Gallican

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the Christian church in France, especially its historical assertion of independence from papal authority
2. Of or pertaining to the French Catholic Church and its tradition of autonomy from the Roman See
3. Concerning the French Church's distinctive practices and its resistance to direct control by the Pope

Etymology: The word's most interesting history is its later career in church politics. Latin "Gallicanus" simply meant "of Gaul" or "pertaining to France," built from "Gallicus" (Gaulish, French) and the suffix "-anus," which marks something as belonging to or relating to a place or group. English took it directly from Latin, so it carries the plain geographic sense of the ancient Roman province of Gaul at its root. The sense that matters in English is ecclesiastical. A "Gallican" church or liturgy is one associated with France, and the Gallican position became a name for the French Church's resistance to direct papal authority, asserting national rights against Rome. The word therefore moved from describing a land to describing a stance on who held power within the Church.

Synonyms: Gallic