The Pros And Cons Of The Protestant Reformation

The protestant reformation happened at the moment that it did because the Catholic Church was very a powerful force in Europe. It controlled people lives both spiritually and temporally. The church had so much power that it maintained political control over a large portion of Italy. The fact that the church held so much control over countries and governments became a point of contention among European countries such as the Holy Roman Empire, Italian city-states outside of Rome, England, France and Spain. The power of the rulers of these areas had greatly increased in the 14th century and they were eager to take the chances offered by a Reformation to weaken the grip of the Catholic Church in Europe and also to develop their own powers across the European continent. For quite some time the Catholic Church had been an institution rampant with internal struggles. Such as the Avignon Papacy from 1309 to 1377 when seven popes opted to live in Avignon, France and not reside in Rome which was and is the traditional home of the Papacy. The Pope and other high ranking church officials often lived opulent lifestyles rather than a more austere lifestyle that should befit a spiritual leader. Many church leaders and Popes maintained political powers. They led armies, waged wars and made many political decisions. Church offices were sold, and many Popes and bishops practiced nepotism to fill church offices. With all of these worldly issues for the Pope

Ambrosio was highly praised within the monastery and Madrid for his stainless character, and yet his hypocritical downfall exemplifies the consequences of mixing Heaven and Earth. This results in both a fall of the credibility of Catholic beliefs and a shift towards more secular viewpoints. Even at the start of The Monk, the congregation present for Ambrosio’s sermon in Madrid is full of people from “a city where superstition reigns with such despotic sway…to seek for true devotion would be a fruitless attempt,” there is evidence that corruption is already present in this society (7; vol. 1, ch. 1). But when a religious figure also falls to this level, the atmosphere of a church’s role within society drastically shifts. This shift then jeopardizes the spirituality of the common people because of the church’s influence and its representation of God on Earth. The

There were four “ways of proceeding” that St. Ignatius founded. Finding God in all things, meaning taking “time out” during the day to see God in nature, quietness or any other ways that are not “obvious.” Contemplative in action, St. Ignatius is saying that although we all live busy lives, we can still time to pray and essentially that “the world is our monastery” (Martin 8). Incarnational spirituality, believes that God can be found in everyday events in our lives (Martin 8). Lastly, freedom and detachment, helping people to have the freedom to make good decisions about their faith in

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was a Roman Catholic preacher, he spent most of his later life, influencing others on practicing Catholicism and a leader of the movement of evangelical poverty. The Oxford University Press (2017) defines Catholicism as the faith, practice, and church order of the Roman Catholic Church; adherence to the forms of Christian doctrine and practice which are generally regarded as Catholic rather than Protestant or Eastern Orthodox. Saint Francis of Assisi believed we were born in this world to connect spiritually with all the entities and give back to the ones who are less fortunate. In this paper, I will explain Saint Francis of Assisi’s teachings and the

Planting a colony is never easy. It takes dedication and work from the people who have so graciously volunteered to journey across the sea and start a new life in the New World. However, the benefits of voyaging and starting this ground shaking journey vastly outweigh the deficits. It is especially important for Protestant families to volunteer because along with sharing Protestantism with the natives, Protestants can also escape from Britain, which is King Phillip II of Spain’s main target to attempt to control due to the practice of Protestantism. Departing to the New World gives a much farther distance from Spain’s threats. Once people arrive in the New World, land is easily acquired and distributed throughout. Many will be able to make a good living off of harvesting and selling the natural resources found only in the New World. With all of these combined, who wouldn’t want to risk a little? The end results are appearing very positive.

The Examen, a bi-daily routine for the Jesuits, connects the priests with their subconscious and conscious minds, as well as with God. Saint Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits or Society of Jesus, created this daily examination of prayerful reflection. Much like the Act of Contrition said before confession by the lines of content, the Examen helps one better understand themselves. In the Jesuit order, the reflective prayer is said twice a day, which splits the day into three periods or parts. This prayer, said once in the morning and later in the evening, the prayer focusing not only on one’s faults but on what one did correctly or improved upon, venerating hard work. Because this prayer was created by Ignatius himself, it reflects essential values of the original Jesuits. Although the prayer helps one receive and perceive God, it’s

Approximately 100 million of 2.2 billion Christian adherents reside around our universe today are Baptists. This highly distinctive band of Protestant founded members typically manage to intertwine themselves with a variety of lesser-known beliefs. Facts like this are valid in how they conduct their overall belief systems, worship strategies, insinuating attitudes which oppose other popular sects, along with their convictions upon the twelve disciples. Along with this, we must fully grasp and comprehend their perspectives through assimilating ourselves within their lengthy history. Simply stated, numerous written accounts start off with the immersion of early Mennonite culture onto 17th century English Separatists, which rose out of the roots of original reformed Protestants. During this warring period which the Church of England and its underlying Anglicans ultimately severed ties with the Roman Catholic Church; Puritans who disregarded the main achievements of the reformation hoped to correct the Churches errors.

After attending St. Agnes’ 8:30AM, Sunday Mass service, one of my main observations was its strong traditional atmosphere as a result of the participation in many ceremonial and ritualistic practices common within the Catholic church. Attempting a research in the Catholic Mass prior to my attendance, I found myself confused and overwhelmed with the complexity of the details, rules, and history. However, I rested on a

The family setting of Caryll Houselander played a significant role in defining her faith. Formal and repetitive prayers play a major role in the Catholic faith. Catholics understand their capacity in informing a mechanical form of religious conformity. During her younger days, Houselander led a carefree life without the rules and laws that she later found in the Catholic faith. However, it is the mystical healing of the Holy Communion that ultimately changed her faith and perspective on the role of Church in an individuals’ life. This occurred when she was healed immediately after receiving the Holy Communion at the time she had been struck by a strange disease which is evident from the fact “Afterwards, she was struck by a mysterious illness, which left her bedridden for months” (Rice 2). After the incident, Houselander believed that she was should have accepted the Catholic faith at an early age. This becomes evident

“Good day, to his Most Catholic Majesty and other people present here. I nearly was killed by a lightning strike on my way back from university. I prayed to the Virgin Mary to save my life for I will become a monk. The path that I had chosen for myself required commitment, devotion, hours of prayers, fasting, and continual confessions. I quit law school by my own will and against my father’s to join the Augustinian Friars. A trip to Rome with my fellow friars was the cause of me questioning myself about certain Catholic practices. What I saw in Rome disillusioned me. I began to experience my doubts and unpleasant thoughts about the teachings of the Catholic Church as I watched inept, facetious, and cynical clergy perform their duties. I had

Essentially, to all outward appearances in today’s world, this correlation of the long ago ’mystical faithful’ of the kingdom, the true holy brotherhood of the church, appears to be on the ‘endangered species list.’ Possibly through the diverse centuries, lust, power, money, greed, neglect or the combination of all, may have been the incentive for their departure from God’s Truths. Substantially, the lack of integrity and sacredness of the brotherhood’s sexual relationship with God appears as if it may be fading away within the Catholic Church. Perhaps the mystical teachings given through the centuries have lost their real truths, and now emerge to be lukewarm among a multitude of the brotherhood; hence, giving the impression the marriage with

The religious change can be explained in the example of an alpine valley named Valais, which is located in the south-west of Switzerland. Up to the middle of the 20th century, Catholicism was more than a confession to the people living in this valley - it was a manner of life. Religion was not limited on Sundays and Holidays, it was an omnipresent atmosphere, also because of the many festivities of the liturgical year Therefore Jesus Christ was not only a dogma, he was considered tangible. On Corpus Christi, the whole villages were decorated with images of the saints and all people congregated for a procession after breakfast. This unity was possible because everyone believed in the same, which made religion to the center of peoples’ lives.1 The inhabitants of the Valais lived in an “unus mundus”2, this means seasons and life and death of the liturgical year were in correspondence with the rhythm of rural life. Because the Valais Alps were located very isolated, they weren’t affected by the Protestant Reformation or the Enlightenment.

“The Benedictine Tradition is a gentle, non-violent revolution that can bring about change in a world immersed in violence. Colleges, such as St. Scholastica, are in the deep, rich current of this Benedictine Tradition because it has absorbed a monastic intuition about the presence of God, a present of God in a world that is tempted to believe human fulfillment can come about only if we forget about God,” Demetrius Dumm writes in his article titled Benedictine Intuition: A Gentle Revolution. It is so easy to focus on human fulfillment, and forget about God. In this essay, I will analyze this quote, what it means to me and The College of Saint Scholastica, relate this quote back to two (hospitality and stewardship) of the five Benedictine values that this college so proudly accepts as their own, and discuss how one might find themselves joining this nonviolent revolution.

Throughout the Church’s history, church membership increased when they adapted to local customs and communicated about people’s grievances. The Jesuit movement to reform the Catholic Church re-engaged a lost class; the Protestant Revolution against the Catholic Church’s corruption brought more back into the fold of God’s grace; and today, the current Pope’s humble origins and message, even on controversial issues like climate change and gay marriage, has led

Arrupe’s time as Superior General was marked with turmoil, as critics believed that the he made too radical changes and politicized the order. Despite frequent disparagement, Arrupe pressed onwards with his reforms. Because of this, many people see Father Arrupe as the ‘second founder’ of the Society of Jesus. Like Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, he confronted the difficulties and challenges the Jesuits faced in his day with brilliance, holiness, and courage. Despite witnessing horrible atrocities, Arrupe believed God is everywhere in the world. He often said, "All are called to know and serve God," and put that belief into practice through his missionary work. This ethos was the sign of a man truly born to serve others, a man who, through his compassion and love for others, set the world ablaze.