Catholic Reformation
1400s Movements of reform within the Catholic Church:
Conciliar movement—church councils represent the church
1418 Council of Constance remove 3 popes, elect new one.
1503-1513 Fifth Lateran Council reaffirm Unam Sanctum, didn’t address need
for church corruption
Franciscan monasteries—some were Spiritual Franciscans seeking a church that
gave its wealth to the poor
Savonarola’s prophecies, melt down gold luxuries. Burned as heretic 1498
Scholarship on early texts, like 1522 4-language Bible of Cardinal Cisneros
Erasmus- biblical scholarship. Most famous Northern humanist.
Calls for Reform. Erasmus, Praise of Folly 1511 spoofed the rituals around
saints, spoofed university pedants and vain cardinals, etc.
Luther, 95 Theses.
Counter-Reformation Responses to Lutheran break with Papacy (“Protestant
Reformation” is Protestant label for Protestant Revolution or Protestant Secession from
Church. Church viewed Luther as a heretic)
Pope Paul; III 1534-1539 reform minded cardinals present “Proposal for the
Reformation of the Church”
Contarini, one of proposers, meets with Melanchthon in 1541 at Regensburg, comes
close to Prot. View of justification
1545 C of Trent (Trento , N. It) met until 1563
I. Repudiate Prot doctrine, reaffirm Catholic
Justification by grace and good works.
Reaffirm 7 sacraments-penance, matrimony, confirmation, ordination, extreme unction,
as well as 2 Protestants accept, namely baptism and Lord’s supper (communion)
Authority not only of scripture (in Vulgate) but also church tradition(popes and councils)
Only clergy receive wine in communion
Reaffirm clerical celibacy against Prot clerical marriage
Validity of veneration of saints, efficacy of relics for transmission of grace.
Reaffirm Virgin Mary as intercessor to Christ.
II. Index of Prohibited books 1559. Also art censorship, especially nudity.
III. Reformation within Catholicism. Clean up corruption
Against Simony, buying office
Against Nepotism, advancing relatives
Against Pluralism, hold several posts
Against Absenteeism, priest not at post in particular benefice.
Advanced standards for sainthood and for lay movements.
Increase importance of role of Priest in sacrament of marriage.
Stricter control of nuns and of married women, less lay movements.
IV. New movements.
Mysticism flourished as in Teresa of Avila d. 1582.
Jesuits: St. Ignatious Loyola d. 1556 1540 new order approved, next year publish
Spiritual Exercises Military model for order, sent out missions around the world.
V. Violence of Age of Reformation
A. Inquisition in each country, Spanish one especially infamous: after 1492 when Jews
and Muslims not converting expelled, one had to be Catholic in Spain or tried as heretic.
B. Hammer of Witches 1487 both Catholic and Protestant lands tried witches.
C. Religious wars between Protestants and Catholics continued into 17th century in Thirty
Years’ War in Holy Roman Empire (end 1648) and in English Civil War (end 1660)