The Modern Age in Europe — (B) Reformation

Desiderius Erasmus

Philip IV

Martin Luther

Henry VIII

Practice of church offices given to the highest bidder.

Council of Trent

Ignatius Loyola

(A) and (R) are independent of each other.

Explanation — The term “Protestants” refers to those who protested against certain practices of the Roman Catholic Church and broke away during the Reformation. The beliefs and practices of Protestants varied widely, depending on the specific country.

(A) and (R) are independent of each other.

Explanation — Churches were indeed very rich but the clergy collected ‘Peter’s Pence’ from the people to build St. Peter’s Church as well as ‘Indulgences’ and ‘Simony’ to make even more money. This showed the corruption in churches during that time.

(A) is true but (R) is false.

Explanation — In Germany, the Southern States remained loyal to the Catholic Church and the Northern States accepted Lutheranism.

(A) is the reason for (R)

Explanation — One of the outcomes of the Council of Trent, a key event in the Counter Reformation, was the prohibition of the sale of indulgences and charging fees for conducting religious services.

The Reformation is the name given to a group of religious movements of the sixteenth century launched by the christians against the various drawbacks of the Church and the objectionable practices of the clergymen. The main target of these movements was the Pope, the highest authority in Church hierarchy.

A Letter of Indulgence was a pardon certificate issued to those, who paid money to the Church, for remitting punishments for their sins both in this life and after their death. It was issued by Pope Leo x, who needed money to build St. Peter's Church. Normally, the priest imposed a penance or punishment on a person who had sinned and he was required to perform a special service or make a pilgrimage to a holy place. But now they could be freed from doing penance for their sins by buying a Letter of Indulgence.

The Protestant Movement was a movement against the Church and their objectionable practices. The protestant movement started in different countries with different names but were collectively termed as Reformation.

The kings supported the Reformation Movement in order to weaken the Church. There was Pope's interference in political affairs which was apposed by the kings. As early as the 13th century, the rulers of Europe had quarrelled with the Popes over the royal right to tax the Church property. The rivalry ended in the defeat of the Papacy.

Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch philosopher and humanist, who is said to have prepared the ground for the Reformation by exposing the Church for their objectionable practices like charging fees for salvation. The book he wrote was 'In Praise of Folly'.

King Henry VIII of England got the Church lands and in 1536 passed an Act for dissolution of monasteries, whereby small monasteries with an income of less than £200 a year were closed and their buildings, land and money taken by the crown. By another Act of 1539, larger monasteries were closed. These monasteries were a reminder of power of Catholic Church and were the wealthiest institution in the country. By destroying the monastic system, Henry acquired all its wealth and property while at the same time removed the influence of Pope.

The Reformation Movement was against the Roman Catholic Church and brought about the birth of the Protestant Church. In order to restore the credibility of the Catholic Church, a large number of dedicated Christians including some popes introduced certain reforms within the Church. This movement is known as the Counter Reformation.

The council of Trent was a Church council convened at Trent in North Italy in 1545 by Pope Paul III. This council made a number of changes in Catholic Church. The role of council of Trent in Counter Reformation can be summarised as follows:

1. It expanded its doctrines in light of the changed attitudes of the times.
2. It condemned leading an irresponsible religious life by the clergy.
3. Books with anti-catholic teachings were banned.
4. Pope was regarded as the head of Catholic church and the final interpreter of Christian doctrine.
5. It established centres known as seminaries to educate and train priests.
6. It forbade the Church to charge fees for conducting religious services.
7. It advocated the use of the local language for preaching in the Church.

(a) Three Church practice — that caused dissatisfaction among the people were:

1. Economic Factors — In the middle ages, the Church had vast properties, which gave ample income to the Church. Besides, one-tenth of the income of a person was given to the Church. This was called the tithe. In addition to this, the clergy collected another sum called the 'Peter's Pence' from the people. The Church also started selling 'Letter of Indulgence'. These were pardon certificates remitting punishments of the sinners who bought them, both in this life and after their death.
2. Corruption in the Church — With passage of time, moral decay crept into some areas in the functioning of the Church. Some of the clergymen lacked proper education and lived a life of luxury neglecting their religious duties. They could pronounce a marriage lawful or unlawful. There were fees for every transaction in life, from birth to death.
3. Rulers' Resentment — Pope's interference in the political affairs was naturally opposed by the kings. They strongly supported the Reformation Movement in order to weaken the Church.

(b) The spread of new learning and spirit of enquiry was developed by Renaissance scholars. The invention of printing press and the printing of the Bible in vernacular languages brought a new outlook among laymen. The Renaissance encouraged spirit of enquiry, developed critical attitude space and broadened the mental outlook of man. People then began to question everything including the authority of the Pope. They criticised the Church practices, rituals and the lifestyles of some of the clergymen. The changed attitude of people finally led to outbreak of Reformation movement.

(c) The Reformation movements created a split in the Christian Church between those who continued to remain loyal to the Pope at Rome (known as Roman Catholics) and those who broke away from the Church at Rome. The latter were known as Protestants.

The Reformation broke out in number of countries like England, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and Scotland. However all the Protestants did not share the same religious beliefs and Rituals. The different names of Protestantism were Calvinism, Presbyterianism (Scotland) and Puritanism (England).

(a) The incident in the given picture is known as 'Diet of Worms' held at Worms in Germany in 1521.

(b) Martin Luther was there to defend his case before the Diet of Worms in 1521.
The Diet ordered that Luther's writings be burnt and Luther be outlawed but Luther had support of German rulers and so no harm was done to him.

(c) The contribution of Martin Luther in reforming the church in Europe were following:

1. Luther translated the Bible into German and set up an independent church.
2. He travelled extensively to different parts of Europe, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The Protestant movement found wide acceptance.
3. Lutheranism was recognised as a legal form of Christianity by a treaty known as 'The Peace of Augsburg' in 1555.

Dear Honorable Lords,

I stand before you today accused of heresy and disobedience to the Holy Roman Empire. I would like to take this opportunity to defend myself and clarify my position.

Firstly, I want to make it clear that my intention was never to start a revolt or overthrow the Church. My only goal was to reform the Church and bring it back to its original teachings as laid out in the Holy Scriptures. I believe that the Church has strayed from the true message of Christ, and it is our duty as Christians to correct it.

Secondly, I defend my views on the Roman Catholic practices. I reaffirm all my views as mentioned by me in Ninety-five theses and other writings. I reject to renounce my views. If I reject my own views, the lies and desolation of the Christian world and the papacy will continue. I cannot encourage their lies to flourish by renouncing my writings. If I do so that will only strengthen tyranny. My words may be harsh, for which I apologize, but I cannot reject the substance of what I taught in my theses. How can I go against my own conscience? However, I do not reject the Church entirely, and I acknowledge that it has played an important role in the history of Christianity.

I do not believe in the practice of collecting money from the people, like tithe, Peter's Pence and selling of indulgences or the concept of purgatory, which I see as corrupt and unscriptural. I believe that the only way to reform the Church is through open and honest discussion and debate.

In conclusion, I urge the members of this Diet to consider my arguments with an open mind and a fair judgement. I am not a heretic or a rebel, but a faithful Christian who seeks to do the right thing. I ask for your mercy and understanding, and I pray that we can work together to reform the Church and bring it back to its original message of love, forgiveness, and salvation.

Thank you for your time and attention.

The Reformation movement began in Europe in the 16th century to reform the Church and protest against the objectionable practices of the clergymen. John Wycliffe and Martin Luther were two eminent persons who openly revolted against the churches and their practices. Meanwhile, in India the Bhakti movement and the Sufi movement were on their peak. Saints like Meerabai, Sant Jnaneshwar and Hazrat Nizamuddin preached about unity of God, equality and devotion. These movements of India and Europe has some similarities and differences that are highlighted below:

Similarities:

1. Both movements challenged the established religious authority of their respective societies. In Europe, the Protestant Reformation challenged the Roman Catholic Church, while in India, the Bhakti and Sufi movements challenged the Brahminical orthodoxy and Islamic orthodoxy, respectively.
2. Both movements emphasized the importance of individual faith and personal experience. In Europe, the Protestant Reformation emphasized the idea of a personal relationship with God, while in India, the Bhakti and Sufi movements emphasized the importance of personal devotion and spiritual experience.
3. Both movements used vernacular language as a means of spreading their ideas. In Europe, the Protestant Reformation translated the Bible into local languages, while in India, the Bhakti and Sufi movements composed devotional poetry and songs in the local languages.

Differences:

1. The European Reformation was primarily a protest against the corruption and excesses of the Roman Catholic Church, while the Bhakti and Sufi movements in India were attempts to reform Hinduism and Islam from within. The Indian reform movements were more focused on spiritual renewal, while the European reform movements were more focused on institutional reform.
2. The European Reformation led to the formation of new Christian denominations, such as Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism, while the Bhakti and Sufi movements did not result in the formation of new religions or sects. Instead, they brought about changes within Hinduism and Islam.
3. The European Reformation emphasized reason and individualism. The Bhakti and Sufi movements, on the other hand, were more rooted in traditional religious practices and emphasized devotion and mysticism.