GALLICAN CHURCH, the distinctive title of the Roman Catholic Church in France. It is the Church of France, considered less in relation to geographi cal boundaries than in its constitution and principles of church government The Christian faith was widely diffused in France or Gaul, even during the life time of the apostles; and it especially flourished among the descendants of the Greek colonies of the S., and in the numerous towns and cities on the Rhone and its confluent rivers. The Church of Gaul numbers several eminent names in the literature of the 3d, 4th, and 5th centuries. The works of humus, Bishop of Lyons, are among the most important for the history of doctrine of all the early patristic remains; and in the fol lowing century Sulpicius Severus, Hil ary of Poitiers, Hilary of Arles, Vincent of Lerins, Prosper, Victor, Eucherius, Salvian, and Gregory of Tours combine to form a body of literature of which the later modern representatives of the French Church are reasonably proud. The hierarchical organization also of the Church of Gaul was, at a very early period, among the most complete and regular throughout the churches of Western Christendom. The Galilean Church underwent very extensive modi fications at the close of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, not merely by the enactment of what was called the "civil constitution of the clergy," and which introduced into the constitution of the Church a large infusion of the Pres byterian, and even the Congregational element, but by the concordat of Pius VII. with Bonaparte as First Consul,
which reduced the number of sees, di minished the number of festivals, and confirmed the suppression of the ancient religious establishments, and confisca tion of the church property. Under the Third Republic successive French Gov ernments became more and more aggres sive in their attitude toward the Church. This attitude eventually led to the suppression of the religious congre gations, the confiscation of their prop erty, and the repeal of the Concordat, absolutely separating Church and State. As a result of the World War, however, and in appreciation of the work done by the French Roman Catholics, both clergy and laity, in behalf of France, more friendly relations between France and the Vatican were re-established.