Catholic Reformation: Strategies and Impact

• In the early 1500s, the Reformation caused religious reform, leading many to leave the Catholic Church for Protestant teachings
• Before Martin Luther, Catholicism united much of Western Europe
• After Luther, Northern and Northwestern Europe shifted to Lutheran, Calvinist, and other Protestant beliefs
• Southern Europe, including Spain, France, and Italy, remained primarily Catholic
• By the 1530s, Europe was deeply divided by religion

Catholic Reformation

• As Protestantism gained converts, Catholic Church leaders responded
• The Catholic Church's response to the Reformation is the Catholic Reformation, or Counter-Reformation and countered the Protestant movement
• Pope Paul III initiated the Catholic Reformation

The Catholic Reformation Underway

• In 1536, Pope Paul III appointed cardinals to investigate issues within the Church
• The cardinals found corrupt practices, like selling indulgences, uneducated priesthoods, monasteries, and religious orders not following Church teachings
• Plans for reform focused on eliminating corrupt practices
• There was a need to clarify Catholic beliefs, halt Protestantism's spread, and bring Catholics back
• Pope Paul III encouraged new religious orders to promote reform
• Most influential was the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, founded by Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits

• Ignatius of Loyola was born in 1491, before Columbus sailed to the New World and spent his early adulthood in the Spanish military
• After being injured by a cannonball while defending a Spanish fort from an invading French army, read religious books during his recovery
• He felt called to a new life of good works, left the military, and became a priest
• Ignatius kept journals about his calling and created Spiritual Exercises, a text complete with prayers and meditations
• Ignatius became the first leader of the Society of Jesus
• Ignatius died in 1556 and became St. Ignatius of Loyola and was declared a Saint in the early 1600s.
• The Jesuits helped revive Catholicism in Europe and spread the faith to the New World
• Jesuit members were well-educated, dedicated to teaching and preaching, and built schools and universities
• Jesuits tutored princes and noblemen in European countries and travelled as missionaries
• The Jesuits helped the Church regain lost influence in Europe and helped the Church grow beyond Europe

Council of Trent

• In 1545, Pope Paul III summoned Catholic bishops to Trento, Italy, to discuss Church reform
• The Council of Trent was the Catholic Church's official response to the Reformation
• The Council of Trent met in three sessions between 1545 and 1563
• The council issued formal declarations that disagreed with Protestant reformers teachings
• doctrines formed the basis of the Catholic faith
• They affirmed Church traditions and the Bible were the foundation of Catholic beliefs.
• The Council reformed corrupt practices by issuing reform decrees
• The Council revitalized and unified the Catholic Church
• Austria, Poland, and Bavaria reverted to Catholicism after initial shifts to Protestantism

Other Actions of the Council

• Hundreds of thousands of books and pamphlets were being read by Europeans by the early 1500s
• The Council of Trent tried to control what Catholics read to stop the spread of anti-Catholic writings
• Church leaders reviewed new publications and censored material against Church teachings
• The Council created the Index of Forbidden Books, banning publications to keep immoral writings from followers minds.
• Nearly all books written by Protestants were banned
• Writings by reform-minded Catholics like Desiderius Erasmus were also banned
• People reading, selling, or owning banned books faced punishment
• Pope Paul III revived the Inquisition to root out heresy
• The Index of Forbidden Books and the Inquisition were tools to counteract Protestant ideas

Results of the Reformations

• By the second half of the 1500s, the Catholic Church corrected or reduced many problems triggering the Reformation
• The Council of Trent strengthened the Church, but Catholics and Protestants remained divided
• The Reformation and Catholic Reformation divided Christians in Europe
• Protestants were persecuted as heretics in Catholic-controlled areas
• Catholics were persecuted with equal brutality in Protestant strongholds
• Conflicts sparked wars in Europe
• The Reformation gave ordinary people access to Bibles and texts in their languages.
• People had a choice in religion and could associate with like-minded people
• Kings gained control and subjects identified with countries over religion.