Reformation
...heaven. Nepotism was favouring relatives or friends because of their relationship, rather than their abilities. Simony was the selling of Episcopal Offices by the Church. It was because of this corruption that people started to question the authority of the Pope, and the basis was laid for a great change in the Church. The political climate was ripe for a challenge to the Church theologically and spiritually. Matin Luther provided this challenge. Luther was an Augustinian monk and a professor of Biblical Theology at Wittenburg University. A deeply religious man, he was outraged by the excesses of the Church. Luther was firmly against the selling of Indulgences, the authority of the Pope, the Sacraments (except Baptism and the Eucharist) and also the celibacy of the clergy. On the 31st of October, 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 theses on the door of the Wittenburg Castle Chapel. These theses challenged the teachings of the Church. Thus, Luther’s challenge evolved into a protest against the Roman Catholic Church. He offered salvation outside the Catholic Church, whereas in 1302, Pope Benifus said “outside the Church there is no Salvation”. He believed that all that was needed to gain Justification was “faith alone”, “grace alone” and “scripture alone”. Faith alone was the belief that all that was necessary for a person to be saved from damnation was to trust in the saving action of Christ. Luther reflected on St Paul’s words; “a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:28). Martin Luther also believed in Grace alone. This was the belief that the saving action of Justification was the result of pure grace by which God ignored a person’s sinfulness and saved them in spite of themselves. Luther’s source of authority was in scripture. He taught that the Church did not provide the link between God and humans, but that it was the Bible that provided that link. These beliefs were spread easily because of the recent invention of the printing press. Therefore, Luther was not entirely responsible for the spread of the Reformation. . The spread of the Reformation can also be linked to John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli. John Calvin left France for Switzerland because of the persecutions of other reformers in France, thus extending the Protestant Reformation all around Europe. Calvin contributed to the Reformation, in making people believe that not everything the Church said was true. This is evident in his belief in predestination, which is that people have been pre-marked for heaven or hell, and nothing that we do on earth can change that. Ulrich Zwingli was another Protestant in Switzerland. Zwingli was much more anti-institutional and anti-clerical than Luther, making him a very significant reformer with a large effect on the Swiss population. Due to the actions of these Reformers, the Church was forced to respond, so that society did not abandon the truths taught by the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Church’s answer to the Reformation was to call a Council to condemn the principles and doctrines of Protestantism. The Church was initially slow in its response; however, in 1545, the Council of Trent was called by Pope Paul III. The aims of the Council of Trent were to rid the Church of corruption; to clarify the Doctrines on all disputed points; to re-unite itself with society, and to bring back the Protestants. Hence, the Council of Trent made many changes. The Bishops of the Council decided that Justification was declared to be offered upon the basis of faith and good works opposed to that of Luther’s belief of faith alone. This proved that the Church was required in a person’s life to be able to gain salvation. Marriage laws were tightened, and the seven Sacraments were defined and enforced. In the case of divorce, a party was not allowed to re-marry unless the other was deceased. Indulgences, simony and nepotism were all forbidden. Thus, the Church was free from corruption. The Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist was re-affirmed, opposing the belief of John Calvin, and greater importance was put on Communion. The Council also revived the belief in Papal Supremacy. There were a number of Canons and Decrees decided upon by the Council of Trent. Pope Pius V appointed a Commission of Cardinals to assist him in interpreting and enforcing the Decrees of the Council of Trent. The Counter Reformation was not only spread by the Bishops of the Council of Trent, but its teachings were also encouraged by the Jesuits and the reforming Popes. The Jesuits were typical of the new spirit of Catholicism; helping the poor, and preaching publicly to try to help the Church regain its “lost souls.” Their motto was “to the greater Glory of God”, thus showing their direct loyalty to the Pope. The Jesuits set up excellent schools around Europe and were influential in re-establishing the Catholic faith. The Reforming Popes also spread the Decrees and decisions of Trent. Pope Pius V was seen as the believer. He published the Catechism and had an early involvement in the Inquisition as he pursued the heretics. Pope Gregory XIII was another Reforming Pope. He was seen as the organiser as he cut 11 days out of t...