council of trent-circumstances leading up to the council of trent

what were the long term pressures ?

long standing calls for a council
increasing criticism of the church
the growing piety of the age
ODL and spiritauli

long standing calls for a general council to the church

to address some of the abuses and other problems
had been resisted by popes who saw a council as a challenge to papal authority (had only just recovered from the great schism)

increasingly vocal criticism of the church

by its own followers
erasmus and other humanists were openly critical of corruption

the growing piety of age

new orders in Italy were building a movement of grass-roots reform
putting pressures on the church leaders to respond

the ODL and the spirituali

a movement of influential reform-minded individuals who were keen to return the church to a more pious path
several would go on to serve in the most senior offices in the church