The first long-term cause was to do with the state of religion at the time. The societies of Western Europe were very much based on religion. This was illustrated in three ways: in the different status attached to the various leaders in society; in the aims most people had in living their lives; and in their reactions to everyday situations. We are used to there being one main power structure in British society. In the Europe of 1500 there were two: the civil power represented by a Prince, and the ecclesiastical power wielded by the Church, led by the Pope in Rome. For most people, the most motivating force in their lives was the desire to be certain of salvation, and for this they had to turn to the Church. To have contact with God, it had to be done via his representatives on Earth e.g. the clergy or the saints. People prayed to the saints, gave charitable gifts in their name and basically worshipped them to the utmost. It was almost universally believed that special favours, including salvation, could be "bought" in this way by various "good works".
The second long-term cause was about the teachings and practices of the Church. However, in 1500, there was no widespread discontent over the teachings and practices of the Church. Most people believed that if they were baptized soon after birth, went to mass at least once per year, and received forgiveness of their sins by a priest in God's name shortly before death, they were guaranteed salvation - providing their sins were not too numerous. There was little feeling that the Church did not provide the right answers; or that salvation was not accessible to all who were prepared to make the effort necessary to obtain it. One of the methods for the atonement of sins was the purchase of indulgences (a promise of a reduction in the time spent in purgatory). They were sold on the authority of the Pope and were increasingly used as an additional method of raising revenue.
