WH2 Counter Reformation Notes

Counter Reformation

  • Protestantism caused serious problems for the Catholic Church

    • People leaving the church by the millions 

    • Perceiving the Church as not the sole religious authority

  • To undo this, they started their own reformation

Council of Trent

  • The Church put themselves on trial in response to the endless questioning and came to 5 major conclusions

    • The Church holds sole authority, believing otherwise is heresy

    • You need good works and faith to be saved

    • The Bible and Church’s rituals are equal

    • Indulgences are valid, bad to sell

    • Burning of books deemed unsafe = okay

Counter Reformation in Spain

  • Ferdinand and Isabella ruled Spain

    • Devout Catholics, wanted Spain to remain a stronghold for Catholicism

The Spanish Inquisition

  • All Muslims, Jews, and Protestants forced to leave Spain unless they wanted to be persecuted

    • Thousands of non-Catholics being tortured and killed for refusing to recant

Counter Reformation in France

  • France was only Catholic in govt.

    • French monarchy would hunt and kill 12,000 Huguenots

  • The Edict of Nantes was passed due to the constant conflict between Catholics and Protestants

    • Allowed the French to worship whatever they wanted

Rising Tension in England

  • Some still wanted to bring England back to Catholicism despite Henry VIII and Elizabeth I establishing it as Catholic

  • James I became king after Elizabeth I

    • Heavily Protestant, forced everyone to attend church services

    • Condemned Catholicism as superstition

    • Protestants happy, Catholics alienated and angry

Guy Fawkes

  • Formed Catholic coalition to try and overthrow the British govt. 

    • Planned to kill Parliament

      • Going underneath the catacombs to plant barrels of gunpowder on Nov. 5

      • Guy Fawkes would light the barrels and run away

    • Authorities were notified

      • Fawkes was hung, tortured, quartered, and had his head placed on top of the London Bridge

Counter Reformation in Germany

  • Holy Roman Emperor Charles V declared war on Germany because they were large Protestant supporters

Thirty Years War

  • Between Catholics and Protestants

  • Cardinal Richelieu was the cardinal of the region who made the war political.

  • Catholics won

Changing Political Scene

  • After the war, Charles V passed the Peace of Augsburg

    • Allowed each European nation to elect their religion

    • Transferring of power from the Church to the monarchy

Creation of the Jesuits

  • Final attempt of Catholic Church

  • Jesuits = Society of Jesus

    • Be missionaries, bring followers back

  • The Protestant Reformation had spread too far