Counter Reformation World History/Napp

“The Protestant Reformation seriously weakened the power of the Roman Catholic Church. As Protestantism became more popular, the Roman Catholic Church lost practitioners, income, and land. In England, Henry VIII challenged the Pope and became the head of the Church of England in 1534. By the mid-1500s, the Roman Catholic Church began its own reform – the Counter Reformation. During the Counter Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church decided to reform itself. It decided to counter, or fight against, Protestant beliefs.

In 1545, the Roman Catholic Church called for a council of church officials to meet at the German city of Trent. This council lasted 18 years. It wrote down the most important beliefs of the Catholic Church and stopped the sale of indulgences. However, it disagreed with Luther. The council said that people found salvation only through the Roman Catholic Church. The council also said that people had to go to church and do good deeds to be saved and had to accept the Pope as the only leader of the Christian Church. Finally, Catholics had to agree with the Church’s interpretation of the Bible.

In addition to the Council of Trent, the Inquisition was established. It was a special court that inquired into people’s religious beliefs. If the person was found guilty of heresy or believing in ideas that differed from the Roman Catholic Church, the person could be tortured or even executed. The Inquisition frightened people in Catholic countries and led to fewer dissenters. The Pope also began to censor books by telling people which books they could read.

Finally, a new religious order was founded by Ignatius of Loyola. The Jesuits were dedicated to spreading the Catholic faith to non-Christians in Africa, Asia, and North and South America.” ~ World History

1- Why did the Protestant Reformation weaken the power of the Roman Catholic Church?

2- How did Henry VIII challenge the Pope?

3- What was the Counter Reformation?

4- What happened at the German city of Trent?

5- What Catholic beliefs did Catholic officials reaffirm in Trent?

6- What was the Inquisition and why were Catholics frightened of it?

7- How did Ignatius of Loyola help the Catholic Church?

8- Summarize the key differences between Protestants and Catholics.

- Why did Henry VIII withdraw his support of the Roman Catholic Church?

- How did Henry VIII’s separation from the Roman Catholic Church differ from Martin Luther’s separation from the church?

Word Bank:

Inquisition, Martin Luther, Faith, Pope, Council of Trent, Gutenberg, Counter Reformation, Protestants, Indulgences, Henry VIII, Jesuits

Identify the following terms:

Martin Luther Indulgences Ninety-Five Thesis

Henry VIII Protestant Reformation Counter Reformation

Inquisition Council of Trent Ignatius Loyola

Which factor helped most to bring about the Protestant Reformation?
  1. The Catholic clergy had lost faith in their religion.
  2. Islam was attracting many converts in western Europe.
  3. Kings and princes in northern Europe resented the power of the Catholic Church.
  4. The exploration of the Americas led to the introduction of new religious ideas.
The religious diversity in Western Europe is mainly the result of
  1. the Congress of Vienna
  2. World War II
  3. the French Revolution
  4. the Protestant Reformation
In Western Europe, a major immediate effect of the Reformation was a
  1. renewed domination of the Catholic Church over the German states
  2. greater tolerance of religions other than Christianity
  3. decrease in educational opportunities for the middle class
  4. decline in religious unity and in the power of the Catholic Church
Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses were a call for
  1. religious revolt against the German princes
  2. reforms within the Roman Catholic Church
  3. greater Papal authority
  4. crusades to spread Christianity
/ Which action could be considered an effect of the Protestant Reformation?
  1. posting of the Ninety-five Theses
  2. decline in the power of the Roman Catholic Church
  3. sale of indulgences
  4. end of religious warfare
In the early 1500s, Martin Luther’s “Ninety-five Theses,” Henry VIII’s “Act of Supremacy,” and John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion contributed to
  1. a decline in the power of the Catholic Church
  2. an increased sense of nationalism in Tudor England
  3. the growing power of the feudal nobility in Europe
  4. a major conflict among Eastern Orthodox Christians
Which innovation had the greatest impact on the Protestant Reformation?
  1. movable-type printing press
  2. Mercator map projection
  3. magnetic compass
  4. triangular sail
“…Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope’s indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;”
— Martin Luther
Which period in European history is most directly related to this statement?
  1. Age of Exploration
  2. Scientific Revolution
  3. Crusades
  4. Protestant Reformation