How did the Protestant and Catholic Reformations change power structures in Europe and shape European colonial expansion?

In 1500 most of the world’s Christians lived in Europe, and those who lived in western Europe belonged to one Christian Church headed by the pope in Rome, now known as the Roman Catholic Church. By 1600, and even more by 1750, Christians could be found throughout the world, but they belonged to many different churches that often competed with one another, sometimes on the battlefield. As a result of a movement of religious reform known as the Protestant Reformation, Western Christendom broke into many divisions in the sixteenth century. This splintering happened not only for religious reasons but also because of political and social factors. Religious transformation provided a source of power for many rulers and shaped European colonial expansion.