Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges

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The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, issued by King Charles VII of France, on July 7, 1438, required a General Church Council, with authority superior to that of the pope, to be held every ten years, required election rather than appointment to ecclesiastical offices, prohibited the pope from bestowing, and profiting from, benefices, and limited appeals to Rome.

The Gallican church declared administrative independence from the church in Rome, suppressed the payment of annates to Rome, and forbade papal intervention in the appointment of French prelates. While this did result in a loss of papal power in France, the movement of conciliarists itself was divided. In 1449, the Council of Basel was dissolved and the Concilliar Movement came to an end.

[edit] See also

• Gallicanism