The Catholic Reformation

1545-1563

The Catholic Reformation Overview

• How did the Catholic Church respond to the new religious situation?

1. Internal reform (linked to earlier reform efforts)

2. Counter Reformation opposing Protestants intellectually, militarily, politically, and institutionally. How?

Change from the papacy

New religious orders

The Council of Trent (1545-1563)

Pope Paul III as Reformer(r. 1534-1549)

• Appointed reform-minded higher clergy to educate +monitor lower clergy– Prohibited absenteeism and pluralism

• Established new religious orders that preached to common people

• Opened seminaries to train priests• Ended selling church offices• Stricter control of clerical life

• A transition point from Renaissance Popes

Pope Paul III as Punisher• Holy Office (1542) presided over the

Roman Inquisition– Power to arrest, imprison, and execute

heretics – Led by Cardinal Caraffa (later Pope

Paul IV)• Index of Forbidden Books

published by Holy Office• Only effective in Papal states

• Called Council of Trent to reform the church and try to reconcile with Protestants 1545-1563

The Council of Trent: Reconciliation

• The Catholics could not reconcile with the Protestants. Why not?

Religious ReasonsLutherans and Calvinists insisted that the Scripture be the only basis for discussion

Political Reasons Charles V opposed discussion that would alienate his Lutheran subjects

French Kings undermined Charles’ efforts Wanted a weak, religiously divided Germany

Did not want to lose more territory

The Council of Trent: Reforms• Doctrinal Reforms

– Equal validity to Scriptures and tradition– Reaffirmed the Seven Sacraments and transubstantiation

• Tridentine decrees – Bishops must live in their own dioceses – Suppressed pluralism and simony– Forbade indulgences – Prohibited concubines– Every diocese ordered to have a seminary

• Professors determined vocation of prospective priests

New Religious Orders

• Why? Clergy and People needed to be morally and intellectually educated if Catholicism were to survive.

1. Ursuline Order of Nuns

• Founded by Angela Merici (1474-1540) in 1535

• Mission was to re-Christianize society by training future wives and mothers

• Established prestigious education for women throughout Italy, France, and the New World

2. Jesuits • Founded by Ignatius Loyola

(1491-1556)• Spiritual Exercises(1548) 4

week program to reform life through study

• Society of Jesus (Jesuits) became a centralized organization– Two year probationary period– poverty, chastisty, obedience,

and mission to educate and convert

– Educated European children of poor, then nobility, then throughout world

Limited Success

• 1524-25: Peasant’s Revolt

• 1534-35 Munster Rebellion• Anabaptist• Jan Matthys• “Walkie Talkie with God”

• 1555 Peace of Augsburg• “Whose realm, whose

religion”• Religious “toleration” in the

HRE• As determined by the local

ruler• Local sovereignty > Divine

sovereignty

Background to French Religious Wars

• France remained Catholic because of the Concordat of Bologna – Pope collected all $$ from French Church– French king could tithe and appoint French clergy

• French Huguenots (Protestants) were middle class artisans or reform minded clergy – By 1559 about 10% of France were Huguenots

• Power-hungry nobles converted to justify independence and land acquisition

Who’s best interest is it to become Protestant? Who’s best interest is in Catholicism?

French Wars of Religion (1562-1598)

•Catholics v. Huguenots

•Catherine de’ Medici (Wife of Henry II) tried moderation

–40-50% of nobility now Huguenot!

–Political trouble: Rival family (Guise) backed Catholics to try to claim political power!

–Spanish Catholics back the French Catholics

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Religions

Protestant faction: Huguenots =

French Calvinists. Supported by the

Bourbons

Guise = Catholic

St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre• August 24, 1572 • Festival celebrating the

marriage of King Henry II’s sister to Protestant Henry of Navarre

• Incited gruesome violence, 15 years of civil war – Led to destruction of crops,

commerce, and lives due to starvation and murder

Henry IV the Politique (r. 1589-1610) • Henry Navarre became

Protestant French King Henry IV

• Politique – a person believing that no religious creed was worth political and social disorder

• “Paris is worth a mass”• His compromise: became

Catholic to appease the Catholics and passed the Edict of Nants (1598) giving Huguenots freedom to worship and fortified their cities

Religious Violence Under the Habsburgs

• When Charles V abdicated in 1556, he left Austria to his brother Ferdinand and his son Philip acquired Spain, the Netherlands, Milan, Sicily, and territory in the Americas

• Philip did not understand how to contain Protestantism in the Netherlands

Violence Shaped the Low Countries • Calvinism appealed to

merchants and middle class because of its emphasis on good, hard work

• 1568 Duke of Alva was sent to “pacify” protestant uprisings and brutally executed 1,500 men

• Southern Low Countries fell to Spain (future Belgium)

• Northern declared independence with Union of Utrecht

• Northern Netherlands led by William of Nassau, assassinated in 1584

• Dutch appealed to Queen Elizabeth who reluctantly provided funds and troops

• Philip attacked England and lost, making permanent the Union of Utrecht → recognized as United Provinces in 1609 by Spain

Calvinism became

popular in the

Netherlands, uprisings

Council of Blood: 1568 Duke of Alva

“pacified” uprisings

killing 1,500 men

South went to Spain, North → Union of Utrecht

William of Nassau

assassinated in 1584

Dutch ask for help

from England (Queen

Elizabeth Tudor)

Philip sends Spanish

Armada to defeat

England and FAILS May 9,

1588

Independent United

Provinces, Powerful England,

Weakening Spain

Religious Violence in the Netherlands Sequence of Events

What were the causes and consequences of religious violence, including riots, wars, and

witch-hunts? Causes of Religious Violence• French nobles sought

independence and power, converted →Riots and Civil War in France

• MC workers converted b/c appeals of Calvinism →Riots in Netherlands

• Disasters like illness, weather → witch-hunts

Consequences of Religious Violence • Rise of the Bourbon

dynasty, politique approach to ruling France

• United Provinces and major increase in England military pretsige, major decrease in Spanish power

• Women associated with demons,