Catholic Counter Reformation AP European

Pope Paul III (1534-1549) Most important pope in reforming the Church and challenging Protestantism Sought to improve church discipline through existing doctrines Catholic Reformation both response to gains of Protestantism and the response to critics within the church that abuses needed to be reformed A moderate reformer who appointed virtuous and capable men to high church offices, rather than individuals who were interested primarily in promoting their personal or family fortunes – cautious in dealing with the challenge presented by the Reformation Cause of reform suffered a temporary setback during papacy of Julius III a worldly pope who revived some of the worst practices of the Renaissance The papacy became more strongly committed to reform during the pontificates of Paul IV, Pius IV, and Pius V- these guys were dedicated to reform and combatting the protestant reformation Some got extreme- We will see that during Paul IV’s papacy he will create “ghettos” for the Jewish population in the Papal States – in a 1555 bull, he stated that the Jews were guilty of killing Christ, and therefore ought to be slaves. In much of Catholic Europe, Jews had to wear yellow caps to identify themselves, and could not own land, and excluded from many professions.

The Roman Inquisition To assist with the campaign against heresy established the Congregation of the Holy Office- Roman Inquisition used severe methods including torture, secret witnesses, and the admission of hearsay and rumor as evidence

Council of Trent (1545-1563) Index of Forbidden Books Pope Paul III summoned the Council of Trent – met in three sessions Defined Roman Catholic doctrine and initiated a program to eliminate abuses in the church Strongly reaffirmed traditional Catholic teaching Salvation by both “good works” and faith All 7 sacraments valid- transubstantiation reaffirmed Index of Forbidden Books Mixture of archbishops, bishops, and other church leaders For example, that the sources of the Christian faith were found in both the Bible and in traditions of the Church– rejecting the Protestant belief that the Bible is supreme. Also, monasticism, celibacy of clergy, and purgatory reaffirmed Council also reaffirmed the validity of the invocation of the prayers of the saints and the veneration of relics and images, as well as the doctrines regarding purgatory and indulgence Seminaries established to train priests Index of Forbidden Books- books that supported Protestantism or that were overly critical of the Church (Erasmus) were banned from Catholic countries Anyone possessing books listed in the Index could be punished severely

Reforms of the catholic church Bishops and archbishops instructed to live in the areas they served Simony is forbidden Clergy need to be educated continuously No money for indulgences Latin language of worship, but clergy are instructed to preach regularly in vernacular To eliminate the problem of absenteeism

Papal Authority Council of Trent strengthened the authority of the pope as the head of the Catholic Church No decisions effective without papal approval Council made clear that pope’s authority is above that of the council The papacy emerged from the Council of Trent much more centralized, better organized and administered, and more aggressive, like the most powerful European states themselves Slowly prestige of papacy was restored

New Religious Order Society of Jesus or the Jesuits Founded by Ignatius Loyola Known as aggressive crusaders for the Catholic Reformation Spiritual Exercises: guidebook to train Jesuits Three Main Goals: reform the church through education Spread the Gospel Fight Protestantism Jesuit schools became the finest in all of Europe The establishment of new religious orders was a sign of the growing spirit of reform in the Catholic Church. Loyola was a Basque from Northern Spain Serving in the Spanish army, he was wounded in a battle with the French- while recovering, he experienced a religious conversion. Rather than fighting for the Spanish king, he would now fight for greater glory of God The Inquisition came to suspect him because his claims to help people through spiritual conversion seemed dangerously close to heresy- but he was able to defend himself and only received a short prison sentence In 1534, he and six followers took the vows of poverty and chastity – ordained into priesthood in 1537 Three years later, Pope Paul III formally authorized the Society of Jesus. Organized in a military like fashion Jesuit order contributed greatly to success of the Catholic Reformation in Austria, Bavaria, and Rhineland Also contributed to the Church’s reconquest of Poland after it was thought it was lost to Calvinism Traveled to North America, Latin America, and Asia- even making a presence at the Court of Chinese emperors –”missions” to rekindle loyalty to the Church

New Religious Orders The Capuchins Reform of the Franciscan order- return to original principles of poverty and piety emphasized by St. Francis of Assisi The Oratorians Promote practice of religion through prayer, preaching, and sacraments Theatines Society of priests whose mission was to improve education and discipline in clergy In addition to the Jesuits, other new religious orders emerged during the 16th century Known for preaching and like Jesuits, did much to promote the recovery of the Roman Catholic church in several areas of Europe- active missionaries

New Religious Orders The Ursulines Nuns dedicated themselves to the education of girls The Discalced Carmelites St. Theresa of Avila, Spanish mystic, organized the group Lived in strict observance of life of poverty and simplicity devoted to prayer and contemplation