Beginning in the 1300’s many problems arose within the Catholic Church. The people complained about the corruption, different parts of Europe were competing for power, and the actual teachings of the Catholic Church were in question. There were problems with the authorities of the Church, "Tension between the Vatican, members of the religious orders, and diocesan priests... was often palpable." (Patrick Provost-Smith, Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450). For instance, in 1377 two popes were elected to office, one in Avignon and one in Rome. For 40 years they both struggled for control of the church. In 1417 the conflict was resolved and a new pope was elected, but many issues were still being debated. For example, the people were upset about the behavior of the clergy, the sales of church offices, and the general corruption within the church. This led to call for reform. In the late 1300s and early 1400s movements started and continued to thrive through the discovery of the New World. One such movement in 1517 broke away from the Catholic Church altogether, when Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation.
By: Katherine Corrigan
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Provost-Smith, Patrick. "Religion, Roman Catholic Church." Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. Ed. Thomas Benjamin. Vol. 3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 945-954. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL. 8 Sept. 2008 <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=winn16583>