, meaning 'Gaul' or 'France', and the ending -ism, meaning 'a belief or movement'. It shares the same root as Gallic, which means 'French'. So, Gallicanism is the name for a French church movement that wanted to limit the pope's power and make the national church more independent.