The Catholic Church reacted very strongly to the Protestant Reformation.
First, we needed to stop the spread of Luther's protest, then morally necessary to renew the clergy of the Church of Rome. This movement
is often referred to by the name of the Counter-Reformation or Catholic.
All this had to be a council. The first problems arose immediately: the place of the council was to be halfway between Germany and Italy ', between Spain and Russia. The choice fell on Trent. Unfortunately, the meeting was delayed by the numerous wars in Europe and doubts of the various popes that the council would have to question the 'papal authority. In the end, in 'winter' s year 1545 under the pontificate of Pope Paul III began the council. It lasted, with various interruptions, eighteen years and ended in 1563.
It led to many changes involving the clergy.
In any case, matters of doctrine with almost nothing changed since the council was limited to reaffirm the Catholic principles of earlier evidence which showed that there was no particular predestination preached by Calvin in Switzerland and that to attain eternal salvation, only faith was not enough, it took also the good works. Moreover, the lives of the saints were good examples of possible actions: left and then devotion to the Virgin Mary and the saints, the worship of their images and their relics.
Although the Bible does not name five of the seven Catholic sacraments, they were re-elected as well as the important role of the priest for the celebration of rites, 'interpretation of scripture in the relationship between God and faithful.
Finally, only the priests and the clergy it was entitled to interpret the scriptures.
was reaffirmed the notion that priests should not marry. In addition, for the bishops were given the 'obligation to reside in his own home and not to the Vatican and to make periodic visits "pastoral" to all parishes. To limit the wealth of the clergy was forbidden to bishops to accumulate great wealth and positions.
The priests were very ignorant and many times just for this were set up so-called "seminars" in which people were studying before becoming priests. Finally, to understand Catholic doctrine to all the faithful, was made a "Catechism", a text vulgar contained within it lies the doctrine.
The Church of Rome insisted that only her it was the 'religious education of the faithful, the task of spreading the message of God and therefore had to fight the' heresy.
In 1559 the Council of Trent was created a book, "The index of forbidden books" with which he described all the books and the works that should not be neither published nor divulgasti nor bought or read.
To do so, that were not out of other liberal interpretations of the Bible, the church did publish an edition authorized, monitored and reviewed by a committee of cardinals.
also was reinforced Court of the feared ' Inquisition, already active since the thirteenth century and, in 1542, was established on Sant 'Office, a congregation of cardinals which established the processes of so-called "heretics."
were also created new religious orders, both male (such as cappuccinos, the Barnabites, the Theatines, the Brothers ...) and female (such as angels or the Ursulines). However, the most important order, founded after the Council of Trent was surely the 'Order of the Jesuits.
It was founded by Ignatius of Loyola in 1534 and approved by Pope Paul III in 1540 alone.
Quest 'order had a very rigid hierarchical structure that depended directly on the pope. The iron discipline was so taken by the Jesuits important to be the pillar of the Catholic Church against the reform.
colleges were formed, especially in places where the reform had been more successful than they had as objective the 'education of the nobility and the wealthy to the Catholic religion.
Jesuits were often the stars of delicate missions, such as the confession of a number of rulers' time. They traveled all over the world and founded several missions (which Roland Joffe was inspired to create his film Mission).
