Catholic Reformation Essay - 1053 Words

During the 16th century, Protestantism emerged as a new sect of Christianity. This process was not calm or peaceful in the slightest. Protestant leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin fiercely attacked and denied traditional Catholic beliefs, causing much controversy and debate upon religion. Many regions of Europe as a whole were converted to Protestantism, and many more Protestants emerged in areas where Catholicism remained the state religion. The Catholic faith became less and less appealing to people as the abuses of the clergy were now publicly addressed by reformers and a new, personal approach to religion was offered in Protestantism. In addition, rulers favored Protestantism as a state religion because it meant that no power†¦show more content†¦An important declaration was that The Vulgate, a translation of the Bible into Latin made by St. Jerome, was the only official version of the Bible. This meant that people had to know Latin to read Scripture, so the righ t of individuals to have their own interpretation of Scripture was denied. Monasticism continued to be an important practice, and the existence of purgatory was reaffirmed. The Council of Trent set out to reaffirm and restate traditional Catholic beliefs in order to protect against the Protestant Reformation. The members of the Council of Trent realized the unfair abuses of the church, and called for reform. In this way, they were protecting themselves against criticism from Protestant reformers. A drastic reform of monastic orders was launched. The council acted against the abuse of indulgences while still upholding the principle. This meant that indulgences could not just be sold; indulgences were granted when an individual did something truly good. Also, bishops were to reside in their respective dioceses and attend more carefully to their duties, exercising more control over clergy. Pluralism was checked and steps were taken to make sure church officials were eligible for the jo b. In order to have an educated clergy, the council ordered that a seminary be set up in each diocese for priest training. More careful steps were to be taken to ensure the celibacy of clergy. The Council of Trent was able to eliminate many abuses of theShow MoreRelatedThe Catholic Reformation Essay1393 Words   |  6 Pagesthese Reformation movements, the Church needed to make some reforms itself. These reforms took the form of educating the clergy, opening monasteries, the Inquisition, and the organizing of councils. In fact, even though Protestant attacks brought these reforms, many of these reforms were needed anyway. The problems in the Church were so bad that the Church would not have survived if the problems were not fixed. Even though there were movements to stop Protestantism, the Catholic Reformation was moreRead MoreRoman Catholic Church Reformation: Martin Luther Essay702 Words   |  3 PagesOn the 31st of October 1517 was the beginning of the reformation when Marti n Luther Posted up his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Roman Catholic Church and published in Wittenberg, Germany. The Reformation Became the Basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity. Luther had far-reaching political, economic and social effects. But the main question is why Martin Luther was able to successfully challenge the church of its religious and political authorityRead MoreThe Catholic Reformation And The Jewish Torah1229 Words   |  5 Pageswill focus on in this essay is the Catholic Reformation. However, whether this reformation can be simply called the Catholic Reformation is a question that needs to be adressed. 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