Web Quest

1. Web Quest Aislind Bell, Tiarnee Miller, Lucy Power and Ruby Prideaux

2. the core problem with the Catholic church in 1500 • Criticisms of the Catholic Church Critics of the Church claimed that its leaders were corrupt. The popes who ruled during the Renaissance patronized the arts, spent extravagantly on personal pleasure, and fought wars. Pope Alexander VI, for example, admitted that he had fathered several children. • Many popes were too busy pursuing worldly affairs to have much time for spiritual duties. • The lower clergy had problems as well. Many priests and monks were so poorly educated that they could scarcely read, let alone teach people. Others broke their priestly vows by marrying, and some drank to excess or gambled.

3.  a list of characters with a short description involved in Martin Luther's argument with the Catholic Church • Pope Leo X opposed Luther’s arguments and therefore gave threats to excommunicate Luther from the Church • Roman Emperor Charles V was a devout catholic, and opposed Luther’s beliefs. He sent Luther to trial, where his books were later burned, and all evidence of Lutherism was discarded of.

4. Luther's accusations (or issues) against the Catholic church • A list of things he thought were wrong with the catholic church • Them being: • The power of the pope • The extreme wealth of the Church • Indulgences (catholic concept of Salvation) • Gutenberg's printing press made it possible for Luther to spread his beliefs • Posted his 95 theses on church doors in Germany • Gained support from people and criticism form Church

5.  a description of the Church's response to Martin Luther (Part 1) • The Church's response to Martin : • A period of Catholic revival from 1522 till 1648, 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. The main factors responsible for the Counter Reformation, however, were the papacy and the council of Trent. Among church leaders St. Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, enforced the reforms decreed by the council, and St. Francis de Sales of Geneva spent his best energies in restoring genuine Catholic doctrine and piety.

6.  a description of the Church's response to Martin Luther (Part 2) • Among church leaders St. Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, enforced the reforms decreed by the council, and St. Francis de Sales of Geneva spent his best energies in restoring genuine Catholic doctrine and piety. Among civil rulers sponsoring the needed reform were Philip II of Spain and Mary Tudor, 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.

7. the outcome of Luther's actions on Europe • Initially, Church officials in Rome viewed Luther simply as a • rebellious monk who needed to be punished by his superiors. However, as Luther’s ideas became more popular, the pope realized that this monk was a serious threat. • In one angry reply to Church criticism, Luther actually suggested that Christians drive the pope from the Church by force. • In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a decree threatening Luther with excommunication unless he took back his statements. Luther did not take back a word. Instead, his students at Wittenberg gathered around a bonfire and cheered as he threw the pope’s decree into the flames. Leo excommunicated Luther.