In response to the spread of the Protestant Reformation, the
Catholic Church launched the Counter-Reformation to win back the faithful to
the Church. Through the Council of
Trent, they reaffirmed the authority of the Pope as well as the legitimacy of
the Sacraments and teachings of the Catholic Church. It also established the Society of Jesus who
actively spread the teachings of the Catholic faith. The Jesuits as well as others also embarked
on missionary work that spread Catholicism to America, Africa and Asia as
well as won back converts in Europe.
