What was on reason the catholic church became less powerful in the 14th and 15th centuries? a. a large portion of the european population was killed by famine and disease, weakening the faith of the survivors. b. renaissance thinkers encouraged the worship of ancient greek and roman gods and goddesses. c. church officials argued about whether jesus was a historical figure, hurting the church's image. d. new laws in many countries forbade the church from owning land or collecting taxes from the people.