Papists

Roman Church adherents

Papists is a hostile or dismissive term for Roman Catholics, emphasizing their allegiance to the Pope.

The word carries centuries of Protestant-Catholic antagonism, appearing frequently in historical contexts: The Papists were forbidden from holding public office.

Today it sounds archaic or deliberately provocative, used mainly in historical discussion or by those wishing to signal anti-Catholic sentiment.

religious

Vatican

Papal city-state

RomeItaly's capital city
MassCatholic worship service
transubstantiationChange of underlying substance

sacraments · confession · Eucharist · clergy · bishops · cardinals · indulgences · purgatory · saints · relics

historical

Reformation

Religious movement splitting Christianity

Counter-ReformationChurch's internal reform movement
ElizabethanOf late 1500s England
JacobeanPertaining to King James's reign

Gunpowder Plot · Mary Tudor · Philip II · Spanish Armada · martyrs · priests · seminary · persecution · fines · treason

pejorative

Catholics

Christians following Rome

anti-CatholicBiased against Roman Catholics
bigotryIntolerance toward differing views
slurInsulting group label

Protestant · sectarian · prejudice · nativism · Know-Nothings · Jesuits · idolaters · superstition · papistry · intolerance

Opposites

religious allegiance within Christianity

PapistsProtestants

Post-Reformation Christian denominations

Anglicans · Lutherans · Calvinists · Huguenots · Puritans

English religious-political identity

PapistsAnglicans

Church of England members

Orangemen · Church of England · Episcopalians

Family

papist, papism

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Rated PG