How did the Catholic church respond to the Protestant reformers?

Answer 1

Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Church's response to Luther's "reformation" (Catholics refer to as the protestant revolt) was two-fold. It reiterated and clearly defined It's teaching at the Council of Trent, and it attempted to save as many souls as possible that Luther had led astray and away from the salvation offered to them through the Church. This was called the Counter-Reformation by scholars, and the Catholic Reform by Catholics.

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. Answer

They respond through the apostolic tradition of the apostles and the first Christian. The Jesuits fought back by building schools and they sent missionaries around the globe.

Answer 2

They excommunicated Luther and his fellow reformers by papal bull, and ordered them tried and executed as heretics. Most escaped and survived due to the sympathy and doctrinal agreement of the Northern European princes and reigning monarchs.

Answer 3

The Catholic response to the spread of Protestantism is called the "counter-reformation". Including in that were many outstanding saints, and religious orders, not to mention the Council of Trent, all of which still exert a powerful influence to this day.

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from A Catholic Dictionary, 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.

Answer 4

Roman Catholic AnswerBy attempting to correct this erring friar, when he would not recant, he was excommunicated and the Church attempted to save those people who were being led away from salvation by his teachings. This movement was called the counter-reformation by modern scholars. The primary response was the Council of Trent, and a great flourishing of religious orders and great saints.

Answer 5

Those who were responsible for Martin Luther, his religious superior, his Bishop, and ultimately, the Holy Father in Rome, sought to bring about his conversion both for his own sake, and to limit the damage that Luther was inflicting on the Body of Christ. Eventually, the matter was given to the Holy See, the Holy Father issued a warning (Exsurge Domine - see link below), and, when M. Luther did not respond, regretfully issued an excommunication - both for M. Luther and his followers (Decet Romanum Pontificem - second link below).