A leader in reforming the Catholic Church?

Answer 1

I believe it was Pope Blessed John XXIII.

Catholic AnswerThere have been many, many popes who have reformed the Church to one extent or another. There have been some very famous Popes, known for their reforming work. For instance, Pope Pius X did a great deal of reformation before he died. He lowered the age for First Holy Communion to 7 or 8, he reformed the Breviary, he made updates in the Missal. He fought many of the errors with which we are still plagued today, such as Modernism.

Many of the Popes involved in the Council of Trent, nearly five hundred years ago had a profound effect on the church, particularly Pius IV, and Pius V, who implemented the reforms called for.

Pope Blessed John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council together, and Pope Paul VI oversaw it and started its implementation. Popes John Paul the Great, and the current Holy Father, Benedict XVI, who is still implementing the reforms of Vatican Council II are all considered reformers.

Answer 2

Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Church was established by Our Blessed Lord nearly two thousand years ago, there have been many leaders in reforming the Church in two thousand years, for instance, the Second Vatican Council was a major reform in the Church's sacraments and spiritual life, that reform was led by Popes John XXIIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and is currently being led by Pope Benedict XVI. I am assuming you are asking about the reform that occurred after the protestant revolt in the sixteenth century, if so, here are the names for that:

from

A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957

The Counter-Reformation is the name given to the Catholic movement of reform and activity which lasted for about one hundred years from the beginning of the Council of Trent (q.v., 1545), and was the belated answer to the threatening confusion and increasing attacks of the previous years. It was the work principally of the Popes St. Pius V and Gregory XIII and the Council itself in the sphere of authority, of SS. Philip Neri and Charles Borromeo in the reform of the clergy and of life, of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits in apostolic activity of St. Francis Xavier in foreign missions, and of St. Teresa in the purely contemplative life which lies behind them all. But these were not the only names nor was it a movement of a few only; the whole Church emerged from the 15th century purified and revivified. On the other hand, it was a reformation rather than a restoration; the unity of western Christendom was destroyed; the Church militant (those still on earth) led by the Company of Jesus adopted offence as the best means of defence and, though she gained as much as she lost in some sense, the Church did not recover the exercise of her former spiritual supremacy in actuality.

from

Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

A period of Catholic revival from 1522 to about 1648, better know as the Catholic Reform. It was an effort to stem the tide of Protestantism by genuine reform within the Catholic Church. There were political movements pressured by civil rules, and ecclesiastical movements carried out by churchmen in an attempt to restore genuine Catholic life by establishing new religious orders such as the Society of Jesus and restoring old orders to their original observances, such as the Carmelites under St. Teresa of Avila (1515-98). The main factors responsible for the Counter Reformation, however, were the papacy and the council of Trent (1545-63). Among church leaders St. Charles Borromeo (1538-84), Archbishop of Milan, enforced the reforms decreed by the council, and St. Francis de Sales of Geneva (1567-1622) spent his best energies in restoring genuine Catholic doctrine and piety. Among civil rulers sponsoring the needed reform were Philip II of Spain (1527-98) and Mary Tudor (1516-58), his wife, in England. Unfortunately this aspect of the reformation led to embitterment between England and Scotland, England and Spain, Poland and Sweden, and to almost two centuries of religious wars. As a result of the Counter Reformation, the Catholic Church became stronger in her institutional structure, more dedicated to the work of evangelization, and more influential in world affairs.

AnswerThe answer is St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Answer 3

The Catholic Church was established by Our Blessed Lord nearly two thousand years ago, there have been many leaders in reforming the Church in two thousand years, for instance, the Second Vatican Council was a major reform in the Church's sacraments and spiritual life, that reform was led by Popes John XXIIII, Paul VI, John Paul II Benedict XVI, and is currently being led by Pope Francis. I am assuming you are asking about the reform that occurred after the protestant revolt in the sixteenth century, if so, here are the names for that:
from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957
The Counter-Reformation is the name given to the Catholic movement of reform and activity which lasted for about one hundred years from the beginning of the Council of Trent (q.v., 1545), and was the belated answer to the threatening confusion and increasing attacks of the previous years. It was the work principally of the Popes St. Pius V and Gregory XIII and the Council itself in the sphere of authority, of SS. Philip Neri and Charles Borromeo in the reform of the clergy and of life, of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits in apostolic activity of St. Francis Xavier in foreign missions, and of St. Teresa in the purely contemplative life which lies behind them all. But these were not the only names nor was it a movement of a few only; the whole Church emerged from the 15th century purified and revivified. On the other hand, it was a reformation rather than a restoration; the unity of western Christendom was destroyed; the Church militant (those still on earth) led by the Company of Jesus adopted offence as the best means of defence and, though she gained as much as she lost in some sense, the Church did not recover the exercise of her former spiritual supremacy in actuality.
from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980
A period of Catholic revival from 1522 to about 1648, better know as the Catholic Reform. It was an effort to stem the tide of Protestantism by genuine reform within the Catholic Church. There were political movements pressured by civil rules, and ecclesiastical movements carried out by churchmen in an attempt to restore genuine Catholic life by establishing new religious orders such as the Society of Jesus and restoring old orders to their original observances, such as the Carmelites under St. Teresa of Avila (1515-98). The main factors responsible for the Counter Reformation, however, were the papacy and the council of Trent (1545-63). Among church leaders St. Charles Borromeo(1538-84), Archbishop of Milan, enforced the reforms decreed by the council, and St. Francis de Sales of Geneva (1567-1622) spent his best energies in restoring genuine Catholic doctrine and piety. Among civil rulers sponsoring the needed reform were Philip II of Spain (1527-98) and Mary Tudor(1516-58), his wife, in England. Unfortunately this aspect of the reformation led to embitterment between England and Scotland, England and Spain, Poland and Sweden, and to almost two centuries of religious wars. As a result of the Counter Reformation, the Catholic Church became stronger in her institutional structure, more dedicated to the work of evangelization, and more influential in world affairs.