AP European History

Crash Course

The Reformation

I. The Catholic Reformation

• A. The Reformation Popes
  • 1. Renaissance popes such as Julius II concentrated their energies on commissioning art, building a new St. Peter’s, and enhancing the power of their own families.
  • 2. Beginning with Pope Paul III (1534-1549), a new generation of popes committed themselves to appointing reform-minded officials, enforcing strict moral standards, and creating new religious orders.
• B. The Council of Trent
  • 1. Reaffirmed Catholic doctrines
    1. The Council of Trent rejected Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith and reaffirmed that salvation is achieved by both faith and good works.
    2. The council rejected the Protestant belief in the supremacy of the Bible and reaffirmed that equal weight should be given to Scripture and to traditional Catholic teachings.
    3. It rejected Luther’s contention that there were just two sacraments and reaffirmed that there were seven sacraments.
  • 2. Reformed church abuses
    1. The council decreed that indulgences should no longer be sold in exchange for financial contributions.
    2. It forbade simony, the sale of church offices.
    3. The council instructed bishops to live in the dioceses they served.
  • 3. Reasserted traditional practices
    1. The council reaffirmed the veneration of relics and images as valid expressions of Christian piety.
    2. It confirmed the Vulgate as the authoritative Catholic edition of the Bible.
    3. It decreed that Latin continue to be the language of worship.
  • 4. Resisted limiting papal authority
    1. The council ruled that no act of a council could be valid unless accepted by the Holy See.
    2. It preserved the papacy as the center of Catholic unity.
• C. The Jesuits
  • 1. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
    1. Ignatius was an unknown Spanish soldier who suffered a severe injury while fighting the French.
    2. During his recovery, Ignatius experienced a religious conversion. He resolved to become a soldier of Christ and dedicate his life to fighting for the pope and the Catholic Church.
  • 2. Society of Jesus
    1. In 1540, Pope Paul III formally authorized the Society of Jesus. Those who joined were called Jesuits.
    2. Led by Ignatius, the Jesuits were a spiritual army that emphasized iron discipline and absolute obedience.
    3. Ignatius wrote The Spiritual Exercises, detailing a system of disciplined meditation, prayer, and study.
  • 3. Activities of the Jesuits
    1. Catholic education: Jesuits founded hundreds of schools for middle-and upper-class boys. Jesuits were especially prominent as confessors and advisors to royal families.
    2. Missionary work: Jesuit missionaries played a key role in preaching Christianity in the Americas and Asia.
    3. Combating Protestantism: Jesuits spearheaded the revival of Catholicism in Bavaria, the southern Netherlands, and Poland.