Evaluate the Reaction of the Catholic Church to the Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was the natural culmination of the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. For centuries before the time of Martin Luther and the period recognized as "The Reformation", clergy and laity alike had complained of the abuses of the Church. Had the Church listened sooner, the abuses could have been rectified, and the protests could have been quelled. Once the Roman Catholic Church realized that something must be done (around the time Luther gained following), the Counter-Reformation came far too late. Certain programs/organizations meant to counter the Protestants lost focus and never executed to the extent necessary. The Council of Trent was an attempt to make a huge proclamation of Roman Catholic faith and was far too little, far too late, and apparently far too trivial in Northern European politics.
Ignoring demands for reform before Luther, the Church made fatal errors that would culminate in The Reformation.…