Originally posted by Doomdark on 05-29-2000 09:48 PM
I think Spain and the other countries he mentioned were Counter-Reformative Catholic as opposed to the regular, tolerant kind.
/Doomie
Yes, a 'Catholic' nation can change its religion to 'Counter Reformed Catholic'. This means that when they beat a Protestant nation at war they can impose a condition of Peace that the loser must also become 'Counter Reformed Catholic'.
So the Papacy can legitimately be either kind of 'Catholic'.
/Graham