The long Reformation - Catholic - Diocesan reform and new orders

3 important questions on The long Reformation - Catholic - Diocesan reform and new orders

What changes did the reform bring for religious life among the people?

  • Religious education in the Middle Ages had been a hit-and-miss affair, but Trent deemed it a parental duty to send children to the parish priest for catechism classes on Sundays and holy days.
  • There was a stronger expectation that all the laity should attend mass on Sundays and holy days, and receive the sacraments - only from their parish priest - at least once a year at Easter.

Who was the most influential new order?

By far the most influential of the new orders was the Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits. Founded by the Spaniard Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) in 1534, the Jesuit order was sanctioned by Paul III in 1540.

What did the Jesuits excel in?

  • Combining the discipline of the traditional religious orders with a commitment to itinerant activism in the world, the Jesuits excelled in preaching, teaching and missionary activity.
  • The Jesuits provided free education to the poor, but also served as educators to the elite (the philosophers Lipsius and Descartes were graduates of their colleges).
  • Linked to the Pope by a special oath of loyalty, Jesuits would serve as confessors to monarchs and emperors, often arousing jealousy and resentment from fellow Catholics as well as hatred of Protestants.

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