The Counter Reformation

Ms. James
 Reforming the Catholic
Church
 Counter-Reformation
– The Catholic Church’s series of reforms I
response to the spread of Protestantism in
the mid-1500’s to the early 1600’s.
Early Reformers

 Girolamo
Savonarola
– Monk who tried to
change the church
from within. “Bonfire
of the Vanities”
 Excommunicated
and Executed in
Florence.
Religious Orders

 Jesuits
– “Society of Jesus”
 Renewed church’s emphasis of spirituality and
service.
– Founded by Ignatius of Loyola
 Basque Nobleman and former soldier.

 Concentrated on education as a means of

combating the Protestant Reformation.
The Council of Trent
 1545, Church members decided to
redefine some religious doctrines of the
Catholic Church.

 Clarified Catholic teaching

1. Addressed Abuses
2. Addressed Corruption
3. Training of Priests regulated
4. Addressed Financial Abuse
5. Sale of Indulgences was abolished
The Council of Trent Cont….

 Council reaffirmed:
– Transubstantiation
– Sacraments
1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Marriage
4. Eucharist
5. Penance (Confession)
6. Anointing Sick
 Basic structure of Church reaffirmed!
Reforming Catholics

 Charles Borromeo
– Archbishop of Milan (1560 to 1584)
 Implements Council of Trent reforms
– Builds a school to educate Priests
 Francis of Sales
– Implemented a missionary program in
Savoy (Italy). He returned many back
to the Catholic Church.
Women in the Church

 Angela Merici
– Began Company of Saint Ursula
 Jane of Chantal
– Trained women to be teachers
 Mary Ward of England
– Created networks of schools for girls
 Teresa of Avila
– Most famous female spiritual leader for the
Catholic Church.
The Inquisitions

 Two different Inquisitions:

– Roman Inquisition (1542)
– Spanish Inquisition (1478)

 The Roman Inquisition tried people for:

– Being Protestant
– Witchcraft
 (Malleus Maleficarum) “Hammer of Witches”
– Breaking with Church Law
Spanish Inquisition

 Tried to convert:
– Jews
– Muslims
– Protestants

 Many accounts of torture and executions!

 Index of Forbidden Books= censorship

The Protestant Reformation’s
Long Term Effects
Changes in Religion

 Jesuits bring many back to the Catholic

Church, and renew the doctrines of the
Catholic Church.

 New denominations form because

reformers interpret the Bible differently!
Expulsion of Jews and Muslims

 Spain gives these groups of people three

options.
– (1) CONVERT to Christianity
– (2) GET OUT of Spain
– (3) DIE

 Jews segregated to ghetto

– Ghettos- were walled sections of the city and
their gates closed at a certain time each
evening.
Censorship in the Church

 The Index Librorum Prohibitorum

– The Forbidden Books were a list of books
that people should not read.

 You could lose your soul by reading

these books.
– Contained Reformer’s writing and some
secular works.
Witchcraft

 Hysteria of Witchcraft swept through

Europe during 1580 to 1660.

 Witches would:
– Kill Children
– Kill Livestock
– Work with the Devil.
Political Effects

 States and businesses want church to

become less involved with political
affairs.

 Political power was now separate from

the church!
Religious Wars and Unrest

 The Italian War

– King Charles VIII of France invaded Italy,
and Spain joined in the fight too.
 Fighting ended in 1559.

 The war is credited with spreading

Renaissance ideas throughout Europe.
– During the fighting many important artists
fled from Italy, and took their ideas as well!
Conflicts among Germans
 Peasants War is stirred by Renaissance
and Reformation ideas.
– Luther is connected with this revolt even
though he denounces it.

 Local Lutheran Princes go to war with

Holy Roman Emperor.
– Peace of Augsburg (1555) Each prince can
choose the religion that his subjects would
practice.
Conflicts between Religions

 Conflicts between Catholic faith and

Protestant faith in France.

 In 1598, Henry of Navarre converted to

Catholicism, and this created temporary
peace.

 Edict of Nantes granted religious freedom

to Protestants.