Download 1 The Catholic (Counter) Reformation ______

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The Catholic (Counter) Reformation
Terms to Know:
Council of Trent
Inquisition
Jesuits
The Catholic or Counter Reformation
Erasmus and other humanists called for reform in the Catholic Church. To make matters
worse, Martin Luther had led the Protestants to split from the Catholic Church. Perhaps the
Church underestimated the humanists and Protestants, or perhaps the Church was in denial.
Either way, the Catholic Church was slow to respond to this split in the Christian Church.
The Catholic Response to the Protestant Reformation
Leaders of the Catholic Church began to “counter” the protests that had erupted
throughout Europe, specifically within the Holy Roman Empire. The Catholic response came in
three major points. First, the Church (to some degree) accepted the criticism of the humanists
and Lutherans, and returned to matters that were more spiritual. Although the Catholic Church
did not abandon its rituals and ceremonies, it attempted to center them more to the Christian
Message. Second, the leaders attempted to make the Catholic Doctrines more clear. The purpose
and processes of the Christian faith became more defined. Third, the Catholic Church made a
conscious and commanding decision to stop the further spread of Protestantism, if not end the
movement all together.
 Why did the Church attempt to find an acceptable middle ground between both
extremes?
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Tactics of the Counter Reformation
One of the most infamous methods used to stop the spread of Protestantism was the
Inquisition. The Inquisition was a tribunal, or court hearing, to suppress heresy. These heresy
trials began in Spain, a strongly devote Catholic state, and eventually grew in popularity among
the Catholic communities. More often than not, those who went in front of the Inquisition
received some form of punishment. Punishments varied depending on the severity of the heresy,
one’s willingness to confess, or simply the mood the church officials hearing the case. Sometimes
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it was a simple punishment of public mockery, and other times it was more serious like jail time,
torture, or even death. Unlike trials here in the modern United States, the accused was not
innocent until proven guilty. Often times, victims of the Inquisition were burdened with the
responsibility of proving themselves innocent. Furthermore, word-of-mouth, or hearsay, was
sufficient evidence to find a person guilty of heresy.
 What is the legacy of the Inquisition?
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Other Counter Reformation Tactics
Besides the Inquisition, the Catholic Church tried to find other ways to stop the spread of
the Protestant movement. Much to the dismay of the Church, Gutenberg’s printing press had
made Luther’s criticism and “heretic” statements more readily available. Due to the fact that the
95 Thesis was printed in German, the Protestant ideas were very difficult to contain. Therefore,
in an effort to prevent further growth of the Reformation, the Catholic Church printed the Index
of Forbidden Books. This list of books and other printed documents was distributed throughout
Europe. Some of the works on the Index of Forbidden Books was not from Protestant Reformers.
The listed of banned books included scientists and humanists, such as Galileo. This was a catch22 for the Catholic Church. Because of the success of the printing press, the Protestant
Movement grew into an international movement, instead of staying contained within Germany.
However, when the Catholic Church tried to ban and burn the published documents, the printing
press made it easy to make duplicates to prevent the deletion of Reformation thoughts. In
essence, the Catholic Church could not stop the Reformation, only try to persuade those “lost
souls” to return to the Church.
 In your own words, explain why the Index of Forbidden Books was ineffective.
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The Council of Trent
The Catholic Church decided that it needed to clarify is doctrine. If the initial reason for
this Protestant movement was criticism against ritual and doctrine, then that is where the
Church needed to begin its own reformation. Major Roman Catholic Church officials met in the
Italian city-state of Trent (that is how it became known as the Council of Trent). The Church
decided to end the use of indulgences. It agreed to its abuse and forbid the clergy to issue more
Indulgences. In addition, those clergy members who abused their position (politically,
economically, socially, and morally) were reprimanded. Even though the Council of Trent agreed
to some of the criticisms of the Protestants, it stuck to its guns about other issues. For example,
it reaffirmed that the ceremonies and rituals were a vital and significant portion of the faith. A
certain amount of obedience and ritual kept a person humble to his/her creator, and the Church
refused to excuse such aspects of the Catholicism. Furthermore, the Council reaffirmed the need
for priests. Luther and his followers argued that the only thing a person needed to develop one’s
faith was a Bible. The Church, however, insisted that the clergy could best interpret and express
the true intentions of Scripture and God.
 Why would the Catholic Church agree to some of the criticisms and not others?
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 What is the significance of the principles the Church reaffirmed?
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Legacy of the Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was somewhat effective within Catholicism. Many Catholics and a
few Protestants found the ceremonies comforting, and they appreciated the Church reaffirming
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their significance. Because of Catholics renewed strength in the doctrine of their faith, there was
a higher level of respect for priests, and more money was dedicated specifically for the
beautification of the churches. Whereas Martin Luther preached about salvation through faith
alone, the Catholic Church insisted that salvation was achieved through good works (such as the
rituals and charity).
 Why was the Council of Trent monumental for the Catholic Church?
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Leaders of the Counter-Reformation
Another tactic for the Catholic Church was to invest in a good reputation. Ignatius de
Loyola, an extremely devout Catholic monk began the Society of Jesus, a.k.a. the Jesuits. The
Jesuits lived their lives by the Catholic code that one achieved salvation by good works. The
strict vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience to the Pope dictated their lives. The Pope often
used the Jesuits to spread Catholicism. The Jesuits were often used as missionaries in China,
Japan, and other parts of eastern Asia. The popularity and success of the Society of Jesus did, in
fact, slow the spread of Protestantism. Jesuits stressed education and founded universities,
which the humanists appreciated.
 How did the Jesuits strengthen Europe more than just spiritually?
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Results of the Religious Upheaval
Religious reform on both sides did not bring tolerance to either Catholics or Protestants.
Many wars broke out between them until 1648. Even within the Protestant groups, many sects
and denominations developed. However, there were some very positive side effects of the
religious troubles. The Reformation created a renewed interest in education, which inspired and
encouraged humanism. Because of the Gutenberg Bible, more people had access to a text in their
native language, which increased the number of people who could read (but just because people
could read, did not mean that they were more tolerant of other groups). In addition, the
Reformation increased the power of the separate governments and decreased the power of the
Pope. Protestant rulers took over leadership of their churches in some areas (such as England).
Some Catholic rulers remained somewhat loyal to the Pope, but it would never be like the
absolute authority of the Catholic Church prior to the Reformation.
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