Les Libertés de l’église gallicane

work by Pithou

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June 30, 2026

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Les Libertés de l'église gallicane (1594) was a significant work by the jurist Pierre Pithou. This book was a key expression of Gallicanism, a complex set of French doctrines that aimed to limit the power of the pope within France.12

Gallicanism asserted three main ideas: the independence of the French king in temporal matters, the superiority of ecumenical councils over the pope, and the cooperation of clergy and king to restrict papal intervention in the kingdom. Pithou's work echoed the stance of French legal scholars in their disputes with the Holy See and became a foundation for later declarations on papal authority. Although condemned by Rome, Les Libertés de l'église gallicane remained influential for centuries.213

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Gallicanism
…Pierre Pithou, who published his Les Libertés de l’église gallicane in 1594. This book, together with several commentaries on it, was condemned by Rome but continued to be influential well into the 19th century.
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…Pierre Pithou, who published his Les Libertés de l’église gallicane in 1594. This book, together with several commentaries on it, was condemned by Rome but continued to be influential well into the 19th century.
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Pierre Pithou
…King Henry IV, he wrote Les Libertés de l’église gallicane (1594; “Liberties of the Gallican Church”), a work echoing the position of the French legal scholars in the conflict between the government and the Holy See; it became the basis for the declaration of the French clergy (1682) concerning the…
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…King Henry IV, he wrote Les Libertés de l’église gallicane (1594; “Liberties of the Gallican Church”), a work echoing the position of the French legal scholars in the conflict between the government and the Holy See; it became the basis for the declaration of the French clergy (1682) concerning the…
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France
Political ideology
…in 1594 with Pierre Pithou’s Les Libertés de l’église gallicane ("Liberties of the Gallican Church"), which reiterated the basic tenets of Gallican doctrine: that the pope had no temporal authority in France and no more spiritual power than that bestowed on him by such conciliar decisions as the monarchy chose…
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…in 1594 with Pierre Pithou’s Les Libertés de l’église gallicane ("Liberties of the Gallican Church"), which reiterated the basic tenets of Gallican doctrine: that the pope had no temporal authority in France and no more spiritual power than that bestowed on him by such conciliar decisions as the monarchy chose…
Read More