How did the Renaissance affect the Catholic church?

Answer 1

From a Catholic perspective, the Reformation acted as a "housecleaning" of sorts. The corruption of the Church, as seen in the selling of indulgences, was largely stamped out, though it should be noted that the major belief systems were unaffected. The Church lost much political clout and eventually found itself becoming less of an Empirical power and more focused on Spiritual leadership.

Protestant churches flourished. Religion no longer united. As the Church's power declined, individual monarchs and states gained power.

Catholic AnswerThe Reformation shook the Bishops and the Vatican out of any lethargy that had come over them and forced them to look into real abuses that were happening in the church, also, a vast number of great saints, and great religious orders came out of this time.

from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957The 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 2

During the Renaissance times, a priest named Martin Luther got very discouraged about how corrupt the Catholic Church had become. He then wrote a paper called the 95 theses (95 things) that were wrong with the Catholic Church and he posted on the church door.

As his paper got around, many people started to read it and agreed with him that indeed there were many things that the church was doing that were wrong, immoral, hypocritical, etc...

Eventually, as more and more people sided with Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation was born and with that, the protestant church. The first protestant church created by Luther was the Lutheran church!

Before that, there was only one Christian Church - The Catholic Church.

Catholic AnswerThe Renaissance started in the mid-fourteenth century in Italy and was in high gear in the fifteenth century. It was a melancholy end to the great age of faith which had proceeded it. G. K. Chesterton says that the Renaissance "was a resurrection of old things discovered in a dead thing [the ancient world'" in contrast to the "great growth of new things produced by a living thing" which was medieval culture. The Renaissance initially started out trying to revive ancient Latin and Greek as it was used by the ancient Latins and Greeks, it was originally a linguistic revival. Prior to the Renaissance all of these ancient things were known and studied, but in a Christian light, the Renaissance scholars tried to discard their Christian eyes and look at things as purely pagan. Sadly, they succeeded all too well, for the first time in Christian Europe a purely secular business culture arose and businessmen discarded their Christianity when entering the Office. A coldness crept into Christian life as more and more Christians arranged their lives around something other than the Church. This depressing outlook would give rise in the sixteenth century to great heretics like Martin Luther, Calvin, and Henry VIII who would look at their futures more in terms of what they wanted instead of what God wanted, thus giving rise to the great protestant revolt leading millions of souls astray and away from salvation.

Answer 3

Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Reformation was a great success in unifying the Church, purging her of errors, and reforming such instititions as seminaries (education of the clergy) and life in monasteries. However, it never completely reunited the Body of Christ, and whole countries (England and Scotland, for example) were lost to the Church and have been denied the Sacraments.

from

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

The principal results of the Reformation were: the true reform of the Church "in head and members" effected by the Council of Trent and the revivification of Catholicism so thoroughly achieved that it remains vital to this day (The Counter-reformation); the putting of countless souls, notably in Great Britain, Scandinavia and the German parts of the Empire, in enmity to the Church and consequently outside those means provided by Christ for man to know and attain to God; the disappearance of any "higher unity" holding together the diverse peoples and nations of Europe, the inoculation of men with naturalistic and humanitarian (as opposed to theocentric) philosophy which is now the chiefest enemy of Christianity.

Answer 4

Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Reformation was a real blossoming of spirituality both in religious orders, saints, and the laity. Many classic books came out of this period, everything written by St. Theresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, St. John of the Cross and many others. The regularization of the seminary education resulting in better educated priests, and a more holy laity were wonderful examples of what came out of the Catholic Reform. It had many good results, one of which was NOT other Churches.

from the Catholic Encyclopedia

The term Counter-Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648. The name, though long in use among Protestant historians, has only recently been introduced into Catholic handbooks. The consequence is that it already has a meaning and an application, for which a word with a different nuance should perhaps have been chosen. For in the first place the name suggests that the Catholic movement came after the Protestant; whereas in truth the reform originally began in the Catholic Church, and Luther was a Catholic Reformer before he became a Protestant. By becoming a Protestant Reformer, he did indeed hinder the progress of the Catholic reformation, but he did not stop it.

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.

Answer 5

Catholic Answer

The protestant revolt did not affect the authority of the Catholic Church as that authority is from God and remains unaffected by the actions of heretics. Some monarchs, particularly in Northern Germany and England were among the heretics who spawned the protestant revolt.

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.