• The invention of the printing press meant that the ideas of the Reformers (like Martin Luther) could spread quickly around Europe and this encouraged people to support them and challenge the Church themselves.
An early printing works
2. The wealth of the Church The Church was the wealthiest organisation in Europe.
• Bishops and monasteries were huge land owners. It is estimated that one-third of all the land in Germany belonged to the Church. This wealth was resented by kings and nobles.
• Everyone had to pay their tithe (one-tenth of their income) to their local bishop every year. This was greatly resented by ordinary people, especially when they saw these bishops and cardinals living extravagant lifestyles.
3. Abuses within the Church
There were many abuses of power within the Catholic Church. These made people think that the popes, bishops and priests were more interested in their own wealth and power than in serving God. These abuses included:
• Simony: the buying or selling of positions within the Church. As priests and bishops had the chance to become very wealthy, bishops and cardinals were often willing to accept bribes to appoint a particular person to those jobs.
• Nepotism: the appointing of relatives to Church jobs regardless of merit. This was made even worse when many members of the clergy broke their vows of celibacy and fathered children.
• Pluralism: holding more than one Church job at the same time. Bishops and priests would often preside over a number of dioceses and parishes in order to increase their wealth.
• Absenteeism: a priest or bishop being absent from their parish or diocese for long periods of time. As pluralism became more widespread, many areas were left without a priest or bishop and that meant that people could not go to Mass or receive the sacraments.
