To make something clerical in character; to place something under the control or influence of the clergy.
From clerical plus -ize (from Greek -izein, meaning 'to make or become'). This verb emerged in 19th-century political debate in Europe, particularly regarding control of education and institutions.
When governments 'clericalized' schools or hospitals, they were literally handing control from secular administrators to religious authorities—a political move that still sparks debate in countries like France and Italy today.
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