Why did people call reform in the church

his process of renewal in the Church is more or less constant over the centuries, although there are times when the need for reform is more obvious and intense. At times the Church needs a deep and comprehensive reform, when a soul-searching process of examination and change must take place. Such a process may require several decades and is often the occasion of great conflicts and even schisms. The process of major reform is most frequently begun when things in the Church are in a very bad decline. Usually such a time of major reform is also a period of activity by outstanding saints, and we are reminded of Saint Paul's observation that where sin abounded, grace did more abound. The most startling example of such a reform in the history of the Catholic Church was the conflict at the beginning of the sixteenth century that led to the Council of Trent and the Catholic Reformation. This was also the occasion of the Protestant Reformation and the end of the unity of Western Christianity.