The Catholic Reformation and the Counter-Reformation: 

Reformed versions of Christianity or Protestantism made amazing advances but the Roman Catholic church also made a significant comeback. The Catholic Reformation sought the renewal basically through the stimulation of a new spiritual fervor. The Counter-Reformation incorporated Catholic efforts to convince or coerce heretics to return to the church lest they corrupt the entire community of Catholic believers. The Counter Reformation was essentially a reaction to the spread of Protestantism.

These two reformations were different in that the Counter Reformation is against the heretic (negative) while the Catholic Reformation wanted to rebuild the church (positive). Pope Clemente was essential in the spread of Protestantism while he backed the emperor and then the French ruler, switching between people for who would be better for his own interests. Because of Clemente’s switching loyalties, Charles V got mad and he allowed his German and Spanish troops to sack Rome then capture the pope.

Council of Trent:

Under Pope Paul III the Council of Trent was established, meeting intermittently to reform the church and to secure reconciliation with the Protestants. Lutherans and Calvinists were invited to participate but the insistence that the Scriptures be the sole basis for discussion made reconciliation impossible. Although there were obstacles such as the conciliar theory, its accomplishments are impressive. It dealt with doctrinal and disciplinary matter, the council gave equal validity to the Scriptures and to tradition as sources of religious truth and authority. The 7 sacraments and transubstantiation were also reaffirmed by the Council. Council pushed through the Tridentine decrees which required bishops to live in their own dioceses, suppressed pluralism and simony, and forbade the sale of indulgences. Clerics also had to give up concubines and the bishops’ jurisdiction over all of the clergy and regular visits to every religious house in their diocese. In addition, the council required every diocese to establish a seminary for the education and training of the clergy that favored the poor. Clandestine marriages were also out lawed and the presence of witnesses became required.

New Religious Orders: (Part of the Catholic Reformation)

Ursuline Order of Nuns: Founded by Angela Merici attained prestige for the education of women, working for many years among the poor, sick and uneducated. Angela established the Ursuline order to combat heresy through Christian education which was the first women’s religious order concentrating only on the education of young girls. Official recognition of her order came late, but they spread rapidly through France and the New World, therefore spreading the spiritual ideas of the Catholic Reformation.

The Society of Jesus:

The Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius Loyola played a powerful international role in resisting the spread of Protestantism, spreading Christian education all over Europe. The members of this group were referred to as Jesuits, they recruited primarily from the wealthy merchant and professional classes, seeing the Reformation as a pastoral problem. The Jesuits goal was “to help souls” and developed into a very centralized tightly knit organization. In addition to the traditional vows of poverty, Jesuits vowed chastity, and obedience, and “special obedience” of missions. Jesuits achieved success for the papacy and they reformed the Catholic church. The schools that they built adopted humanist methods and curriculum, concentrating on the children of the poor but soon educating the nobility.

The Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office:

The Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office had jurisdiction over the Roman Inquisition, a powerful instrument of the Counter Reformation. The Inquisition was a committee of six cardinals with judicial authority over all Catholics and the power to arrest, impression or execute under the control of Cardinal Caraffa. Operating under the principles of Roman law, the inquisition was effective in destroying heresy in the Papal States, while outside of them, the influence was slight.

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Love y’all  - Franny <3