Page 75 - God's Church through the Ages - Student Textbook

supposedly shortened the time a relative had to spend in Purgatory, financed the rebuilding of St. Peter’s
Basilica in Rome.

The convergence of all of these factors created a growing demand for reform in the Church and especially in the
th
papacy. At the beginning of the 16 century (1500- 1599) Europe was a powder keg in which a seemingly small
incident could ignite an explosion that would forever destroy the unity of the Roman Church – even such a small
incident as an obscure German priest protesting the sale of indulgences by posting his complaints against the
Church on a door in Wittenberg Germany.

St. Peter’s Basilica in
Rome was the center
of power for the
pope and Catholic
Church. It remains
so today.

The Forerunners of the Reformation

12.4 Let’s Practice…

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1. What was the goal of humanism in the 16 century?
2. How did humanists promote the Renaissance Movement?

3. What were the characteristics of the Renaissance Movement?

4. Why was the fall of Constantinople a significant event in history?

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