Lesson Plan:
Activator:
• Based upon what you have seen in the Protestant Reformation make a “TO
DO” list for the Roman Catholic Church
• Intro idea of counter and Catholic Reformation
• Examine documents to see where these items are crossed off the “to do” list.
Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation #1: Society of Jesus
Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish soldier, founded the Society of Jesus in Paris in the 16th century. Known as Jesuits, the order's members were linked to the pope in Rome rather than to any national setting. They sought the salvation and perfection of every individual and concentrated their energies on foreign missions, university education, secular business, and sometimes politics. The development of the Society of Jesus was one of the most important elements of the Catholic Reformation. Intensely dedicated to the renewal of all they admired in the Catholic tradition, the Jesuits spread their spiritual and intellectual discipline around the world. In what areas did the Jesuits focus their energies?
How could focusing on these areas help to reform the corruption that had plagued the Catholic Church?
Loyola, a former soldier, founded the order in 1534, but it was canonically established by Pope Paul III in 1540. Though the origins of the order were linked in some ways to the Protestant Reformation, Loyola's primary concern was to reform the Catholic Church from the inside by promoting a more rigorous devotion to Christian doctrine. By 1550, however, the order had adopted an anti-­‐Protestant stance, and its official motto became "For the Greater Glory of God." As an ex-­‐soldier, Loyola believed in strict discipline and established austere rules for his followers. Yet the Jesuits also benefited from several important innovations, including the elimination of many medieval practices like obligatory penances, fasts, and the need for a particular uniform. Authority in the order was highly centralized and went all the way to the pope. Men hoping to join the order had to practice for an unusually long period of probation (an average of 10 years) before taking their final vows, and there was an emphasis not only on obedience but on flexibility as well. How did the criteria for becoming a Jesuit help to insure that men joining the order were truly dedicated
to Catholicism? Underline a passage from the text that supports your response.
How can the establishment of the Jesuits be seen as a reaction to the Protestant Reformation?
Underline a passage from the text that supports your response.
Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation From the outset, the order dedicated itself to education and scholarship as the center of its intellectual and spiritual activity. The Jesuits quickly became associated with institutions of higher learning and often acted as educators or advisers to influential sectors of society. The order was also very quick to establish themselves in the foreign mission field. Even before the death of Loyola, over 1,000 Jesuits were at work in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Another characteristic of the Jesuits that engendered suspicion was the extension of their work in apparently secular business. Although each brother took a personal vow of poverty and chastity, the Jesuits engaged in corporate economic activity to sustain the order and spread their faith. In Latin America, for example, the Jesuits administered countless agricultural estates where labor was performed by African slaves or indigenous peoples. Such activities were acceptable to the order as long as they contributed to the salvation and perfection of every individual. The Jesuits' business endeavors were often extremely successful due to their training and dedication of purpose. 1. Why do you think that the Jesuits dedicated themselves to education and scholarship? 2. Where did Jesuits do missionary work? Why do you think that missionary work was an important component of their efforts? 3. What types of economic activity did the Jesuits engage in? How was the money that they earned used? How is this different from the way the money was by the church before the Reformation? How did they justify the exploitation of Africans and indigenous people on the agricultural estates? Overall would you say that the activities of the Jesuits could better be characterized as “Catholic Reformation” – an effort on behalf of Catholics to reform their church and practices, or “Counter Reformation” – an reaction to the teachings and beliefs of the Protestant church? Support your answer with specific examples. Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation Adapted from: "Society of Jesus." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 15 May
2012. #2: The Catholic Reformation: The Council of Trent (1545-­‐1563) Church authorities consider the Council of Trent the most important council in the modern history of the Roman Catholic Church. The following passages are taken from the council’s decrees. 1. Let the following be cursed: anyone who says that the New Testament does not provide for a distinct priesthood; anyone who says that priests do not have the power of bringing about transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body and blood on Christ; anyone who preaches that priests do not have the power of forgiving and not forgiving; and anyone who says on the other hand that a priest is merely a minister whose only duty is to preach the gospel. 2. If anyone says that a man can be justified before God by doing good works without also having the divine grace of Jesus Christ, let him be cursed. 3. If anyone says that a sinner is justified by faith alone, meaning that it is not necessary for him to receive sacraments to prepare for grace, let him be cursed. 4. If anyone says that a man’s justification before God is not increased by his good works, let him be cursed. 5. In order that Christians may receive the sacraments with greater devotion, this holy council commands that bishops and priests should first explain the purpose and use of the sacrament in a way that the congregation can understand, using the native tongue of the people if it is necessary. 6. It is to be desired that all who become bishops should understand what portions of their income should be devoted to their own maintenance and to comprehend that they are called to the office of bishop not for riches or luxury, but to the labors and cares for the glory of God. How do items 1-­‐4 refute the teachings of Luther and the Protestants? What is the purpose of item number 5? What is the purpose of item number 6? Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation In what ways was the Council of Trent an example of “Counter Reformation” – a reaction to the teachings of Luther and the Protestants? In what ways was the Council of Trent an example of “Catholic Reformation” – an attempt to address the corruption that had undermined the true mission of Catholicism? Adapted from: The Shaping of Western Society:An Inquiry Approach edited by Edwin Fenton Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation #3: Index Librorum Prohibitorum
The “Index of Forbidden Books,” was an official list of books that Catholics were not permitted to read. The Index was first created in 1559 when the Church was dealing with the effects of the Protestant Reformation, and it became necessary to warn the Catholic faithful that there were books in circulation that were contrary to the Catholic faith. The Index continued to exist for over 400 years, and was finally abolished by Pope Paul VI Why was the Index of Prohibited Books created?
During the four centuries in which the Index was in use, hundreds of books were read by Vatican censors, and their content examined for issues relating to faith and morals. Heretical works which were placed on the Index included works describing in approving terms the teachings of Luther and Calvin, Some books were banned for their sexually explicit, immoral content (like the memoirs of Casanova); others could not be read because they promoted scientific positions which the Church held to be contrary to revealed truths (like the work of Galileo). A few might be surprising to many Catholics: Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, for example, was on the Index because it called into question both the need to respect lawful authorities and the laws themselves, and the consequent need to obey them. What types of ideas/writing could put a book on the Index?
The works that were placed on the Index, often did so after much debate. Catholic authors who ended up on the Index had the opportunity to defend their writings or to modify and then re-­‐
publish their works. Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation Why do you think that Catholic authors were allowed to defend or modify their works?
By the mid-­‐20th Century, it was becoming impossible for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith to read all the books that were being published and the Index was less and less able to fulfill its function. Therefore, the Congregation stated that the Index would no longer be issued. Catholics are still encouraged to avoid those writings that might threaten faith or morality How did the printing press necessitate the “need” for the Catholic Church to create an
Index?
Is the Index an example of Counter-Reformation (a reaction to the ideas of Luther and
the Protestants) or Catholic Reformation (an attempt to address the corruption of the
Catholic Church)
Adapted from: http://catholicexchange.com/index-­‐of-­‐forbidden-­‐books Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation and http://catholicunderthehood.com/2010/06/14/today-­‐in-­‐catholic-­‐history-­‐the-­‐index-­‐of-­‐prohibited-­‐
books-­‐is-­‐abolished/ #4 : The Roman Inquisition
The Roman Inquisition was established by Pope Paul III in 1542 The Roman Inquisition was created entirely to suppress Protestantism, and it was much less severe than the Spanish version. In addition, popular culture had created attitudes toward faith that the Church found objectionable; like the Spanish Inquisition, the Roman Inquisition sought to remold popular culture in accordance with current religious ideals. Give 2 reasons why the Roman Inquisition was established.
In its first years, the Roman Inquisition concentrated on Protestantism. Toward the end of the 1500s, it saw more cases of witchcraft and magic. Though this Inquisition did occasionally use torture, there were restrictions on when and how much it could be employed, and confessions given under torture were treated with a grain of salt; they were not considered valid until they had been ratified 24 hours later outside the torture chamber. Those accused of crimes had legal counsel, and judges were generally quite responsible in their decisions, declining to convict anyone not conclusively proven guilty. Once the Church stopped seeing Protestantism as a threat to religious unity, the Roman Inquisition's role changed to simply maintaining order and purity of faith among Catholics. How was the Roman Inquisition different from the Spanish Inquisition?
How can the Roman Inquisition be seen as a rejection of Renaissance values? Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation Is the Roman Inquisition an example of Counter Reformation (a response to the teachings of Luther and the Protestants) or Catholic Reformation (an attempt to address the corruption of the Catholic Church)? Explain. Adapted from: "Inquisition." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 16 May 2012.
Name _____________________________________________ Catholic Reformation – Counter Reformation Summarizer Please write an well-­‐organized paragraph in response to the following question: How did the Catholic Church respond to the corruption that was present in their organization and the challenges that were put forth by the religious teachings of Protestants? Please be sure that your paragraph has: • An underlined topic sentence • Specific evidence from Documents 1-­‐4 (please refer to the document in parenthesis when you use information from it ). Stevens –World I Catholic / Counter Reformation