anticlericalism

It is called anticlericalism to the movement what opposes clericalism: that is, to exaggerated power of clergy (the group of priests or clergy) in politics or even in the day-to-day life of the Church. Also known as anti-clericalism animosity against everything related to the clergy.

Anti-clericalism rejects the religious influence in political matters and in social life in general. His doctrine It has different scopes or objectives, according to each group and at the time.

There is an anticlericalism that criticizes the exaggerated size of the clergy and the abuses committed by its members, although it does not reject that the church has interference in society and in the State. In this case, we speak of believing anticlericalism or christian anticlericalism, according to the name proposed by the Spanish essayist, anthropologist and historian Julio Caro Baroja.

Another kind of anticlericalism, arisen with the Illustration in the century XVIII, questions the clergy from a rationalist position. The so-called unbelieving anticlericalism or contemporary anticlericalism holds that clergy represent an impediment to progress.

The atheist anticlericalism or anti-religious anticlericalismmeanwhile, it is more extreme. Its promoters attack the beliefs, dogmas, scriptures and rituals of the religion.

At a general level, it can be said that anticlericalism is associated with secularization and the secularism. It is important to mention that the anticlerical position, with different nuances, appears in different ideologies and movements, such as the communism, the anarchism and the liberalism. Therefore its principles can be integrated into various political factions.