The parish priests were very close to their parishioners and they had much influence over the population. In addition to their religious duties they were also responsible for keeping records of births, marriages and deaths. And also drawing up legal contracts in regions where there were no notaries. Kind of like a lawyer in the modern world.
This corruption led to people losing faith and believing the church was unimportant, resulting in the Reformation. Both these diseases led caused very important movements to be put into action.
The Reformation was a time in Europe in the 1500s in which people questioned the beliefs of the Catholic Church. There were many changes made by the catholic church. The people that were responsible were Martin Luther, John Calvin and King Henry VIII. The Protestant Reformation of 16th century Europe was primarily the result of three men and their disagreements with the Catholic Church; Martin Luther, John Calvin, and King Henry VIII forever changed the religious landscape of Europe.
The public criticism also started the Protestant Reformation. It was written in Latin so only the church leaders could read it. It criticized the power of the pope and the wealth of the Church. What really sent red flags in the air for the Catholic priests were when Martin Luther said that indulgences had no power to get rid of sin and get people less time in purgatory. Martin Luther also kind of scared people by saying “selling indulgences was sinful”.
In the 1500s, the Catholic Church headed by the pope with its central institution located in Rome was very powerful and one of the wealthiest church in Europe. It united most of the people across Europe and had a major political role in every decision making that concerns the state. But, as the church gained more power and wealth, its hierarchy of top officials also became corrupt and greedy. Eventually, people started to get angry and frustrated over its corruption and started a religious rebellion against the church. The conflict among the people and the church began to escalate therefore causing a ripple effect throughout the world.
Reformation created the protestant and reformed churches. Doing the 16th century were a lot of riots. These riots were mostly roman catholics and other people who wanted their religion. In this time a the age they were going through
Protestant Reformation Protestant Reformation was a European Christian movement. This movement, led by Martin Luther reformed the Roman Catholic Church practices and begin Protestantism. The reformation started because of the corruption of Roman Catholic Church. The corruption that begin the protestant reformation was phony relics and indulgences. The church priests would sell these relics to poor people knowing that they were fake and build on lies only to make money for the church.
Corruption in the Catholic Church has been prevalent through out history. Throughout the ages, the church has been able to survive scandals, wars, and corruption and has been able to maintain popularity. But during the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church started to decline in popularity. Catholics started to regard the church with skepticism and suspicion. Although the church was created for the purpose of religious guidance, the corrupt leaders and followers of the Catholic Church changed the morals and ideals the church was founded upon.
The spark that ignited the Reformation was the propositions Luther posted. Luther attacked the papal authority. The papal had the wrong motives and only for their gain.
The Protestant Reformation took place in the 16th century in Europe. This reformation was led by reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin. Martin Luther and John Calvin disputed the Church’s views and what they defined Christianity as. Not only did this reformation lead to changes in religious and spiritual life but it also led to consequences for politics and society. The Protestant Reformation caused outbreak in war, which showed the demand for reform to take place.
With these new missionaries traveling across the world, they were able to convert many people to Catholicism, and gain back the followers the church had lost during the Protestant-Reformation in Europe.
Intense criticism of the Catholic Church, and in particular of the Pope, resulted in a swell of reformist thought. The religious aspects of the Reformation were accompanied by ambitious political leaders who sought to manipulate the Reformation as a means through which to expand their power and influence. Arguably, the Reformation was initiated by Martin Luther’s ninety-five theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany, in the year 1517. These theses were highly controversial in their nature due to the questioning of Roman Catholic doctrine as well as a number of practices that had been followed by the church for centuries.
By the end of the Middle Ages, the church was sorely in need of reform. The papacy was corrupt and church leaders were more dedicated to living luxurious, powerful lives than to preaching the gospel of the Lord. Change eventually came about through courageous people, “shining lights,” as Stiansen puts it, who were unafraid of being ridiculed and even martyred for their convictions. Pre-Reformers like John Wycliffe and Jan Hus prepared the way for the Reformation through their writings, lifestyles, and deaths.
New ideas about religion, politics, and culture, swept across Europe in the sixteenth century. The cultural norm began changing in ways that have affected even modern day society. People began questioning powers, especially in church. A major part of the Reformation was the call to purify the church. Many important and notable people drove this cause, and they acted as reformers.
Main Causes of the Reformation There are many reasons why the Reformation occurred and what the main causes were. Many priests were illiterate and did not teach the same values to people that were contained in the Bible. Indulgences were widely disputed because some religious figures deemed them arbitrary and to others it seemed ridiculous that you could pay money and be absolved of sin. Additionally, many people became more skeptical of the church after several popes turned out to be incorrect on matters of faith.