From a Catholic viewpoint, the Protestant Reformation proved positive in the long-run. By the end of the middle ages, the Catholic Church was already experiencing the fruit of much needed reform within its own household albeit this movement had not been officially sanctioned by the papacy. The possibility exists that had there been no Martin Luther, the Church itself would have eventually cleaned house. In some respects, the Protestant Reformation merely hastened the development of the Catholic Church's own reform.
The nature of spiritual renewal within the Catholic Church during the sixteenth century developed in two stages. It began within the Church as part of the widespread reforming movement, aroused by the abuses of the time, which in some countries led to the growth of Protestantism: "The lure that drew Luther into controversy was a religious huckstering similar to what now appears on radio and television" (Nestingen 16). As Protestant revolts against papal rule strengthened, Catholic reform was then directed increasingly against Protestantism with the objective of opposing the reformers and restoring unity to the Christian faith: "there is no doubt that the Lutheran Reformation intensified the feeling of urgency--carrying forward the Catholic effort toward a deepened spirituality" (Bokenkotter 214). The result of Catholic reform was to transform the old medieval church into the modern Roman Catholic Church.
Reform within the Catholic Church started with the formation of new and reformed religious orders during the first half of the sixteenth century. The most important and successful of these orders was the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. Its founder was Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish ex-soldier and nobleman. Whereas Luther found relief in the doctrine of justification by faith, Loyola found it in giving himself in complete obedience to the Church and its faith. With the help of six friends, including Francis Xa...