Catholic–Protestant relations

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Catholic–Protestant relations
SeparationsReformation (16th century)
MembersCatholic: 1.313 billion (2017, self-declared)[1]
Protestant: 800 millions to 1 billion (2011)[2]

Catholic–Protestant relations refers to the

Protestants
.

This relationship began in the 16th century with the beginning of the

Catholicism to Protestantism as their state religion. However, many remained Catholic, and some areas reverted to the Catholic religion as a result of the Counter-Reformation. Much of the schism and the events it caused can be categorised as violent and tumultuous. However, with the rise of secularism, Catholic–Protestant disputes are generally constrained to the intellectual sphere.[3][4]

Theological disputes

Catholic–Protestant theological dissent was birthed in 1517 with the posting of

sale of indulgences, the nature of salvation, and more.[3]

Salvation

Luther's understanding of salvation was one of the radical departures from

sale of indulgences as a means by which one can attain heaven. He stressed the importance of a faith-oriented process of salvation, distinct from his view of the Catholic works-oriented salvation. This also led to a shift in the understanding of grace.[3] This Protestant doctrine is known as sola fide ("faith alone").[5]

French attorney

Reformed theology of salvation. While Luther maintained that salvation was available to all, Calvin introduced the doctrine of predestination. Based on the idea of human's sin-enslaved will, and salvation being the sole work of God (not man), Calvin insisted that certain individuals were predestined for heaven and others were not.[6]

Authority

A significant foundation for both parties' doctrines is the nature of their authority. The Protestant positions consists in either holding

divinely revealed and binding.[11] The Catholic Church considers itself the "one true church
" founded by Jesus as necessary for salvation.

History

16th century – The Reformation

Martin Luther, 1529

The 16th century began the

Catholicism. In response, the Catholic Church began its own reformation process known as the "counter-reformation" which culminated in the Council of Trent. This council was responsible for several practical changes and doctrinal clarifications.[12]
In spite of this, the two parties remained notably dissimilar.

After years of the spread of Martin Luther's ideas, Protestants submitted their statement of belief at the Diet of Augsburg (1530).[13]

In 1540

Society of Jesus (or "Jesuits") which was created largely to combat Protestantism.[14]

The

Lutheran Protestants to reunite.[13]

The "traditionally Roman" nations of

heretics were handed over to civil authorities for punishment.[15]

Disputes between the Catholic Emperor of

princes thereof resulted in the Schmalkaldic War (1547). Protestants were defeated, but later on Protestantism became legally recognised as a valid religion.[13]

In 1555 the Peace of Augsburg allowed Catholics and Lutherans to follow the faith of their ruler – regardless of what that may be – within Germany.[16]

France

The Reformation in

French Protestants were subject to persecution in the form of death or exile. From 1562 conflict raged between the Protestant Huguenots and Catholics. In 1589, Protestant Henry IV succeeded the throne raising the hopes of French Protestants. However, any reforms he may have intended to make were shattered by an alliance between French Catholics and the king of Spain who forced him to convert. The 1598 Edict of Nantes gave Huguenots the right to practice freely while retaining Catholicism as the nation's official religion.[17]

Netherlands

Dutch independence movement dispelled with Spanish imposition and allowed for Protestant development.[17]

Nordic countries

Diocese of Turku
(Finland) during the 16th and 17th centuries featured the finger of St Henry. The post-Reformation diocese included the relic of a pre-Reformation saint in its seal.

All of Scandinavia ultimately adopted Lutheranism over the course of the 16th century, as the monarchs of Denmark (who also ruled Norway and Iceland) and Sweden (who also ruled Finland) converted to that faith.

Sweden

In Sweden, the Reformation was spearheaded by

Diet of Västerås, the king succeeded in forcing the diet to accept his dominion over the national church. The king was given possession of all church property, church appointments required royal approval, the clergy were subject to the civil law, and the "pure Word of God" was to be preached in the churches and taught in the schools—effectively granting official sanction to Lutheran ideas. The apostolic succession was retained in Sweden during the Reformation. The adoption of Lutheranism was also one of the main reasons for the eruption of the Dacke War
, a peasants uprising in Småland.

Denmark

Under the reign of

Count's War, he became king as Christian III and continued the Reformation of the state church with assistance from Johannes Bugenhagen. By the Copenhagen recess of October 1536, the authority of the Catholic bishops was terminated.[20]

Iceland

Luther's influence had already reached Iceland before King Christian's decree. The Germans fished near Iceland's coast, and the Hanseatic League engaged in commerce with the Icelanders. These Germans raised a Lutheran church in Hafnarfjörður as early as 1533. Through German trade connections, many young Icelanders studied in Hamburg.[21] In 1538, when the kingly decree of the new Church ordinance reached Iceland, bishop Ögmundur and his clergy denounced it, threatening excommunication for anyone subscribing to the German "heresy".[22] In 1539, the King sent a new governor to Iceland, Klaus von Mervitz, with a mandate to introduce reform and take possession of church property.[22] Von Mervitz seized a monastery in Viðey with the help of his sheriff, Dietrich of Minden, and his soldiers. They drove the monks out and seized all their possessions, for which they were promptly excommunicated by Ögmundur.

United Kingdom

Elizabeth solidified Protestantism as the State religion of England permanently.[23] Overall, the reformation led to the seizing of all Catholic Church assets in Britain, persecution of clergy, and the virtual destruction of Catholicism as a significant socio-political force in the region.[5]

17th century

In 1618 the

Dutch War of Independence ended and Catholic Spain ceased to rule over the region. Much of this war is considered to be on religious grounds.[17]

The 17th century saw Protestant-Catholic tensions rise particularly in

Lutherans equal rights to Catholics.[24]

In 1685 king Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes leading to the prosecution of Protestants in France.[24]

18th century

Protestant

British Monarchy spread, colonials preferred to revolt from Britain. This contributed to the American Revolution (1765–83). However, the revolutionaries eventually diverged from this position given their reliance on funding from Catholic France and to avoid conflict with colonial Catholics of Maryland, Philadelphia and Quebec.[25]

In contrast, the

Quebec Act of 1774 provided protections for both English Protestants and French Catholics in Canada.[25]

19th century

The 1800s saw a period known as the

the Papacy.[26]

In 1821 and again in 1825, the

English House of Commons oversaw proposed bills regarding the emancipation of Catholics. In both instances, they were overturned given the heavily Protestant nature of the England's House of Lords.[5]

Catholic Austria recognised Protestantism as a legal religion in the 1860s.[27]

In 1871 the Protestant rulers of

German Catholicism. The German Ministry for Education's Catholic Bureau was abolished, and openly political priests were prosecuted. In 1872, the Jesuits were expelled from Germany.[28]

In 1895 Pope Leo XIII attempted to make amends with the Church of England in his apostolic letter Ad Anglos. In 1896, however, Leo maintained Catholic superiority and declared Anglican orders invalid[29] in his bull Apostolicae curae.

20th century

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

The 20th century saw many developments in the relationship between Catholic-Protestant relations. In 1910, the International Missionary Conference was held in Edinburgh in an attempt to unify non-Roman churches. Protestant denominations responded to the possibility of unification with varying success. Catholic representatives were present at the council, but merely as observers.[30]

The

Conversations at Malines (1923–27) were talks between some representatives of the Catholic Church and the Church of England which Pope Pius XI ceased. No real change eventuated from these talks.[4]

In 1950 the Roman

The

which?] was introduced.[4]

21st century

Largest religious and non-religious group by EU member state according to Eurobarometer survey 2019.[31]
  More than 75% Catholic
  50–75% Catholic
  Relative Catholic majority
  50–75% Protestant
  More than 75% Eastern Orthodox
  50–75% non-religious
  Relative non-religious majority
  30% Catholic, 30% non-religious (Germany)