The Catholic church was never perfect but in 1517 on the eve of the Protestant Reform it was beginning to seem unworthy of it’s title.
The churchmen seemed to just want to be involved to abtain the church’s money. Some were even absent from their positions, not wanting to be bothered with their jobs. Then many of the ones who did hold their positions didn’t know what they were preaching- they were ignorant because there were no seminaries to learn at.
Mass attendance even had declined. Yet there were a few people who devoted themselves to their faith by going on pilgrimages and completing acts of piety.
No wonder the Protestant Reform was able to take place with such ignorance and corruption going on in the Catholic church.
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