THE CATHOLIC COUNTER-REFORMATIONBy Matthew EltonThe Lutheran Reformation caused the Catholic Church to loose political poweras well as many followers as people turned away from Catholicism and towardsProtestantism. In the sixteenth century Catholic authorities responded to theLutheran Reformation with their own Counter-Reformation, which also became knownas the Catholic Reformation. This was a movement by the Catholic Church to reformitself to prevent further losses as other Protestant reformers arose. Reforms ofthe Catholic Reformation included better training for priests and additional focuson devotion and having a personal relationship with Jesus. The CatholicReformation was a necessary step in bringing the Catholic Church out of itsmedieval state and into its present form.In the sixteenth century, Pope Paul III commenced the Council of Trent. Thecouncil consisted of Catholic cardinals who were responsible for handling thereforms of the Catholic Church. These cardinals had to make important decisionsthat could greatly change the way the Catholic Church operated. It was theirresponsibility to address issues such as salvation, indulgences, corruption, andusury. The Council determined that salvation could only be achieved through worksas well as faith. The Council also refused to change the sale of indulgences, thedoctrine of transubstantiation, and the Seven Sacraments. Finally, the Council ofTrent stated that the pope was God’s supreme representative on Earth, negating theprinciple of Conciliarism, in which a council serves as the divine representativeinstead of the pope.Transubstantiation, simony, usury, and the sale of indulgences were all elementsof the Catholic Church which Martin Luther completely opposed. The Council ofTrent refused to initiate reforms on any of these elements of Catholicism.However, some changes were made to Catholic Church. Many priests, especiallythose living in rural areas, did not know Latin, and therefore they could notcarry out the traditional Catholic services that were held in Latin. The CatholicChurch began to provide better education for priests. Priesthood handbooks werepublished to aid in this educational reform.Many Catholic bishops had no knowledge of theology, and instead had studiedlaw. For this reason, many Catholic bishops had become more like propertymanagers than bishops. Protestant reformers criticized these “absent bishops.”The Council of Trent set out to put an end to absent bishops by endingabsenteeism, which was a practice in which bishops lived at landed estates ratherthen in their dioceses. The Council of Trent banned the election of bishopssolely for political reasons, and gave bishops greater power, allowing them tocontrol every aspect of religious life.After the reign of Pope Paul III, who had initiated the Council of Trent,Pope Paul IV came to power. He was determined to eliminate Protestantism. To tryto achieve this goal, he used the Inquisition and a ban on certain books. TheIndex, a list of books that were prohibited, was published and distributed. PopePaul IV put strict emphasis on Catholic law, and was known for burning heretics atthe stake. He put strong emphasis on the importance of devotionalism, because itallowed an individual to have a personal religious experience. This devotionincluded meditation and reciting of the Rosary. Pope Sixtus V finished off theCatholic Reformation focusing on rebuilding Rome as a European capital and asymbol of Catholicism.Throughout the Catholic Reformation, new religious orders were established.These orders helped stop corruption within the Catholic Church. Followers ofthese orders included the Barnibites, Theatines, Capuchins, Ursulines, andJesuits. The Jesuits were the members of the Society of Jesus, a group oftraveling Catholic missionaries who won many converts for Catholicism. TheTheatines were a group of priests who helped to stop heresy. The Capuchins helpedto care for the poor and the sick. The Ursulines focused solely on educating

girls. Most Catholic orders focused on bringing Catholicism to rural areas, wherethe grip of Catholic authority was not as tight, and where Protestantism wasspreading.Of all the religious orders of the Catholic Church, the Society of Jesus wasby far the most effective in spreading Catholicism. The Society of Jesus wasfounded in 1534 by the Spanish nobleman Ignatius of Loyola. That same year, theSociety of Jesus received authorization by Pope Paul III. Jesuits, members of theSociety of Jesus, devoted their lives to following Catholic traditions. Havingbeen a soldier earlier in his life, Ignatius of Loyola organized the Society ofJesus as a military leader might organize an army. Members were carefullyselected, and had to go through training and be highly disciplined. Ignatius ofLoyola published a book entitled Spiritual Excersizes, which served as a handbookfor Jesuits. The Jesuits spread Catholicism throughout Europe, Asia, and the NewWorld.Church music became an important issue during the Catholic Reformation.Lutherism allowed polyphonic church music in which the whole congregationparticipated. Pope Paul III allowed the Council of Trent to decide whether or notpolyphonic music should be allowed in Catholic services. The Council of Trentstated that, “All things should indeed be so ordered that the masses, whether theybe celebrated with or without singing, may reach tranquility unto the ears andhearts of those who hear them, when everything is executed clearly and at thecorrect speed. In the case of those masses which are celebrated with singing andwith organ, let nothing profane be intermingled, but only hymns and divinepraises. The whole plan of singing should be constituted not to give emptypleasure to the ear, but in such a way that the words be clearly understood byall. And this the hearts of listeners be drawn to desire of heavenly harmonies inthe contemplation of the joys of the Blessed. They shall also banish from churchall music that contains whether in the singing or in the organ playing things thatare lascivious or impure.” By stating this, the Council of Trent was outlawingexplicit content and polyphonic tones in church music. It would not be until1555, when the Pope Marcellus Mass was composed by Palestrina, that polyphonicmusic would once again be allowed in Catholic services.The Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Church combated Protestantism inthree main ways. The Catholic Reformation ensured that Catholic clergy memberswere better educated, allowing them to carry out their duties more properly. TheCatholic Reformation made church services more attractive to common people throughpersonal devotion as well as newly configured regulations regarding church music.Finally, the Catholic Reformation spread Catholicism throughout the world byutilizing Catholic religious orders such as the Society of Jesus. The CatholicReformation was the response of the Catholic Church to the Lutheran Reformation,and it was a necessary step in bringing the Catholic Church out of its medievalstate and into its present form.Works Cited:"Anabaptists." New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. 30 Oct. 2006<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01445b.htm>.Council Of Trent. "The Council of Trent." History.Hanover.Edu. Trans. JWaterworth. 30 Oct. 2006 <http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/trentall.html>.Hunt, Lynn, Thomas R. Martin, Barbara H. Rosenwein, R. Po-Chia Hsia, and Bonnie G.Smith. The Making of the West - Peoples and Cultures. Boston, New York:Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. 554-560.Pollen, J.j. "The Counter Reformation." New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. 30 Oct.2006 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04437a.htm>.Schaff, Philip. "Biography of Ignatius of Loyola." Christian Classics EtheralLibrary. 30 Oct. 2006