The Catholic Church in the early 1500s In the 16th century the church as an institution was starting to "fall apart" and many of its faithful, Protestants and reform parties were starting to put pressure up the church for a change. Although the main reason for the reform was Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, I believe the church was failing in some of its duties, even if many criticisms and ideas were exaggerated. The clergy of the church were under enormous pressure, they had gained a bad reputation according to many as they encouraged superstition by simply forgetting it, and many neglected their duties. Many contradicted the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church and this was dangerous as the Church meant a lot to the majority of people living in England. As GR Elton says, "People in England thought little of priests." Many priests were despised for their wealth. and ostentation and Wosley became an obvious example. Not only was he never seen without fine clothes or expensive jewellery, but he owned several houses: Hampden Court was his most important residence. This was a very different contrast than Jesus in the New Testament. According to the Bible, "It is not elaborate hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothing that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should not come from within you—the beauty of a gentle, quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God" (1 Peter 3 v 3-4). There were also other bishops and priests guilty of pluralism who constantly moved between their dioceses. How to add, many complained... middle of the paper... which shows that the church was receiving support from the people. Educational standards also showed an increase from 8% to 42% between 1370 and 1532. This actually shows that the church was improving in many ways and listening to the views of reform and improvement given by the people. In conclusion, I have found from my studies of the Catholic Church in the early 1500s that the church was corrupt in many ways, even if some of these ideas were exaggerated and biased. I agree in many ways with the argument, although it must be considered that many criticisms came from those who wanted change and therefore chose "weak" areas of the Church to attack. The church was an important institution for the people and therefore it was important for the clergy to follow the ways in which the Bible teaches and maintain Catholic traditions..