The Counter-Reformation and the Fight Against Protestantism History Essay Example

After the growth and revolution of the Protestant faith during the Renaissance, the Catholic Church needed a way to keep their religion alive. The Church was slowly losing power, popularity, and control, throughout Europe due to the writings, ideas, and faiths of people like Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Catholics responded to the reformation by refusing to change their beliefs, instead reinforcing and making them stricter by establishing the Council of Trent, and spreading traditional Catholic ideas by funding the Jesuits. 

The Council of Trent was established in 1545 by the current Pope, Paul III. The Protestants assumed they would get a chance to speak before the council, and make a case for their beliefs. However, the Church did not answer to Protestant demands and instead held three sessions with many bishops from all over Europe. The first session was solely to set a distinction between Catholicism and Protestantism. They made it clear that they were “keeping their core values and positions, such as the Latin Mass, the veneration of saints, (and) the cult of the Virgin Mary” (Acts of the Council of Trent (1563) Introduction). They did not invite any Protestants to the meeting. The council, in later sessions emphasized reforms, creating stricter rules for the clergy and establishing schools for those who wanted to become priests. These acts helped fight against the Protestant uprising by defining the Catholic faith, and cracking down on, but not reforming some of the practices that the Protestants had issues with. They restated the rules of being a member of the clergy, such as celibacy, and living non-glorious lives. One of the most important decrees made by the council was that of indulgences. This was one of the main focuses of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” and was an important point of reform for Protestants. The Council of Trent declared “The power of conferring Indulgences was granted by Christ to the Church. Christians benefit from the use of Indulgences by the Church. The Church condemns those who either claim Indulgences are useless; or who deny that the Church has the power of granting them.” (Document 5) This act shows how the Catholics planned to combat Protestantism not by agreeing to their insisted reformations, but instead by reaffirming their beliefs, but at the same time putting stricter rulings in place.

The Catholic Church also funded and deployed a group called the Jesuits. It was called for by the Pope, and led by Ignatius Loyola. The group was created to “Spread Catholic ideas around Europe and promote the importance of leading a moral life” (Historical Context). One of the Jesuits’ main beliefs was that the Church was omnipotent. “We must follow this principle: What seems to me white, I will believe black if the Church says so. For I must be convinced that in Christ our Lord and His Church, only one Spirit holds sway, which governs and rules for the salvation of souls.” (Document 2) This shows full faith in the church, in contrast to Protestant faith believing solely in the power of The Bible and God. The Jesuits also swore their loyalty to the Pope, vowing to “obey without evasion or excuse” (Document 1). Loyola also wrote a set of 18 rules for Catholics to follow. They were called “The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola” and detailed rules for Catholics to live and abide by (Document 2.7). The Jesuits became widespread across Europe. They established churches and schools. These proactive actions gave the Pope and other Catholics a defined plan to fight back against Protestantism in Europe.

The resurgence of Catholicism in Europe was due mostly to the Pope’s establishment of the Council of Trent, and the funding of the Jesuits. These two together helped combat Protestantism not by giving into demands, but by confirming and restating Catholic beliefs, putting harsher restrictions in place for priests and other clergy members, and sending devout Catholics to spread the Faith around Europe. Even today, it is easy to see the impact that groups such as the Jesuits and the Council of Trent had on modern Catholicism and Protestantism alike.