In this lesson, you will learn about the Catholic Counter reformation as the Catholics respond!

The Counter Reformation was an effort on the part of the Catholic Church to do two things

First it tried to preserve, but with a new spirit, the basic beliefs and practices of Catholicism.

Second it attempted to stop or even turn back, the spread of Protestantism.

One measure taken by Pope Paul III was a council of Church leaders. This Council of Trent was called into session in 1545 and met off and on for eighteen years.  It refused to accept any Protestant doctrines, instead reaffirming all Catholic dogma and rites, At the same time it did introduce reforms.  It controlled the sale of indulgences, strengthened the internal structure of the Church, and improved the training of priests.

The Council of Trent also strengthened the Inquisition, the court set up in the thirteenth century to combat heresy. However, the Inquisition could function only where the Church was already powerful and had the support of the state. Thus it was used where it was least needed —where the Church was strongest

Another vital element of the Counter Reformation was a new religious order, the Jesuits. The order was founded in the 1530’s by St. Ignatmus of Loyola, a former soldier.

Jesuit missionaries traveled everywhere in Protestant areas they tried to win people back to the Catholic Church. In Catholic countries  they were noted for the schools they established to teach the faith to young people. Jesuits also traveled overseas  to Asia and to newly discovered  America to make new converts to the faith. One reason that the dominant religion of Latin America today, Catholicism, is due to the work of the Jesuit missionaries. The Counter Reformation gave new life to Catholicism and preserved the basic tenets of the faith.  By 1600 most of northern Europe was Protestant, however within the Protestant movement various denominations  begin to form.

The Condition of the Church (1400-1517)
Scroll to "Growing Conditions for Reform"

1. What circumstances in the 14th century had undermined the credibility of the Church?
2. What types of clerical transgressions of moral standards occurred?
3. What was clerical pluralism?
4. Which clerics were most likely to be guilty of the practice?

1. How did the term "protestant" originate?
2. How did Luther answer the following questions: How is a person saved? Where does religious authority reside? What is the Church? What is the highest form of Christian life? What sacraments are validated by scripture?
3. What were Luther's views as to sex and marriage?
4. How did Luther's message appeal to women?
5. What was the effect of the Reformation upon education?

1. What common characteristics were shared by the early Protestants?
2. Rank the top three doctrinal differences between the Protestant and Catholic churches. Justify your ranking in at least (2) detailed paragraphs.

1. What theological positions and reforms were agreed to at the Council of Trent?
2. What were the principal failures of the Council?
3. What was the long term result of the Council?

1. What was the method employed by Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, to combat Protestantism?
2. What characteristics of the Jesuit Order were responsible for its success in the Catholic Counter-Reformation?

Once you have completed the items above, save your Word document under the heading Assignment_2.06. Go to the Assignments area and submit your work.