Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
papistic hierarchy

papistic hierarchy

9.9
The leaders and levels in the Roman Catholic Church
  • noun
  • /ˈpæpɪstɪk ˈhaɪərɑrki/
  • Offensive
translation icon : jerarquía papista
  • During the Reformation, many opposed the papistic hierarchy and advocated for new church structures.

Examples

  • Some historians argue that the papistic hierarchy played a crucial role in European politics.

  • The author's essay criticized the influence of the papistic hierarchy on medieval society.

  • Many Protestants criticize the papistic hierarchy for its authority.

  • The papistic hierarchies often face scrutiny from reformers.

  • During the Reformation, many opposed the papistic hierarchy as they advocated for more decentralized church governance.

  • The author's essay explained how the papistic hierarchy influenced the church's power dynamics in Europe.

  • Many criticized the papistic hierarchy for prioritizing institutional authority over spiritual leadership.

Synonyms

episcopacy
vspapistic hierarchy
  • Formal
1 9.9

A group of bishops who lead a church and the way they run it

is about one church's leadership and often presented with a critical external view
episcopate
vspapistic hierarchy
  • Formal
1 9.9

The group of bishops who lead a church

is broader covering leadership structure and often criticized by outsiders

Antonyms

egalitarianism
6 7.9

A belief that all people in society should have equal rights and chances

How Papal

ultramontanist
  • Formal
9.9
papistic hierarchy
  • Offensive
9.9

Surface Forms

papistic hierarchy singular
papistic hierarchies plural

Morphology

papistic + hierarchy

The meaning is directly compositional: 'papistic' (pertaining to the Pope/Catholicism) combined with 'hierarchy' (a ranked organizational structure) yields 'the leadership/organizational structure of the Catholic Church.' The evaluative or critical nuance is carried by 'papistic' but does not prevent a learner who knows both constituents from deriving the overall sense, and similar constructions exist cross-linguistically.

Etymology

The term papistic hierarchy comes from the words papistic, meaning about the 'pope', and hierarchy, meaning a stepped order like a ladder. This image of levels under the 'pope' explains why critics use the phrase to mean the church's strong 'top-down' leadership.