During the years immediately following the Council of Trent, several religious orders were systematically reformed: Franciscans, Cistercians, Carthusians and Carmelites.  King Philip II of Spain supported the reforms.

The leading lights of these movements for the Carmelites were St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, both of whom have been pronounced Doctors of the Church. St. Teresa’s personality was a unusual combination of merry charm, steel spine but above all transcendent, goodness and holiness.  Teresa soon restored many to proper obedience.

During these days, Pope St. Pius V’s great concern for the peoples of the New World led him to ask the youthful king of Portugal to protect the converted Indians from the scandalous abuses of the Portuguese soldiers. In order to improve the status of the converts within the Christian community, he recommended that natives be prepared for the priesthood, which unfortunately was not done despite Brazil being the country with the highest population of Catholics at all times.