CHANGES IN THE CHURCH

SAVONAROLA AND MARTIN LUTHER

CHANGING LEADERSHIP

DURING THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE RENAISSANCE, THE

CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS THE MOST POWERFUL INSTITUTION
IN EUROPE.
CHURCH OFFICIALS BELIEVED THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
WAS THE NATURAL LEADER IN ALL AREAS OF SOCIETYPOLITICAL, BUSINESS, AND OF COURSE RELIGIOUS.
HOWEVER SOMETIMES PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY
DO NOT BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY OR RESPONSIBLY. THIS
WENT FOR THE CHURCH AS WELL.
SOME CHURCH LEADERS DID THE FOLLOWING:
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEIR AUTHORITY TO GAIN POWER AND WEALTH
PURCHASED THEIR TITLES
DID NOT HONOR THEIR VOW OF POVERTY- SPENT CHURCH MONEY ON
THEMSELVES

 GIROLAMO SAVONAROLA WAS A

MONK SAVONAROLA
WHO DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO
FIGHTING THE CORRUPTION HE
SAW IN THE CHURCH.
HE ACCUSED THE POPE OF
CORRUPTION- BREAKING THE OATH
OF OBEDIENCE THAT ALL ROMAN
CATHOLIC CLERGY TAKE EVEN
TODAY.
UNDER SAVONAROLAS DIRECTION,
THE CITIZENS OF FLORENCE BUILT A
HUGE BONFIRE IN THEIR TOWN
SQUARE AND BURNED ALL
MATERIAL POSSESSIONS LIKE WIGS,
MAKE UP, ART, BOOKS, AND FANCY
CLOTHES.
HE BELIEVED MATERIAL
POSSESSIONS SERVED AS A

QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS

WHAT ARE SAVONAROLAS CRITICISMS OF THE
CHURCH?
WHAT ARE HIS CRITICISMS OF THE FLORENTINE
CITIZENS?
WHY DO YOU THINK SOME CHURCH OFFICIALS MAY
HAVE WANTED TO SILENCE SAVONAROLA?
GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF A CURRENT EVENT WHERE A
PERSON OF AUTHORITY ABUSED THEIR POWER?

MARTIN LUTHER

SAVONAROLAS CRITICISMS DIDNT RESULT IN

ANY CHANGES IN THE CHURCH BUT 20 YEARS
LATER MARTIN LUTHER TOOK MORE EFFECTIVE
ACTION.
INFLUENCED BY HUMANIST METHODS, HE
CAREFULLY STUDIED THE BIBLE AND
CONCLUDED THAT THE BIBLE, RATHER THAN THE
CHURCH, SHOULD BE A CHRISTIANS TRUE
SPIRITUAL GUIDE.
LUTHER WAS UPSET BY THE WEALTH OF THE
CHURCH AND HOW THEY OBTAINED IT. THE
CHURCH MADE MONEY BY SELLING
INDULGENCES- WHICH WERE CERTIFICATES THAT
REDUCED THE TIME PEOPLE WOULD BE
PUNISHED FOR THEIR SINS AFTER DEATH.
LUTHER NAILED HIS NINETY FIVE THESES ON A
GERMAN CHURCH DOOR, CRITICIZING THE SALE
OF INDULGENCES. IT WAS LATER PRINTED AND
DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT GERMANY.
WHEN CALLED BEFORE THE EMPEROR, LIKE
GALILEO WAS, LUTHER DID NOT BACK DOWN.
THE POPE EXCOMMUNICATED LUTHER AND HE

 THANKS TO THE PRINTING PRESS,

LUTHERS
PROTESTANT
THE
PROTESTANT
TRANSLATION
OF THE BIBLE
REFORMATION
REACHED AN UNPRECEDENTED
NUMBER OF GERMANS. THEY
FOLLOWED LUTHER AND BROKE
AWAY FROM THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH
A NEW CHURCH STARTED IN
NORTHERN EUROPE- THE
LUTHERAN CHURCH
BEFORE LONG LUTHERS IDEAS
SPREAD ALL ACROSS EUROPE
AND MANY MORE BROKE AWAY
CALLING THEMSELVES
PROTESTANTS.
THIS TIME BECAME KNOWN AS

THE CATHOLIC COUNTERREFORMATION

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH LOST MUCH OF ITS
AUTHORITY AND MEMBERSHIP BECAUSE OF
THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION.
POPE PAUL III CALLED A SERIES OF
MEETINGS KNOWN AS THE COUNCIL OF
TRENT, WHERE THEY EXAMINED CHURCH
POLICIES.
THIS MOVEMENT WAS KNOWN AS THE
CATHOLIC COUNTER- REFORMATION. AS A
RESULT OF THESE MEETINGS, CORRUPTION
AMONG HIGH CLERGY WAS CLEANED UP
AND PRIESTS WERE BETTER EDUCATED.
NEW RELIGIOUS ORDERS, LIKE THE
JESUITS, WERE ESTABLISHED THAT
FOCUSED ON CONVERTING PEOPLE TO
CATHOLICISM. THEIR FOCUS WAS BUILDING
BACK UP THE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CANADA

RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IS A VERY
IMPORTANT VALUE IN CANADIAN
SOCIETY.
THE RIGHT TO PRACTICE YOUR
RELIGION IS GUARANTEED BY THE
CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND
FREEDOMS.
HOWEVER SOME RELIGIOUS
PRACTICES CAN CAUSE DEBATE
AMONG CANADIANS.
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