Disestablishmentarianism

Disestablishmentarianism refers to campaigns to sever links between church and state, particularly in relation to the Church of England as an established church.

It was initially a movement in the United Kingdom in the 18th century. The established churches in Wales and Ireland could not count on even nominal adherence by a majority of the population of those countries. In Ireland, the predominantly Roman Catholic population campaigned against the position of the established Anglican Church of Ireland - eventually disestablished in Ireland from 1 January 1870.