The Catholic Church faced some big challenges during the Reformation, and it responded with important changes. This period of change is called the Counter-Reformation. Here are some key actions that the Church took:

1. Council of Trent (1545-1563):

   • This meeting was very important for the Church.
   • It discussed and clarified important beliefs that Protestant reformers had challenged.
   • The Council reaffirmed key teachings, like the seven sacraments, and the importance of both the Bible and Church traditions.

2. Reform of Clergy:

   • The Church made changes to improve how priests were trained.
   • They set up seminaries, which are schools specifically for educating priests.
   • By the year 1600, about 200 seminaries were opened all across Europe.

3. Society of Jesus (Jesuits):

   • Founded in 1534 by Ignatius of Loyola, the Jesuits became very important during the Counter-Reformation.
   • They focused on education and helped start over 1,000 schools in Europe by the late 1600s.

4. Inquisition and Index of Forbidden Books:

   • The Roman Inquisition was brought back to fight against beliefs that were considered wrong or heretical.
   • They created an Index in 1559, which was a list of books that people were not allowed to read. This list included many Protestant and humanist writings.

5. Missionary Work:

   • The Catholic Church also worked hard to spread its teachings to new places.
   • They sent missionaries to the Americas and Asia, leading to a big increase in the number of Catholics around the world.

These actions helped stabilize the Catholic Church and allowed it to keep a lot of followers, even during the time of the Protestant Reformation.