The Catholic Reformation was the answer to the Protestant Reformation of Martin Luther, who had weakened the Church. It denotes the period of Catholic resurgence from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648. Its objectives were to renew the Church and to prevent the advance of Protestant doctrines
Pope Pius IV worked hard on four issues:
• Doctrine. • Ecclesiastical restructuring, with the foundation of seminars. • Modification of religious orders, returning them to their spiritual origins. • Vigilance of spiritual movements, focusing on the pious life and a personal relationship with Christ. The previous included the Spanish mystics and ...
