Question

What did Spanish Protestants and Spanish Jewish converts to Christianity have in common during the Counter-Reformation?

A.
Both originally lived in France.

B.
Both were forced to flee Germany.

C.
Both were persecuted by the Spanish government.

D.
Both were allowed to practice religion freely.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. Both were persecuted by the Spanish government.

Spain during the Middle Ages was characterized by coexistence and intercultural exchange, but during the Counter-Reformation it happened the other way around. King Philip II closed the borders of the country to all foreign influence, strictly controlled the artists, writers and educators to ensure that they followed the official guidelines.

The Jesuits sent to the Council of Trent established a plan to reaffirm the main Catholic doctrines and elaborated a strategy to guarantee their strict diffusion in society.

The sacred Inquisition was in charge of persecuting and torturing the confession of the Catholic faith to all those who differed from the doctrinal guidelines of the Counter-Reformation: enlightened, Erasmian, Protestant, Moorish, Crypto-Jewish or blasphemous.

The Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism and many manifested their conversion before the public but internally they continued to profess the Jewish faith. The inquisition was in charge of entering house by house to verify that they did not continue hidden Jewish practices.

Protestantism could spread quickly in most European countries but in Spain this was prevented due to the relentless action of the government and the Church (in turn dominated by the government).

Answer 2

C. Both were persecuted by the Spanish government.

One of the most aggressive Counter-Reformation policies was the creation of the "Roman" Inquisition:

Since the Papal power had been significantly diminished by the new ideas of Reformation with Luther and its subsequent ideologists, the Roman Inquisition had now to prosecute any ideas departing from the Catholic canons. Similarly to the Medieval Inquisition, who had been against the Jewish faith, and trying to eradicate as well as pagan beliefs in areas under the papal influence in central-eastern Europe. The Counter-reformation led to some of the Jewish and protestant adepts who happened as well to be a scientist to be condemned to death: Giordano Bruno, for example, and Copernicus (perhaps the most popular case).