Charles I's Influence Of Religious Change In The 152 Century

The initial years of Charles I’s reign beginning in 1516 as King of Aragon, and King of Castile jointly with his mother Joanna, saw a slowdown in religious change. Charles’ upbringing in the Netherlands hindered his support in Spain, and his accession to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire in 1519 meant that he had to simultaneously oversee the affairs of two sizeable territories. Therefore, religious reforms were slow to actualise under Charles. As a result, absenteeism and pluralism that were commonly observed in Spanish parishes were not dealt with, and the teaching of Catholic doctrine among the laity was of varying standards. Hence, it could be argued that the paucity of religious change under Charles I worsened the state of religion and spiritual conditions in the kingdom, and more was lost than gained as a result.

Traditional Catholicism was declared as the only pathway to God in the 1520s, and the Inquisition was used to eliminate the rise of religious beliefs associated with Lutheranism and Protestantism. Its attack on Alumbrados, associates of the Illuminist movement, and the inclusion of Alumbrado heresy in the edict of faith in 1525 were also indicative of Charles’ determination to rid Spain of heretical beliefs. By the 1530s, the Inquisition campaigned to ‘turn Spain into a fortress against heresy,’ and individuals associated with Protestantism were persecuted. By 1540, Protestants became the main targets of the Inquisition, and conversos ceased to be present in inquisitorial trials. Thus, under Charles, the authority of the Inquisition was increased to eliminate heretical beliefs, resulting in more gains than losses to the Crown and Catholic