5. Which of the following declined during
the Renaissance?
A. the power of individual monarchs
B. the power of the church
C. the number of large cities
D. the number of explorers
A shift toward political and religious freedom helped propel the Reformation movement, which caused a rift within the powerful Catholic Church, leading many Europeans to turn to the then-new Protestant faith.
As a result of Renaissance humanism, the Church suffered a decline. Humanists are often secular, or non-religious, in their thinking, and they believe in free thought and question many accepted beliefs. The Church has also faced problems that have fueled this skepticism. Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church was also losing power as its officials quarreled. At one point, there were even two popes claiming to be the true Pope.
Another reason for the weakening of the church was the disillusion by the corruption and bribery of the church, including indulgences, which allowed citizens to buy forgiveness of sins, men began challenging some practices of the Roman Catholic Church during the Renaissance.
