Säkularisierte

Säkularisierte is the past participle and attributive form of the German verb säkularisieren, meaning to transfer into secular use or to remove from the religious sphere. As an adjective, it describes something that has been secularized—i.e., brought under civil control or made non-religious in function, status, or purpose.

Etymology: The word derives from säkularisieren, from Säkularisierung, which in turn comes from late Latin saecularis 'worldly' via French séculaire, from Latin saeculum 'age, generation'. In German, Säkularisierung denotes the process, and säkularisiert serves as the corresponding past participle adjective.

Usage: In historical contexts, säkularisierung refers to expropriation or confiscation of church property and authority, or the transfer of monasteries, schools, and other ecclesiastical assets to secular rulers or state administration. A landmark period is the Säkularisierung in the Holy Roman Empire, especially around 1802–1803 during mediatization, when church lands were absorbed by secular principalities. In modern sociology and political theory, the term may describe a broader process by which religion loses social, political, and cultural influence, yielding a more secular society.

Examples: The phrase säkularisierte Güter (secularized property) or säkularisierte Kirche (secularized church) appears in historical accounts. The past participle is commonly used in compounds or as an adjective: "ein säkularisiertes Amt" (a secularized office), though usage can vary by context.

See also: Säkularisierung, Säkularismus, Kirchenstaat, Staatskirchenrecht.