The Catholic Reformation

The Roman Catholic Church responded to the Protestant Reformation with two overlapping yet distinct movements. The Counter-Reformation, as its name implies, refers to the efforts of those who were loyal to the pope and supportive of the customary practices of the Roman Catholic Church to counter the teachings and practices of the Protestant reformers. Although the Catholic Reformation is often studied in relationship to the Protestant Reformation, it is not a movement that simply reacted to the Protestant Reformation. Although the Council of Trent had addressed a number of doctrinal issues, it was also a pastoral council dedicated to eliminating abuses and inspiring holiness among the church’s clergy. Forced by crisis to define itself at the Council of Trent, Catholicism began to express in new ways what it held to be true