Saint Teresa of Ávila, Luther, and Evangelization
Saint Teresa of Ávila
Born in Ávila in 1515 to noble Castilian parents, Teresa was the sixth of twelve siblings. At fifteen, her parents sent her to a convent in Ávila. Rodrigo, one of her brothers, shared a special sensitivity towards soldiers and prayer. She decided to live as a hermit at home. At twenty, against her father’s wishes, she entered a convent. A year later, she made her religious vows. Her prudence, kindness, charity, and charm won her the esteem of all those around her. Teresa neglected prayer, but gradually realized that prayer was fundamental to life. With financial aid from one of her brothers, she founded a convent with other religious women.
Teresa traveled extensively and, exhausted, died at 67. She was canonized in 1622 and named a Doctor of the Church in 1970.
Christians Meeting God
Luther and the Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther was the main protagonist of the 16th-century religious and political events. This Augustinian monk of German origin was a professor of sacred scripture. The proclamation of a plenary indulgence by Pope Leo X, whose economic benefits would cover the construction of a wing of St. Peter’s Basilica, scandalized Luther. When he refused to retract his statements, he was excommunicated by the Pope in 1521, beginning a period of intense activity in his life.
Luther argued that:
- Every person is the sole interpreter of the Bible.
- The only thing that saves is faith in God.
- The worship of saints and the Virgin should be abolished.
- Only two sacraments are valid: baptism and the Eucharist.
- The hierarchy has no power in the church.
Catholic and Protestant Doctrines Compared
The 16th century witnessed the division of the Western world into Protestant Christians and Catholics. Behind this division were two different ways of conceiving Christian life, particularly regarding salvation and the church.
On the issue of salvation, Protestants and Catholics agree that humans are sinful. However, Luther asserted that humans are radically powerless to save themselves through good works.
On the issue of the church, Protestants believe its only function is to proclaim and teach the Christian faith. Catholics believe that the Church, in addition to Scripture, also proclaims the Christian faith with authority.
Defending the Faith and Missionary Expansion
The Evangelization of the World
The great discoveries of the 15th and 16th centuries opened the door to universal evangelization. Following the discovery of America in 1492, missionary expansion began. The kings of Spain and Portugal sought the Pope’s authority to secure possession of the discovered lands, committing to evangelize the native populations. Royal laws provided for the humane treatment of Indians and the suppression of abuses, but many natives were exploited by encomenderos. This undermined the missionaries, who faced great difficulties.
Some missionaries believed that instilling faith required destroying all signs of the Indians’ culture and religion and baptizing entire populations into the Catholic faith. However, the work of some missionaries bore fruit.