THE DISCOVERIES AND TOWARD THE MODERN CATHOLICISM
Spiritual Exercise of Ignatius Loyola & Council of Trent
This period was fast expanding of the Gospel whether the protestant reformation followers or the papal supported merchants and or armed force of the emperors carried it. Gospel expansion was rapidly went towards the outmost ends of the earth. It went, mostly, from Europe to the heathen lands in Asia, Russia and American continents. One of the was carried to discover New World, where the gospel would go into the heathen lands, easy business strategy of using forces to capture the overseas lands, where the emperors and their princes were asked to send missionaries and made possible conversions as wider aspect as possible.
The Roman Catholic Church was openly put under the threat of protestant movement, which was ignited the commons in England, Portugal, and France and most obviously in the German sphere. The popes and cardinals ware put under frequent challenges. But the rise of Ignatius Loyola, a wounded soldier after his serious convert to the Lord invented a revival within the Roman Catholic Church. He was serious to the protestant movement; he was challenge by the reformative urges but wished to reform the Church from within. He formed a society for the Lord Jesus, called “Jesuites” and won the support from Pope. His attempt was opposing to the Lutheran or even Calvinian movement, but to support the traditional belief of the Roman theological doctrines. He was not convinced of the protestants’ urge that is to say that one can be saved by grace through faith, but saw the seriousness of gaining salvation by life’s attempt, moral living and good works. His life became an example of the moral standard of life, who truly confessed his previous sinful living and turned as truly converted ascetic. As he suggested, “Pray as though everything depended on God alone, but act as though it depended on you alone whether you will be saved” (Shelley, 277). He formed the society if Jesus, the Jesuit with the zeal to preach the gospel by right living. Under direct appointment of the Pope’ religio-political influences, his new direction hurled towards the New Worlds. Trading missions with imperial interest, which most reacted by the Japanese and ended in serious tragedy, where more than hundred native Christians crucified at once, basically strategized it.
Accordingly, Loyola was supported numerous people, which led the urge to a council which might solve the questions of the time. But his appeal was suspended for almost three decades due to the difficult relationship between Charles and Francis, the contemporary confronting emperors of England and France. The council was to address the spiritual condition of the Roman Catholic Church and political regimes with consent of the popes as well, which would eject the practice of bribery and prostitution from Rome, and the Church premises. The council was expected to have regard both to the common welfare of Christians, and also to the troubles of the German nation, which was overwhelmed in Church and state equally.
As it was proposed the Church was inspired to acknowledge the way of life of the people in the New World. New doctrine was to formed as it was done in the apostolic time, they faced the seriousness of the different cultures where they were bringing the gospel. And it was true in all times, the Church has to consider the lives of people, whom to exposed the gospel and their cultures, which cannot be subdued by guns as the colonist mistaken in the age of discovery.
Republished in new layout 6/11/2013
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