Catholicism
Renaissance to Present
Early Catholicism
& the Spanish Inquisition
• In the late 13th century, the Spanish Inquisition
was authorized by Pope Sixtus IV under Spain’s
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
• Then in 1540, the tides of the Spanish
Inquisition changed against Protestantism to try
and unify Spain.
• In 1588, England’s Royal Navy suppresses the
Spanish Armada.
• Only in the early 1800s will the Spanish
Inquisition be defeated by Napoleon, then
finally declared over in 1834.
• 1378 -The end of the Avignon Papacy begins the
Western Schism
• 1378-1417 –Western Schism ~ Split within the
Catholic Church, two men claimed to be the
pope – Pope Clement VII and Pope Urban VI.
The Council of Constance ends the Western
Schism (Martin V declared pope)
• 1431-1445 – Council of Basel, Ferrara and
Florence ~ a long series of councils that met to
sort out the Schism between the East and West
• October 1517 – Germany – Martin Luther publishes
his 95 Theses that protested the Catholic Church
selling indulgences
• January 3, 1521 – Pope Leo X issues a bull (Decet
Romanum Pontificem) excommunicating Martin
Luther, who was also outlawed by the emperor.
• April 1521 – Diet of Worms
~ Martin Luther presents his ideas, Protestant
Reformation is addressed
• When Martin Luther splits from the Catholic Church
and spreads his own ideals, the Lutheran religion is
developed.
** Early 16th century – Erasmus, Calvin, Zwingli, Huss, Wycliffe
criticize Catholic Church teachings led to →Protestant Reformation **
Protestant Reformation: Christian reform movement throughout
Europe that established Protestantism as a religion
 Causes: Accusations of corruption in the Catholic
Church, selling of indulgences, Great Schism, Northern
Renaissance, German peasant uprisings, Martin Luther’s 95
Theses
• October 1517 – Protestant Reformation begins
(Martin Luther publishes his 95 Theses)
• 1525 – Anabaptist movement begins. Anabaptists rejected
infant baptisms and reigned in Mϋnster until Catholic and
Protestant armies crushed them.
• 1534- Henry VIII declares himself head of the Church in England when he
breaks away from the Catholic Church with the Act of Supremacy. This is
later termed the English Reformation.
• 1534 – Jesuits founded by Ignatius of Loyola. He taught religious and
moral self-discipline in “Spiritual Exercises”
• Two years later, John Calvin publishes “Institutes of the Christian
Religion” which presents Protestant systematic theology/ July 1536 – he
moves to Geneva and gets a following (Calvinists)
• 1545- 1563 – Council of Trent ~ Three sessions held strictly under the
pope’s control to change internal church discipline.
Catholic Church’s response to Protestant Reformation
• 1555 –Peace of Augsburg was where each German prince is entitled to
decide his territory’s religion/ gives religious freedom only to German
Lutheran Protestants
• French Huguenots ( “French Protestants”), including Henry of Navarre a
one time king of France, followed Calvin teachings as well.
• In general, Martin Luther, John Calvin and other
Protestants began a reformation to change the
Catholic Church, but started the Protestant
movement. A main concern of the Reformation was
the issue of free will. The Catholics responded with
the Counter-Reformation that reclaimed parts of
Europe that they lost to Protestantism. As a result,
the majority of Northern Europe became
Protestant and the majority of Southern Europe
remained Catholic. Calvinism, Lutheranism, the Anglican
Church were some of the major religions that derived
from Catholicism.
• The Counter-Reformation began with the Council of
Trent and ended with the Thirty Year’s War. It is
characterized by a hierarchical arrangement in which
the pope has the most power and the parish priest has
the least power; each successive power should be
obedient to the power above them. The Church was
trying to hold on to its power, but was weak. Despite
this weakness, it was able to persevere in Eastern and
Southern Europe. It was a reformation in religious and
spiritual order. The Counter-Reformation also made
ecclesiastical changes and created a “centralized
episcopal church system.” The Catholic Church also
recognized Jesuits in the Counter-Reformation.
Thirty Year’s War & The Peace of
Westphalia
•
•
•
1618-1648 – one of the most
destructive wars in Europe
It began as a religious conflict between
Protestants and Catholics in the Holy
Roman Empire and quickly developed
into a more political war. Calvinists
were demanding to be recognized.
There was a Catholic victory in the
Bohemian Period of the war when the
Catholic Emperor Ferdinand regained
the Bohemian throne.
Peace of Westphalia – May to October
1648 – ended all hostilities in the Holy
Roman Empire, gave Calvinists
recognition and “broadened the legal
status of Protestantism.” It also
weakened the authority of the Holy
Roman Emperor
17th Century Catholicism
• The Papal States and the popes were weak and did not
have much power or pull in Europe for most of the 17th
century. In the English Civil War and the English Revolution,
Parliament required monarchs not to marry or take the
throne if they were Catholic. This meant that the line of
monarchs in England after the Revolution were Protestant.
In France, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes that had
given Huguenots religious freedom. He considered religious
freedom to be a threat to the throne. Jansenism emerged
as a new religion that was based on the idea that man
remains evil after the original sin. In the end of the 17th
Century, Jansenism spread through France, but continued
to be condemned by Pope Clement IX.
18th Century Catholicism
• 1713 – Pope Clement XI wrote a constitution condemning
Jansenism and Gallicanism.
• The early 18th century brought struggles for Jansenism especially
against the French king, Louis XIV. But they fought back when he
died and became influential in the Parlements and the lower clergy.
• The Scientific Revolution brought new ideas and discoveries that
the Church did not agree with, like the ideals of Galileo and
Copernicus.
• Catholic Religious Enlightenment in France was led by Blaise Pascal
and Richard Simon
• As Jesuits gained support, they spread their ideals on missions to
China and other parts of the Continent. Catholics were also
spreading their ideals to Canada and South America as well as some
areas of North America.
19th Century Catholicism
French Revolution and Catholicism
• When Napoleon took power of France during the French Revolution, his many
changes included anti-clerical measures. He took Pope Pius VI prisoner in 1798
who died in captivity.
• The French Concordat of 1801 re-established Catholicism in France after
Napoleon.
• The Revolution and the changing times allowed for a shift in power from Church to
State.
Catholicism was spreading to several continents and countries through missionaries.
In Latin America, Catholicism was being rejected by anti-clerical regimes in the 1830s
that destroyed Church properties, and tore apart bishop positions etc.
In 1829, Catholic Emancipation – England – gave Catholics right to vote and hold
public office. This emancipation also removed many of the restrictions put on Roman
Catholics, like the Test Acts and the Acts of Uniformity.
In 1870, Italy annexed Rome to restrain Garibaldi when Italy was trying to unify and
going through a Revolution.
Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Rerum Novarum that expressed the popes concerns
about developing economic and social issues. It criticized the laissez-faire and
socialism ideals. (Modern European History pg 279)
20th Century Catholicism
• In 1917, the Canon Law was issued by Pope Benedict XV. This Law
was passed to govern the Catholic Church in the changing Industrial
Revolution including the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches
and the Anglican Commune of churches. (Wikipedia)
Red Terror – September – October 1918
• Before the Spanish Civil War, more specifically during the Red
Terror, led to persecution of the Church in which more than 6000
Catholic clergymen died.
• It was an attack from the left-winged Spaniards against the rightwinged, or the Catholic Church.
• Many other clergy were arrested in mass or executed by the
thousands.
• Overall, the various Catholic Church denominations were having to
deal with changing society and how it was industrializing and
moving forward.
20th Century Catholicism
• A new era of Catholicism began with the pontification of Pope John
XXIII. He “strongly reaffirmed the commitment of the Catholic
Church to the cause of economic and social reform…” (Modern
European History)
• Later in the 20th Century, the Second Vatican Council was formed
(1962) that allowed mass to be recited in the vernacular and
affirmed that the pope must share his power with bishops in the
Church.
• He also wanted to improve relations with other Christian
denominations.
• Pope Paul VI approved of the Second Vatican Council and
reasserted the Catholic Church’s position on artificial contraception.
• The next pope, Pope John Paul II, was the first non-Italian pope to
be elected by the cardinals since the 16th century.
Catholicism and WWI
• When Franz Joseph sent troops into Bosnia and
Herzegovnia in the years leading up to WWI, there were
mixed reactions. Catholics in Bosnia were welcoming, but
Orthodox Christians and Muslims fought the troops.
• During and before WWI, Saint Pope Pius X made many
reforms, including numerous communions and promoting
Gregorian Chant in France.
• As the beginning of the 20th century brought WWI, Pope
Benedict XV declared neutrality, but neither of the sides
believed the declaration to hold up.
• After WWI, in 1918, there was widespread persecution of
Roman Catholics, especially Eastern Catholics, in the Soviet
Union.
Catholicism and WWII
• Pope Pius XII was the pope during WWII and was criticized for not
protecting Jews during the Nazi take-over.
• The next pope, Pope John XXIII, sought to modernize the Catholic
Church and work with the changing social, economic, and political
society.
• Nazis murdered numerous priests and clergymen in Poland and
more were sent to concentration camps.
• In 1941, Pope Pius interpreted Divini Redemptoris to say Catholics
should not help Communists, so they did not help the Soviet Union
militarily.
• In March of the following year, Pius XII established a diplomatic
relationship with Japan.
• After WWII Pope Pius XII gave material aid to Europe from the
Vatican City and wanted to focus on working on internationalization
of Roman Catholicism.
20th Century Catholicism to Present
• Pope John Paul II was pope from 1978 to 2005 and was
one of the longest reigning popes in the Catholic
Church.
• Being a Polish pope, he was sympathetic with Eastern
churches. He was a strong advocate of social justice
and improving relations with other Christian
denominations. Pope John Paul II also reasserted that
popes be celibate and women not be allowed into
priesthood.
• Pope Benedict XVI became pope in April 2005. Now he
is considered “one of the most powerful forces for
conservatism in the Vatican (Cline 1).”