The words Popery (adjective Popish) and Papism (adjective Papist) are archaic words in the English language for Roman Catholicism, historically used by Protestants and Anglicans to label their Roman Catholic opponents, who differed from them in accepting the authority of the Pope over the Christian Church. The words were popularised during the English Reformation (1532–59), when the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and divisions emerged between those who rejected Papal ...