established church

is a church recognized by the state as its official church and is usually supported by taxes and is generally under a degree of control from the state, typically regarding the appointment of church ministers and leaders. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church was the established church throughout Europe but soon after the Reformation began Lutheran churches became the established church throughout a large area of Germany and Scandinavia, and the Church of England became the established church in Brittan. Often other religions were persecuted or subject to various types of penalties in territories with established churches, which precipitated the First Amendment to the US Constitution prohibiting the establishment of a state religion.