It was with great reluctance that the devoutly Catholic Empress was forced to strip the Church of its economic privileges. Kaunitz and the future Joseph II realised that the power of the RC Church's grip on schools, universities, the pulpit and the press. Joseph was able to cut Austria's links with Rome and decrease the Church's power within the Austrian monarchy when Maria Theresa became too old to carry out reforms. Some of the policies introduced included the taxing of clergy without papal approval, the dissolving of some monasteries, the inspection of church property, the forbidding of Jesuits to conduct visitations of Austrian monasteries and the removal of the right of sanctuary from some churches.
Maria's opposition to the claim that Protestants were good for trade was ignored with the increased toleration of non-Catholic Christians. But, in 1777, Maria Theresa put forward an edict which forbade any Jew to settle in Vienna without written permission. Her reforms were unsuccessful and created further divisions.
Maria's opposition to the claim that Protestants were good for trade was ignored with the increased toleration of non-Catholic Christians. But, in 1777, Maria Theresa put forward an edict which forbade any Jew to settle in Vienna without written permission. Her reforms were unsuccessful and created further divisions.