Cuius regio, eius religio
| Date | 1555 |
|---|---|
| Location | Augsburg |
| Participants | Ferdinand, King of the Romans acting for Charles V. Delegates from the Imperial Estates |
| Outcome | (1) The principle Cuius regio, eius religio allowed princes to adopt either Catholicism or the Lutheran Augsburg Confession and enforce religious conformity within their state. (2) The principle of reservatum ecclesiasticum ruled that ecclesiastical princes would have to relinquish their rule if they converted to another religion, ensuring the territory to stay Catholic. (3) The Declaratio Ferdinandei protected the religious freedom of Protestants living in ecclesiastical principalities but was not enshrined as binding law. |
Cuius regio, eius religio is a Latin phrase which literally means "Whose realm, his religion", meaning that the religion of the ruler was to dictate the religion of those ruled. At the Peace of Augsburg of 1555, which ended a period of armed conflict between Roman Catholic and Protestant forces within the Holy Roman Empire, the rulers of the German-speaking states and Charles V, the Emperor, agreed to accept this principle. It was to apply to all the territories of the Empire except for the Ecclesiastical principalities, and some of the cities in those ecclesiastical states, where the question of religion was addressed under the separate principles of Reservatum ecclesiasticum and Declaratio Ferdinandei.
The principle of "cuius regio" gave legitimacy to only two forms of religion within the Empire, Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism, leaving out other Reformed forms of Christianity, such as Calvinism, and radical systems such as Anabaptism. Any other practice of worship beyond the first two named, which were the most widespread in the Empire, was expressly forbidden and considered by the law to be heretical and punishable by death. Although not explicitly intended to allow the modern ideal of "freedom of conscience", individuals who could not subscribe to their ruler's religion were permitted to leave his territory with their possessions.
The Peace of Augsburg generally, and the principle of cuius regio, eius religio specifically, marked the end of the first wave of organized military action between Protestants and Catholics; however, its limitations did not address the emerging trend toward religious pluralism (co-existence within a single territory) developing throughout the German-speaking lands of the Holy Roman Empire.
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