Under Pope Adrian VI the Catholic Church implemented an internal reformatory movement geared towards responding to the growing threat of the Reformation. Pope Adrian was uniquely positioned to spearhead this movement given his non-Italian background. He was Dutch and free from the entanglements of Italian and Roman politics which would have prevented serious repositioning of certain church institutions and organizations. His attempt at reform was intense but short lived. He was only Pope for 13 months and after his death the reformatory efforts he’d set in motion petered out. 

Under the next Pope, Clement VII, the counter-reformatory movement stagnated. Like Leo X before him Clemen VII was a medici, known for their love of art and learning to the exclusion of all else. Medicis were also deeply embroiled in Italian politics, particularly Florentine politics. The Reformation spread rapidly under both Leo X and Clement VII.