Religion, Spirituality and Reforms (Leaving Cert Religious Education): Revision Notes

Religion, Spirituality and Reforms

Understanding reform as a return to origins

Religious reform involves communities attempting to return to their original ideals and practices. This happens when religious groups feel they have moved away from their founding principles and need to recover what has been ignored or lost over time.

There are two main types of religious reform:

• Internal reform: Changes that come from within the Church itself
• External reform: Changes imposed from outside the Church

Internal reforms in Irish Christianity

The Céilí Dé movement (8th century)

What does Céilí Dé mean?

The name "Céilí Dé" has several possible meanings:

• "Companions of God" (most popular interpretation)
• "Vassals of God"
• "The war band of Christ"

All these meanings show a desire to serve God's will completely.

Origins and purpose

The Céilí Dé movement emerged in 8th century Ireland as a response to problems within the Irish Church, including:

• Violence and conflict
• Nepotism (appointing family members to church positions)
• Lay abbots (non-clergy running monasteries)
• General decline in spiritual standards

Rather than being a completely new reform movement, the Céilé Dé was more likely a revival of earlier Christian practices in Ireland.

Key characteristics of the Céilí Dé

• Community-based: Unlike hermits who lived alone, the Céilí Dé formed communities of like-minded men
• Spiritual focus: Monks were to avoid worldly affairs and concentrate on spiritual matters
• Strict moral code: They believed the body was a source of sin and must be controlled
• Limited role for women: Women were excluded from helping with priestly work and were viewed with suspicion

Leadership and influence

Key leaders included:

• Mael-dithruib of Terryglass
• Elair of Loch Cré
• Oengus (who wrote the famous "Martyrology")
• Mael-Ruain of Tallaght

These leaders influenced the entire Irish Church during the 8th century.

Impact and legacy

• The Céilí Dé encouraged more men to become ordained priests
• They founded stricter monasteries, with Tallaght being the most important
• They maintained informal communication between houses
• However, they couldn't deal with lay people who refused to follow their advice
• The movement created lasting spiritual practices that influenced Irish Christianity

The twelfth century reforms

Background and need for reform

After the Viking invasions, the Irish Church was in poor condition:

• Lack of proper organisation
• Poor attendance at sacraments
• Church marriage laws not being followed
• General decline in church discipline

The Synod of Cashel (1101)

Two English bishops, Anselm and Lanfranc, persuaded Irish bishops to hold this synod, which addressed:

• Simony: The selling of church positions
• Marriage questions: Clarifying church teaching on marriage
• Church organisation: Establishing proper diocesan structure
• Brehon laws: Opposing local marriage customs that conflicted with church teaching

The synod also established that church lands should be free from taxes paid to local rulers, and created a diocesan system in the church.

The Synod of Rath Breasail (1111)

This second synod:

• Confirmed the diocesan system
• Established that church lands would be free from local taxation
• Set up proper church hierarchy with bishops in charge of specific geographical areas

Implementation by St Malachy

St Malachy, nephew of Celsus, carried out these reforms:

• Became Archbishop of Armagh
• Travelled to Rome to get papal approval for the reforms
• Brought Cistercian monks back to Ireland to establish monasteries at Mellifont
• This led to the founding of other religious orders in Ireland: Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustinians

External reforms: the sixteenth and seventeenth century reforms

The English Reformation in Ireland

Henry VIII's break with Rome

The English Reformation began not for religious reasons, but for political ones:

• Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon to remarry and have a male heir
• The Pope refused to grant the divorce
• Henry declared himself Head of the Church in England (1534)
• This broke England's connection with Rome while keeping Catholic beliefs and practices

Impact on Ireland

Ireland was divided between:

• English-speaking areas: Generally accepted Henry's reforms
• Irish-speaking areas: Remained loyal to the Catholic Church and the Pope

Limited success of reform

The English Reformation had limited impact in Ireland because:

• Language barriers: Few ministers could speak Irish to communicate with the people
• Cultural resistance: The Irish saw the reforms as connected to English political control
• Catholic loyalty: Most Irish people remained emotionally and spiritually connected to Catholicism
• Lack of clergy: There weren't enough Protestant ministers to serve Irish-speaking areas

Elizabeth I's settlement

• Established the Church of Ireland as the official state church
• Made attendance at Protestant services compulsory through the Act of Uniformity
• Used English language in all church services
• This increased Irish resistance as it threatened their cultural identity

Results and consequences

• The Church of Ireland remained the established church until 1870
• Most Irish people continued to practice Catholicism, often in secret
• The reforms created lasting divisions between English Protestant settlers and Irish Catholics
• Catholic priests had to work underground, creating an "underground church"
• Trinity College Dublin was founded (1592) to train Protestant ministers, but had little success reaching Irish speakers

Why the Reformation failed in Ireland

• Strong Catholic loyalty: Catholicism was more alive in Ireland than English authorities realised
• Insufficient Protestant clergy: Most Anglican clergy couldn't speak Irish
• Political association: The reforms were too closely connected with English political control
• Cultural identity: Irish people saw Catholicism as part of their national identity
• Language policy: The requirement to use English in services alienated Irish speakers

The European Reformation context

Background to the Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation across Europe was a reaction against perceived abuses in the Catholic Church:

• Simony: Selling of church positions
• Nepotism: Appointing relatives to church positions
• Clerical elitism: Preventing Bible translation into local languages
• Absenteeism: Clergy not fulfilling their duties
• Poor training: Inadequate education for parish priests

Key reformers

• Martin Luther: German monk who challenged church authority, leading to Lutheranism
• John Calvin: French reformer whose ideas formed the basis of Presbyterianism
• Henry VIII: English king who broke with Rome for political rather than religious reasons

Difference between continental and English Reformation

• Continental Reformation: Based on theological disagreements with Catholic doctrine
• English Reformation: Primarily political, with Henry VIII substituting his authority for papal authority while keeping Catholic teachings