1438: Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges

After the crises of legitimacy and war, Charles VII sought to consolidate his authority. Part of this consolidation involved the relationship between the State and the Church.

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🏛️ The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges

In 1438, King Charles VII, eager to assert his authority over the Church of France, convened an assembly composed of bishops, clergy, theologians and representatives of Pope Eugene IV, at the Sainte-Chapelle of Bourges.

The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, promulgated on 7 July 1438, allowed the king to impose himself as the natural head of the Church of France. This foundational text conferred several powers upon him:

• Appointment of the principal representatives of the French clergy in abbeys and episcopal seats
• Right of oversight and intervention over the redistribution of religious revenues to the Holy See
• Required approval of councils and the sovereign pontiff for appointments

This measure marked the beginnings of Gallicanism, a doctrine asserting the liberties of the Church of France vis-à-vis the papacy.

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🏛️ Bourges (1438): asserting ecclesiastical “liberties”

The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges reinforced the idea of a Church of the kingdom endowed with its own rules, with a king as protector of ecclesiastical rights against outside pressures. In political practice, it was an instrument:

• of sovereignty: asserting the autonomy of the kingdom
• of administration: better controlling appointments and finances
• of legitimation: presenting a reforming king as guardian of the common good

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🧠 Key points

• 7 July 1438: promulgation of the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges
• Charles VII asserted himself as head of the Church of France
• Beginnings of French Gallicanism
• Strengthening of royal authority over religious affairs
• The reconstruction of the State also passed through religious institutions