Catholic Reformation: Pope Paul III and the Jesuits

• The Catholic Church responded to the Protestant Reformation through the Catholic Reformation, also known as the Counter-Reformation
• The Catholic Reformation opposed the Protestant Reformation
• Pope Paul III initiated the Catholic Reformation

The Catholic Reformation Gets Underway

• Pope Paul III appointed a group of cardinals in 1536 CE to investigate issues within the Church
• The cardinals found corrupt practices like selling indulgences, an uneducated priesthood, and religious orders not following Church teachings

Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits

• Pope Paul III encouraged new religious orders to help promote reform, including the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits
• Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish priest, founded the Jesuits
• Ignatius was born in 1491 CE and was a soldier before becoming a priest
• Injured in battle, Ignatius spent his recovery reading religious texts, leading him to become a priest
• Ignatius kept journals about the challenges of his calling and created "Spiritual Exercises" to guide others
• Ignatius was elected the first leader of the Society of Jesus
• Ignatius died in 1556 CE and was declared a saint in the early 1600s, becoming St. Ignatius of Loyola
• The Jesuits worked to revive Catholicism in Europe and spread the faith to the New World
• Members of the Jesuit order were well-educated and dedicated to teaching, building schools and universities
• Jesuits became tutors to nobles in Europe and missionaries, spreading education and Catholic beliefs to the Americas and Asia
• The Jesuits helped the Church regain influence and grow beyond Europe

Council of Trent

• Pope Paul III summoned Catholic bishops to Trento, Italy in 1545 CE to reform the Church
• The Council of Trent was the Catholic Church's response to the Reformation
• The Council of Trent met in three sessions between 1545 and 1563 CE and issued declarations clarifying disagreements with Protestant reformers
• The Council of Trent affirmed Church traditions and the Bible as the foundation of Catholic beliefs and took steps to reform corrupt practices by issuing decrees
• Decisions of the Council revitalized and unified the Catholic Church
• Some parts of Europe that had turned to Protestantism, including Austria, Poland, and Bavaria, reverted back to Catholicism

Other Actions of the Council

• The Council of Trent aimed to control what Catholics could read to stop the spread of anti-Catholic writings
• Church leaders reviewed new publications and censored those against Church teachings
• The Council created the Index of Forbidden Books, a list of banned publications to prevent immoral writings from corrupting followers
• Books written by Protestants and some reform-minded Catholics like Desiderius Erasmus were banned
• The Inquisition was revived to root out heresy
• The Index of Forbidden Books and the Inquisition were the two primary tools that the Church used to counteract Protestant ideas

Results of the Reformations

• By the second half of the 1500s, the Council of Trent had purged the Church, leaving it stronger and more united
• Catholics and Protestants would remain divided despite some issues being resolved
• Christians in Europe were bitterly divided, with persecution of Protestants in Catholic-controlled areas and vice versa
• The reformations sparked many years of warfare in Europe
• Positive outcomes included ordinary people having access to Bibles in their native language and the ability to choose their religion
• Individuals could associate with others sharing the same beliefs
• Kings gained greater control, and subjects identified more with countries and empires than with a particular religion