Catholic Reformation Dbq

October 31, 1517 was a historic day that sparked 3 Reformations some believe. It was the start of the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther who nailed his 95 Theses on the door in a church in Wittenberg that day. Some historians believe that led to the Counter Reformation along with the Catholic Reformation while others think that both Reformations were really one and that the Catholic Reformation had already begun before the Reformation itself. I am going to be viewing these Reformations as two distinct and different reformations each with a different purpose.

The Catholic Church had already started its own personal Reformation by cultivating a strong movement to reform the morals and intensify the piety of both clergy and laypeople

The establishment of the Roman Inquisition and the Index of Forbidden books, the condemnation of Protestant teachings by the Council of Trent, Catholic polemical writings and the Wars of Religion are usually assigned to the Counter Reformation . The Council of Trent helped both movements in that set the groundwork for the what the ideal Catholic Church would be as well as reaffirm its practices that conflicted with Protestant beliefs along with consolidating the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Instead of corrupt popes at the head of the movement there was Paul III, Paul IV, Pius V, and Sixtus V who took the extreme opposite style of life that the Church hadn’t seen since the 11th century which was living a life of righteous . Although it didn’t put an end to the Protestant belief that they hoped what came about was a more unified and controlled Catholic Church which laid the groundwork for what we know

That man was Ignatius of Loyola or “Inigo” in his earlier years. Born in northern Spain in 1491 into a noble family he later he worked as a gentleman, leading a sinful life compared to his later attitude in life that was yet to present itself. His life turned around in Manresa where he began to undergo a series of religious experiences that changed him radically . Without those experiences his two main contributions to the Catholic Reformation would have never happened. Ignatius created the Spiritual Exercises which was the process of prayer and reflection that took around thirty days to complete . It was sought to teach prayer more effectively and help people who were trying to reshape their lives and embraces God’s will for them . Ignatius wrote The Spiritual Exercises which was a guideline for the instructor who was overseeing the exercitants (people doing the Exercises) which was a time consuming and psychologically tough process as one would need to move away from their families for a month to be able to deeply reflect on the Exercise. A unique factor of them was its focus was on Christ and building closeness to him to gain closeness to the Holy Trinity. His next contribution and the biggest in the grander sense was the founding of the Society of Jesuits. They pledged their obedience to the Pope and carried out whatever assignment they were sent on. The Jesuits greatest contribution to the