The Counter Reformation was a movement by the Roman Catholics against the Protestant Reformation and towards internal renewal. It happened in the 16th and early 17th centuries.
The Counter Reformation began with the Council of Trent and ended with the Patent of Toleration in 1781.
The goal of the Counter Reformation was to preserve the power and material wealth of the Catholic Church and to present a theological challenge to the Reformation.
Some much needed reforms were introduced within the Catholic Church due to the Counter Reformation movement: the foundations of seminaries for proper training of priests, the reform of religious life and some political activities such as the Roman Inquisition.
