Final answer:
Ignatius of Loyola led the Catholic efforts against the Reformation by founding the Jesuit Order. The Jesuits were key in the Counter-Reformation, focusing on education, conversion, and advising rulers, with varying missionary approaches across different regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The man who led Catholic military and missionary efforts to stop the Reformation by creating the Jesuit Order was Ignatius of Loyola. The Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuits, played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation.
Founded in the 1540s, the Jesuits focused on the education of young Catholic men, the conversion of non-Christians to Roman Catholicism, and acting as advisers to Catholic rulers. Their approach to missionary work varied in different regions, from the careful study and accommodation of local customs in places like China to more direct evangelization efforts in the New World and parts of Europe.
In New France, the Jesuits worked to convert the Algonquian and later the Iroquois, providing detailed annual reports known as Jesuit Relations. These accounts are valuable for understanding the intercultural dynamics between Jesuit missionaries and indigenous populations. Meanwhile, in regions like China, the Jesuits garnered respect for their willingness to learn the local language and observe cultural practices, although this approach led to conflicts with other religious orders and eventually the Vatican.
Despite facing challenges and opposition, both in Europe and abroad, the Jesuits were largely successful in expanding the reach of Catholicism during a time of great religious upheaval and competition.