How did the Catholic Church try to keep people from becoming Protestant?

Answer 1

This is known as the Roman Catholic Counter-reformation.

It included such things as the Council of Trent, various (and often murderous) Inquisitions, slaughter and hunting of Protestant "heretics", and the Ne Temere decree of 1908.

Roman Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Church, through preaching and prayer, sought to implement genuine reform. St. Francis de Sales, a bishop in a largely Protestant diocese was an outstanding example of this. His tracts and preaching are still published today as outstanding spiritual reading. Many new Orders arose in the Church and others were reformed (such as the Carmelites with St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross). The Inquisitions started about three centuries before the Protestant Reformation and were largely political and run with the aid of Roman Catholic-influenced countries.

The Roman Inquisition was specifically set up by the Roman Catholic Church to combat the conversions and instil fear in the people. At these inquisitions, the victim was tortured into submission by Cardinals and other Church officiates and, depending on the country, were executed - often by being burned alive. While the Roman Catholic Church did not convict or carry out the executions itself, the Cardinals were aware of the manner of these executions.

The Roman, Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions continued into the 19th century.

Some Roman Catholic monarchs and parliaments persecuted Protestants to various degrees. Notably the fate of the Huguenots in France was that tens of thousands were massacred and hundreds of thousands had to flee that country. The issue became one that dominated Europe for more than a hundred years,, when it became embroiled in religious wars.

The Ne Temere decree forced couples of mixed faiths to be married in the Roman Catholic Church. To do otherwise meant that the Roman Catholic spouse would not have his marriage recognised by that Church, and they would therefore be committing a sin. The Roman Catholic spouse also had to promise to bring up any children of the union as Roman Catholics, in attempt to ensure the growth of the Roman Catholic population.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

A period of Catholic revival from 1522 to about 1648, better know as the Catholic Reform. It was an effort to stem the tide of Protestantism by genuine reform within the Catholic Church. There were political movements pressured by civil rules, and ecclesiastical movements carried out by churchmen in an attempt to restore genuine Catholic life by establishing new religious orders such as the Society of Jesus and restoring old orders to their original observances, such as the Carmelites under St. Teresa of Avila (1515-98). The main factors responsible for the Counter Reformation, however, were the papacy and the council of Trent (1545-63). Among church leaders St. Charles Borromeo (1538-84), Archbishop of Milan, enforced the reforms decreed by the council, and St. Francis de Sales of Geneva (1567-1622) spent his best energies in restoring genuine Catholic doctrine and piety. Among civil rulers sponsoring the needed reform were Philip II of Spain (1527-98) and Mary Tudor (1516-58), his wife, in England. Unfortunately this aspect of the reformation led to embitterment between England and Scotland, England and Spain, Poland and Sweden, and to almost two centuries of religious wars. As a result of the Counter Reformation, the Catholic Church became stronger in her institutional structure, more dedicated to the work of evangelization, and more influential in world affairs.

Answer 2

It was called the Catholic reform, which actually started before the protestant revolt with the Fifth Lateran Council (1512-1517). It is known by protestants and secular historians as the counter-reformation and involved numerous saints, the Council of Trent, several new religious Orders, etc.:

from the Catholic Encyclopedia

The term Counter-Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648. The name, though long in use among Protestant historians, has only recently been introduced into Catholic handbooks. The consequence is that it already has a meaning and an application, for which a word with a different nuance should perhaps have been chosen. For in the first place the name suggests that the Catholic movement came after the Protestant; whereas in truth the reform originally began in the Catholic Church, and Luther was a Catholic Reformer before he became a Protestant. By becoming a Protestant Reformer, he did indeed hinder the progress of the Catholic reformation, but he did not stop it.

from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957

The Counter-Reformation is the name given to the Catholic movement of reform and activity which lasted for about one hundred years from the beginning of the Council of Trent (q.v., 1545), and was the belated answer to the threatening confusion and increasing attacks of the previous years. It was the work principally of the Popes St. Pius V and Gregory XIII and the Council itself in the sphere of authority, of SS. Philip Neri and Charles Borromeo in the reform of the clergy and of life, of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits in apostolic activity of St. Francis Xavier in foreign missions, and of St. Teresa in the purely contemplative life which lies behind them all. But these were not the only names nor was it a movement of a few only; the whole Church emerged from the 15th century purified and revivified. On the other hand, it was a reformation rather than a restoration; the unity of western Christendom was destroyed; the Church militant (those still on earth) led by the Company of Jesus adopted offence as the best means of defence and, though she gained as much as she lost in some sense, the Church did not recover the exercise of her former spiritual supremacy in actuality.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

A period of Catholic revival from 1522 to about 1648, better know as the Catholic Reform. It was an effort to stem the tide of Protestantism by genuine reform within the Catholic Church. There were political movements pressured by civil rules, and ecclesiastical movements carried out by churchmen in an attempt to restore genuine Catholic life by establishing new religious orders such as the Society of Jesus and restoring old orders to their original observances, such as the Carmelites under St. Teresa of Avila (1515-98). The main factors responsible for the Counter Reformation, however, were the papacy and the council of Trent (1545-63). Among church leaders St. Charles Borromeo (1538-84), Archbishop of Milan, enforced the reforms decreed by the council, and St. Francis de Sales of Geneva (1567-1622) spent his best energies in restoring genuine Catholic doctrine and piety. Among civil rulers sponsoring the needed reform were Philip II of Spain (1527-98) and Mary Tudor (1516-58), his wife, in England. Unfortunately this aspect of the reformation led to embitterment between England and Scotland, England and Spain, Poland and Sweden, and to almost two centuries of religious wars. As a result of the Counter Reformation, the Catholic Church became stronger in her institutional structure, more dedicated to the work of evangelization, and more influential in world affairs.

Answer 3

Catholic AnswerIt was called the Catholic Reform, or the Counter-reformation (by seculars and protestants). In its most successful, as in the preaching of St. Francis de Sales, who was appointed bishop of Geneva, he reconverted the entire diocese back to the Catholic faith. It actually was pretty simple, all that is needed is the love of God, and to point out the various errors, heresies, and errors of the different protestant faiths. That, and the fact that Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, only established ONE Church, and guaranteed it until the end of the world. To maintain that the Catholic Church is not infallible when it comes to imparting the truth of Jesus Christ, is to call God a liar, and incapable of preserving His Church as He said He would.

from the Catholic Encyclopedia

The term Counter-Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648. The name, though long in use among Protestant historians, has only recently been introduced into Catholic handbooks. The consequence is that it already has a meaning and an application, for which a word with a different nuance should perhaps have been chosen. For in the first place the name suggests that the Catholic movement came after the Protestant; whereas in truth the reform originally began in the Catholic Church, and Luther was a Catholic Reformer before he became a Protestant. By becoming a Protestant Reformer, he did indeed hinder the progress of the Catholic reformation, but he did not stop it.

from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957

The Counter-Reformation is the name given to the Catholic movement of reform and activity which lasted for about one hundred years from the beginning of the Council of Trent (q.v., 1545), and was the belated answer to the threatening confusion and increasing attacks of the previous years. It was the work principally of the Popes St. Pius V and Gregory XIII and the Council itself in the sphere of authority, of SS. Philip Neri and Charles Borromeo in the reform of the clergy and of life, of St. Ignatius and the Jesuits in apostolic activity of St. Francis Xavier in foreign missions, and of St. Teresa in the purely contemplative life which lies behind them all. But these were not the only names nor was it a movement of a few only; the whole Church emerged from the 15th century purified and revivified. On the other hand, it was a reformation rather than a restoration; the unity of western Christendom was destroyed; the Church militant (those still on earth) led by the Company of Jesus adopted offence as the best means of defence and, though she gained as much as she lost in some sense, the Church did not recover the exercise of her former spiritual supremacy in actuality.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

A period of Catholic revival from 1522 to about 1648, better know as the Catholic Reform. It was an effort to stem the tide of Protestantism by genuine reform within the Catholic Church. There were political movements pressured by civil rules, and ecclesiastical movements carried out by churchmen in an attempt to restore genuine Catholic life by establishing new religious orders such as the Society of Jesus and restoring old orders to their original observances, such as the Carmelites under St. Teresa of Avila (1515-98). The main factors responsible for the Counter Reformation, however, were the papacy and the council of Trent (1545-63). Among church leaders St. Charles Borromeo (1538-84), Archbishop of Milan, enforced the reforms decreed by the council, and St. Francis de Sales of Geneva (1567-1622) spent his best energies in restoring genuine Catholic doctrine and piety. Among civil rulers sponsoring the needed reform were Philip II of Spain (1527-98) and Mary Tudor (1516-58), his wife, in England. Unfortunately this aspect of the reformation led to embitterment between England and Scotland, England and Spain, Poland and Sweden, and to almost two centuries of religious wars. As a result of the Counter Reformation, the Catholic Church became stronger in her institutional structure, more dedicated to the work of evangelization, and more influential in world affairs.

Answer 4

Because protestantism is yet another heresy in a long list of heresies that pervert Christ's Gospel and endanger people's salvation; The Catholic Church is nearly two thousand years old, there have been untold heresies which were religious movement against the Church in that time. A short list of the "Great Heresies":

The Circumcisers (1st century)

Gnosticism (1st and 2nd centuries)

Montanism (late 2nd century)

Savellianism (early 3rd century)

Arianism (4th century)

Pelagianism (5th century)

Semi-Pelagianism (5th century)

Nestorianism (5th century)

Monophysitism (5th century)

Iconoclasm (7th and 8th centuries)

Catharism (11th century)

Protestantism (16th century)

Jansenism (17th century)

Answer 5

The Protestant Reformation was the eventual outcome of Martin Luther's initial call for reform of the sale of indulgences. John W. O'Malley SJ (A History of the Popes) says that at first his call was viewed as just another squabble between the Augustinians and the Dominicans. The following year, Pope Leo ordered an investigation into the matter. A series of missteps and missedopportunities led in 1520 to the drawing up of a bull of excommunication, at which point Martin Luther moved into the role of church reformer, with special reference to the papacy.

Luther was promised safe conduct to stand trial in Rome but refused, citing what had happened to Jan Huss, wh also had a safe-conduct but was burnt at the stake. Other attempts at reconciliation failed, so Leo's bull of excommunication took effect. This would normally have ended the matter, since excommunication would have meant that Luther had no legal protection for his person or property. However, the German princes gave Luther refuge, and Emperor Charles V, a devout Catholic, needed their support.

The success of the Protestant movement forced the emperor and the Church to acknowledge finally that there was corruption and that it needed to be resolved. Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523), one of the few genuinely good popes of the Renaissance period, sent a personal emissary to the Diet of Nuremberg, urging that a reform Council be called and acknowledged the depths to which the Church had descended: "We know very well that even in the Holy See there have occurred over the past years many scandals, abuses in spiritual matters, and violations of the commandments that have become an open scandal to all. Hence it is not surprising that this sickness has been transplanted from the head to the members."

Pope Paul III initiated the Council of Trent (1545-1563), a commission of cardinals tasked with institutional reform, addressing contentious issues such as corrupt bishops and priests, indulgences, and other financial abuses. The Spanish Church had already made small steps in this direction, but the Council of Trent was a serious attempt to improve the discipline and administration of the Church. The emperor intended the Lutherans to attend the Council of Trent and then require them to accept the outcome of the Council, which would have effectively ended the Reformation, but circumstances beyond anyone's control prevented this.

In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated and presumably deposed Queen Elizabeth of England but, far from ending the Reformation in England, he merely forced English Catholics to choose between Church and nation.

Answer 6

*They used missions to spread Catholicism.

*They used the Council of Trent reforms.

*They used the Inquisition to punish the nonbelievers.

:) ;)