How did the Catholic Church respond to the new religious situation?

image
Teresa of ÁvilaIn this wood carving from 1625, the Spanish artist Gregorio Fernandez shows Saint Teresa book in hand, actively teaching. The influence of her ideas and actions led the pope to give Teresa the title “Doctor of the Church” in 1970, the first woman to be so honored. (Gregorio Fernandez [1576–1636], Saint Teresa of Ávila, 1625. Polychromatic Baroque carving on wood, Valladolid, Spain. National Museum of Sculpture/© P. Rotger/Iberfoto/The Image Works)

BBETWEEN 1517 AND 1547 Protestantism made remarkable advances. Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic Church made a significant comeback. Many historians see the developments within the Catholic Church after the Protestant Reformation as two interrelated movements, one a drive for internal reform, and the other a Counter-Reformation that actively opposed Protestantism. In both movements, papal reforms and new religious orders were important agents.