The Counter (Catholic) Reformation The Counter Reformation was a series of actions the Catholic Church took to counteract the effects of the Protestant Reformation.
Council of Trent –Banned the selling of indulgences –Created a code of conduct for all clergy (priests, popes, etc.) –Rejected the Protestant belief that the church was not needed to help people reach salvation Action #1: Catholic officials met to make reforms
Action #2: –Jesuits Founded by Ignatius Loyola Focused on obedience to the church Concentrated on education as a way to spread Catholicism New orders were formed to bring the focus back to spirituality.
Action #3: The Index of Banned Books –The Catholic Church warned people not to read certain books –Protestant churches also issued lists of banned books The Catholic Church tried to control information
Action #4: The Inquisition –Trials that took place mostly in Spain –Tortured & killed non-Catholics –Forced many to flee Spain The Catholic Church punished non-Catholics in some countries
As Catholics and Protestants both tried to convert people to their beliefs, religious and political wars broke out across Europe.
Despite some friendly relations between Catholics and Protestants, Europe became more divided as a result of the Protestant Reformation