Saint Teresa, Protestant Reformation, and European Shifts
Saint Teresa of Ávila
Saint Teresa, born in 1515 in Ávila, was the sixth of twelve siblings. At age 15, her father sent her to the Augustinian convent in Ávila. Of a rebellious and dreamy spirit, she always showed a special interest in reading the lives of the saints, which led to reading novels and books about knights with her brother Rodrigo. She had a special sensitivity toward solitude and prayer. At 20, she ran away to join the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation.
Shortly after, she suffered a serious illness and spent three years in bed, but she soon miraculously recovered. Saint Teresa discovered that a life of prayer was fundamental. She began to experience God through visions and retreated to a solitary life of prayer. With the support of one of her brothers, she founded the Convent of San José. Gradually, other Carmelites would found convents. Her founding members lived a retired life of poverty and abstinence. They were called Carmelites because they wore sandals instead of shoes.
Saint Teresa died on October 4, 1582, at age 67 and was canonized in 1622. In 1970, Paul VI recognized her with the title of Doctor of the Church.
The Protestant Reformation: Luther and Martin
Martin Luther was one of the protagonists of religious and political events of the 16th century. This Augustinian monk of German origin was a professor of scripture at the University of Wittenberg. In 1517, he fixed his 95 theses against indulgences on the door of the castle of Wittenberg.
Luther argued that:
- Every person is the sole interpreter of scripture.
- The only thing that saves is faith in God, not good deeds.
- The cult of saints and the Virgin and indulgences should be abolished.
- There are only two sacraments: baptism and the Eucharist.
- The hierarchy has no power in the church.
New Situation in Europe
The fifteenth century brought a major change in lifestyle and in the concept that man had to change and be reborn. This change encompassed economics, politics, and the conception of life.
Protestant Reform in Europe
The Protestant Reformation swept through Europe. In 1534, Henry VIII separated from the Catholic Church. John Calvin implanted the Protestant Reformation in Geneva, asserting that we are all predestined by God to be saved or condemned.
The Catholic Reformation
The Catholic Reformation, also known as the Counter-Reformation, was a period of restoration of the Church during the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the reaction of Catholicism against Protestantism. A fundamental reform was the Council of Trent, which took place throughout history from 1545 to 1563. The council adopted two basic purposes: clarifying the contents of faith and enacting the necessary rules to eliminate abuses.
Protestant and Catholic Doctrine
The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed the division of Christians into Protestant and Catholic factions. On the issue of salvation, Protestants and Catholics agree that man is sinful. On the issue of the church, Protestants say its only function is to proclaim and teach, and that Christians have access to it.
The Court of the Inquisition
The Inquisition was born when civil and religious powers assisted in the search for heretics. In Spain, in the fifteenth century, the Inquisition harshly persecuted false converts. Defendants were questioned by the Inquisition. The sentences were very diverse, including exile, wearing the sanbenito, jail, and fines.
The Expulsion of the Jews from Spain
In Spain, the rejection of the Jews was especially evident in the late Middle Ages. They lived grouped in Jewish quarters within the Kingdom of Castile. The prosperity that the Jewish communities contributed to was a factor in this rejection. The Jews were harshly persecuted by the Inquisition, who saw them as a threat to the Catholic faith. Discriminatory measures were applied, prohibiting them from practicing certain professions. They were expelled by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492.