The Renaissance has not ceased to be an era of discussion and debate among historians over the past few centuries. The vibrant nature of the era characterizes it as a very fascinating historical period. The Renaissance can be described as an era bearing the essence of "self-discovery and realization, the recognition of human value and a dynamic outpouring of artistic activity." This new world flourishing with art and creative optimism was also imbued with a spirit of “revolt of the medievalists”. In a “rebirth” effort, the previous culture of the Middle Ages was rejected and even despised. Fundamental principles in all fields were surpassed and the old cultural norms were practically obsolete. It was an era whose humanistic philosophy greatly influenced the lens through which man saw himself and the world. The spirit of the Renaissance had a profound effect on every field of study and area of ​​life; Religion was certainly not excluded. The Catholic Church found itself face to face with modern culture, which required important evaluations and decisions to determine an appropriate response. This article will look specifically at the changes that occurred in sacred music in the Renaissance and will consider the Church's response. To understand the changes that occurred in music and affected the liturgy in the Renaissance period, it is necessary to provide a brief sketch of music in earlier times. The first noteworthy aspect of Renaissance music and musical thought is the pace at which it developed. This speed is in contrast to the entire history of previous music. The history of Western art music properly begins with the music of the Christian Church at the end of the ancient world (around 400 AD). This was a world where music was always... at the center of the paper... it was wrong to say that any sacred composer of the Renaissance had malicious intent; alternatively, it could be said that, in his zeal for ingenuity, he had lost sight of the vision and function of sacred music. Works Cited Blume, Friedrich. Renaissance and Baroque music; a comprehensive survey. 1st ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1967.Grout, Donald Jay. A history of Western music. 1st ed. New York: Norton, 1960.Hayburn, Robert F. Papal Legislation on Sacred Music, AD 95 to AD 1977 Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1979.Jensen, De Lamar. Renaissance Europe: Age of Recovery and Reconciliation. Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath, 1981.O'Kelly, Bernard. The Renaissance image of man and the world. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1966. Ongaro, Giulio Maria, and David Brinkman. Renaissance music. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2003.