religion - early church history, reformation and St Ignatius, medieval church, second Vatican council, freedom and conscience (term 3)

Question 1

what is the context of the corruption within the medieval church?

Answer 1

By the early 1500’s the church was a political, economic and legal powerhouse, it was a violent and strong defender of their beliefs and It was fixed in its tradition and understandings.

Question 2

how was the church perceived?

Answer 2

it was built upon the ignorance and superstition of the people. The church claimed to be the only path to salvation and the church was deemed a ‘Passport to heaven”, the wealthy were also guaranteed a place in heaven.

Question 3

identify three affects of the plague on the catholic church

Answer 3

fear, guilt, dispaire

Question 4

Explain how the plague affected the faith of many people.

Answer 4

Rather than becoming more religious, they started thinking that the plague was a punishment for sin.

Question 6

how was the church perceived?

Answer 6

It was built upon the ignorance and superstition of the people. The church claimed to be the only path to salvation and the church was deemed a ‘Passport to heaven”, the wealthy were also guaranteed a place in heaven.

Question 7

when did the black plague reach it’s height?

Answer 7

in the middle of 14 century and many Christians thought that the plague was caused by God’s anger as the sinfulness of humanity.

Question 8

identify three affects of the plague on the catholic church

Answer 8

fear, guilt, despair

Question 9

Explain how the plague affected the faith of many people.

Answer 9

Rather than becoming more religious, they started thinking that the plague was a punishment for sin.

Question 10

explain what indulgence is

Answer 10

an indulgence is an action, prayer, sacrifice that can take away all or part of purgatory for oneself or another. It is given in return for something good that a person does in this life.

Question 11

Identify ways in which indulgences could be abused if there were no restrictions in place.

Answer 11

• indulgences could be sold for profit
• The poor might be manipulated into spending money they can’t afford, believing they could buy their way into heaven
• Knowing that forgiveness could be easily purchased might lead individuals to commit more sins
• People might rely on indulgences instead of sincerely repenting
• Church officials might exploit indulgences for personal gain

Question 12

identify the abuse of indulgences

Answer 12

• people have imagined that they might atone their sins by having someone else do the penance for them for payment
• priests and bishops gave excessive indulgences
• some religious brothers and sisters falsely claimed that they were authorised by the Pope to forgive all sorts of sin - took money from people who believed them. (greed such as this was often the cause of the abuse)

Question 13

Why did Pope Leo X grant the sale of indulgences?

Answer 13

There was corruption in various parts of the church. Some bishops were often absent from their dioceses and some clergy were dishonest.
The sale of indulgences was to build the new St Peter’s Basilica in Rome which gave Martin Luther the opportunity to attack indulgences in general, and this attack was the immediate cause (although not the only cause) of the Reformation in Germany.

Question 14

What was the name of the person who objected to the sale of indulgences?

Answer 14

Martin Luther

Question 15

explain the timeline of events relating to Martin Luther and his response to the sale of indulgences.

Answer 15

1517: Luther posted his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg church door, attacking the sale of indulgences and papal abuses.
1518: Pope Leo X condemned Luther’s ideas after Luther refused to retract his attack.
1519: Luther wrote to Pope Leo X, affirming his respect for papal authority, but the dispute continued to grow.
1520: Luther gained support from German nobility and refused to recant, leading to excommunication threats from the Pope.
1521: Luther was excommunicated and appeared at the Diet of Worms, then was taken to safety by supporters.
1522: Luther preached across central Germany for the next two years.
1524: Luther, banished by the Church and the Emperor, denounced revolutionary groups using his ideas.
1530: German princes signed the Augsburg Confession, affirming the new Protestant faith.
1546: Luther died at the age of 62.
1555: German princes were granted the right to choose the religion of their territories, spreading the Reformation across Europe.

Question 16

How is Luther’s understanding of Salvation different to the Catholic Church?

Answer 16

Luther maintained that salvation comes by grace through faith alone; not by works and sacraments. He taught that God’s loving mercy, shown in Jesus Christ, is a free gift by God which is given to those who trust him.

Question 17

what is the context of the council of trent?

Answer 17

by the 1500’s, the catholic church faced many criticisms. Reformers were challenging the church’s teachings and practises, leading to the protestant reformation. In response, the catholic church decided to hold a series of meetings to address these issues and clarify its doctrines. These meetings became known as the Council Trent.

Question 18

what was the purpose of the council of trent?

Answer 18

to address the criticisms raised by Martin Luther and other reformers and to make reforms within the Church. It was the Catholic Church’s most significant response to the Protestant Reformation.

Question 19

where did the council of Trent meet?

Answer 19

in the city of Trent, which is in modern-day Italy and It took place over 18 years, from 1545 to 1563, though not continuously. There were several sessions with breaks in between.

Question 20

what did the church believe in?

Answer 20

Scripture and Tradition: The Council affirmed that Church teachings are based on both the Bible and Church traditions.
Sacraments: It upheld the importance of all seven sacraments, contrary to Luther’s support for only three.
Justification: The Council declared that salvation requires both faith and good works, rejecting the Protestant belief in faith alone

Question 21

why did the council have three meetings?

Answer 21

to discuss, reform and define dogma - they affirmed that you need faith and good works to achieve salvation, indeed 7 Sacraments, and not 2 as suggested by Luther, the bible should be written in Latin and the pope is the supreme leader

Question 22

identify a snapchat of what changed:

Answer 22

The Council had three meetings to discuss, reform and define dogma.
- Areas of reform included the education of priests (mainly through the establishment of new religious orders).
- There was improved discipline and administration amongst the clergy
- The selling of indulgences was banned after the council’s meeting.
- The Pope’s authority was reaffirmed

Question 23

How did the Catholic Church respond to the issues which it faced?

Answer 23

• The Catholic or Counter Reformation refers to the revitalization of Catholicism after the Council of Trent began in 1545.
• The Church responded to the Reformation by reforming itself internally to address Protestant criticisms.
• The movement is both a reformation of the Catholic Church and a response to the Protestant Reformation