How Did Pope Paul III Contribute To The Enlightenment

731 Words3 Pages

William Crounse
Ms. Carr
F Block
12 April 2017
Pope Paul III and the Council of Trent
The Counter Reformation was a time of great change in Europe. Perhaps no case demonstrates this better than Pope Paul III and the council he held at Trent. When Pope Paul came to power in 1524, the Protestants were gaining more followers, and Catholic Church wanted to prevent more Christians from leaving. As a result, it was forced to reform. Pope Paul III called for a council of bishops and cardinals to assert Church beliefs. His holding the Council of Trent was his most significant contribution to the counterreformation.
The Council of Trent contributed significantly to the changes in Europe by deciding which Church practices would have to be changed. It banned the selling of indulgences while simultaneously recognizing indulgences that had been sold in the past. This limited the corruption the Protestant leaders had been upset with from continuing. However, it respected those that already had bought indulgences. In addition to this assertion, it recognized the Bible and Church as both …show more content…

The Jesuits spread education and Christianity throughout the world. Their achievements had a lasting impact that affected both the Catholic Europeans and those converting from other regions. They also slowed the spread of Protestantism in regions of Germany and Poland. Nevertheless, the approval of the Jesuits was not Pope Paul III’s greatest contribution to the Counter Reformation. Although the Jesuits were important, they were only one branch of the Catholic Church. The Council of Trent, however, affected the entire Christian Church. Without the Council of Trent, the religion the Jesuits were spreading could be very different. Although he had other significant achievements such as approving the Jesuit order, Pope Paul’s holding the Council of Trent was his greatest