The story
Eponym, Donatus Magnus + -ism
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: An early Christian belief which maintained that apostate priests were incapable of administering the sacraments, as opposed to the orthodox view that any sacrament administered by a properly ordained priest or bishop is valid, regardless of how sinful he is or if he has converted to another religion. Full definition →
Eponym, Donatus Magnus + -ism
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.