The leaders of the Catholic Church worked to strengthen it, and not let Protestants influence religion. The Spanish Inquisition forced non-Catholics to become catholics or leave the country. After this, the Catholic Church had no opposition.

The Catholic Reformation Strikes Back!

By the mid-1500s, Catholic leaders began to respond to criticism from Protestants. The Catholic Church began to have new religious orders, starting with education. The Jesuits were a religious order that was to serve the pope and the church. The Jesuits were to teach the Catholic ideas to everyone, especially girls. Believing that Catholic education would turn people against Protestant ideas, Angela Merici wanted to limit the impact on Protestant teachings.