Counter Reformation

Counter rehabilitation, begun by the Catholic church with the opening of the Council of Trent, 1545, had two sides. One, the Counter renewal proper, was a struggle against Protestantism. The othersometimes called the Catholic Reformationwas a causa for spiritual and moral reform inwardly the Catholic Church (Reardon, 1981). For nearly a century numerous Catholic leadership had pleaded for a reform of the church in head and members. Little could be done, however, because hasten out church appointments remained in the hands of semipolitical leaders.Spain was one of the earliest and strongest supporters of the Counter Reformation. Francisco Ximenes de Cisneros (1436- 1517) as archbishop of Toledo enforced drastic reforms in the church. short before 1517 Giovanni Pietro Caraffa, posterior Pope capital of Minnesota IV, servicinged found in Rome the talk of Divine Love, a society of priests perpetrate to prayer and self- reform. In 1524, they disbanded and some of its membe rs founded the Theatines, an set of priests dedicated to reforming the church. The say spread by means of Italy, exerting growing influence (Bainton, 1983).In Spain, Saint Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun and mystic, reformed her order and exerted much influence through her writings. other Spanish mystic and monastic social reformer was Saint John of the Cross. Adrian of Utrecht, a Dutch cardinal, was elected pope, Adrian VI in 1522, exactly died 20 months later. He had tried to make institutional reforms in the church hierarchy and to keep church affairs free of continental politics, but his efforts were fruitless. Clement sevener (pope 1523- 34) was an intelligent clergyman, but timid and indecisive (Reardon, 1981).capital of Minnesota trinity (pope 1534- 49) was committed to reforming the church. He was not influenced in church matters by atmospheric pressure from continental leaders. Paul appointed many reformers to positions of authority. During Pauls papacy, Ignatiu s Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, an arranging dedicated to reforming and strengthening the church. Members, called Jesuits, worked as theologians to help clarify and reform church doctrines as teachers to educate youth in these doctrines and as missionaries to spread the Gospel to foreign lands.Paul okay the society as a unearthly order in 1540. The Jesuits guided the Catholic revival and led the Counter Reformation (Bainton, 1983). The Council of Trent marked the beginning of the Counter Reformation. As early as 1534, Paul III had called for an ecumenical council to institute the reform, but his plans were blockade by corrupt church officials and confused continental leaders who wanted to manage their influence over the church. The council finally convened 1545 and sit down for three sessions (1545-47, 1551-52, and 1562-63).It reaffirmed Catholic doctrines, implemented reforms to hold on abuses, and tightened papal discipline over the church. It as well gathered chur ch forces into a coupled front against Protestantism. In 1555 Caraffa became Pope Paul IV. To demonstrate his commitment for reform, he bust with the papal tradition of worldliness and began a life of austerity, a standard which later popes maintained (Reardon, 1981). References 1. Bainton, R. H. The Age of Reformation. Krieger, 1983. 2. Reardon, B. M. G. Religious concept in the Reformation. Longman, 1981.