A system or belief that gives excessive power and influence to clergy members in secular or political matters.
From clerical (relating to clergy) plus -ism (from Greek -ismos, a suffix forming abstract nouns for doctrines or practices). The term emerged in 19th-century Europe as a critique of religious influence in government.
Clericalism became a heated political issue in Catholic countries like France, Spain, and Mexico, where battles raged over whether priests should control education and social policy—making this word a weapon in the fight between church and secular state.
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