Papalinian question

San Pedro's Basilica, the de facto capitol of the State of the Church, in 1902

The Papalinian question (Creeperian: pregunta Papaleño) was a debate in Creeperian politics during the Second Parliamentary Era regarding the status of the State of the Church, a country created by Creeperian emperor Manuel III in 1778 to serve as the headquarters of the Creeperian Catholic Church. Conservative and religious leaders wanted to preserve the geopolitical status quo and maintain the State of the Church's sovereignty, while liberal and secular leaders wanted to abolish the state's independence and reincorporate it into Creeperopolis.

Background

On 13 June 1778, Creeperian emperor Manuel III proclaimed the donation of land in the southwestern portion of the Captaincy General of San Salvador to the Creeperian Catholic Church to serve as the church's headquarters, independent of Creeperian political affairs. The donation of Manuel III gave the Creeperian Catholic Church 8,060 square miles (20,900 km²) of land along the banks of the San Salvador River. Pope Pío VI accepted the donation and proclaimed the establishment of the State of the Church. He became its first sovereign and named the city of San Salvador del Oeste as the new country's capital.

The State of the Church remained an independent entity from Creeperopolis throughout the remainder of the 18th century and through the mid 19th century, but Papalinian politics were heavily influenced by events in Creeperopolis as it was entirely enclaved by Creeperian territory. A few years after the state's creation, the 1783 outbreak of the War of the Creeperian Succession between two of Manuel III's sons who claimed the Creeperian throne forced the Papalinian government to choose a side in the conflict. Pío VI attempted to remain neutral ultimately gave his support to Manuel IV in 1785. All of Pío VI's successors as Sovereign of the State of the Church affirmed their support for Manuel IV until the Revolution of 1833 when Pope Gregorio XVI proclaimed his support for Adolfo III. When Creeperopolis joined the Great Surian War 1837, Gregorio XVI announced that the State of the Church would send soldiers to support Creeperopolis and Castilliano against Salisford. Gregorio XVI's successors, popes Pío IX and León XIII, continued to reiterate their support for Adolfo III and his government until Adolfo III's death in 1887.

In the years leading to Adolfo III's death, several Creeperian political leaders and intellectuals began calling for democratization and the end of absolutism. Adolfo III sought to quell all efforts to promote democratic reforms, but after his death, his successor, Gustavo I, was pressured by reformist politicians begin the process of democratization. The first sessions of the Creeperian National Parliament was dominated by the National Liberal Party (PLN). The Papalinian government did not comment on the democratization process in Creeperopolis, and many reformers accused it of implicitly opposing democratization through silence.

Debate

Support for annexation

Many liberal reformers during the democratization of Creeperopolis proposed repealing the donation of Manuel III, reincorporating the State of the Church into the Viceroyalty of San Salvador (upgraded from a captaincy general in 1888) or incorporating it as the 19th viceroyalty. Inhué Ordóñez Yepes, the first prime minister of Creeperopolis and a member of the PLN, supported incorporating the State of the Church as a viceroyalty and sent Minister of External Affairs Pedro Morales Morales to negotiate such an incorporation with the Papalinian government. León XIII refused Ordóñez Yepes' attempts to negotiate. Ordóñez Yepes also pressured the Papalinian government to implement similar democratic reforms in the State of the Church, but León XIII rejected any calls for democratization.

Events

1933 Papalinian coup attempt

Main article: 1933 Papalinian coup attempt

See also

• Senvarian question