B. Religious Nationalism (“The State over Religion”)
* While the Rationalists were gaining ground in intellectual circles, another mind-set began to dominate in political circles.
* Catholic rulers tried to assert more authority over the Church within their kingdoms; this was
Religious Nationalism.
1) Forms of Religious Nationalism
a) Gallicanism —the Church under the King of France

From 1643 to 1714, Louis XIV was king of France.

Louis was one of the most powerful kings in French history, having centralized all state power into his hands.

Louis also attempted to assert his power over the Church in France; this was known in history as Gallicanism.

Louis attempted to do this is several ways:
* He claimed the authority to appoint bishops in France.
* Revenues of any vacant dioceses go to the king instead of the Church.
* The Pope has no say in the rituals and customs of the Church in France.

When Pope Innocent XI condemned Louis, the king retaliated by annexing Avignon, imprisoning the Papal Nuncio, and even sending troops to Rome.

Louis was on the brink of schism, but pressure from his wars against England and
Holland convinced him to come to terms with the new pope, Innocent XII.

By 1693, Louis withdrew his claims on the Church.
b) Josephinism —the Church under the HRE

HRE Joseph II, who ruled from 1780-1790, also tried to interfere in religious affairs by:
* making new rules for monasteries, creating the curriculum for seminaries, and re-writing hymns and prayer books.
* planning homilies and deciding how many candles are lit at Mass.

This meddling was cut short when revolutions broke out in Europe.
2) Effects of Religious Nationalism
a) Royal Absolutism

In the 17 th century, kings were becoming absolute monarchs, ruling with final authority by the “Divine Right of Kings”.

Religious nationalism was a way that helped centralize all power —including religious matters —into kings’ hands.
b) Suppression of the Jesuits

From their founding, the Jesuits were loyal to the Pope.

This opposed the Rationalists and was an obstacle to Religious Nationalism and Royal
Absolutism.

Because to this, both Rationalists and Absolutists worked to destroy them.

Jesuit missions in South America defending Natives against slavery, gave the perfect excuse when the Indians rebelled in 1750 (as portrayed in the film The Mission ).

By 1767, the Jesuits were expelled by the absolutist kings of Portugal, France, and
Spain.

By 1773, these kings pressured Pope Clement XIV to suppress the Jesuits.

Ironically, the Jesuits stayed in Protestant Prussia and Orthodox Russia; from there they returned when the suppression was lifted in 1814 by Pope Pius VII.

When Absolutism and Rationalism clashed in 1789, it was the Church that was caught in the middle.
Assignment
1) What is Religious Nationalism, and how did it help establish Royal Absolutism?
2) Why did both Rationalists and Religious Nationalism oppose the Jesuits?
3) In the Papal Conclave of 2005 that elected Benedict XVI, some feared that a pope from the U.S. (a super-power) would be another form of Gallicanism. Explain this way of thinking.