ary , ▁and ▁would ▁bes ie ge ▁Vienna ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁year , ▁and ▁against ▁the ▁further ▁progress ▁of ▁Protest ant ism . ▁ ▁The ▁Diet ▁opened ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁March . ▁The ▁Catholic ▁dign itar ies ▁appeared ▁in ▁full ▁force , ▁as ▁did ▁various ▁princes ▁and ▁represent atives ▁of ▁imperial ▁cities ▁who ▁were ▁lean ing ▁towards ▁Luther ▁and ▁Zw ing li ' s ▁re forms . ▁As c endant ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁forces , ▁particularly ▁given ▁Charles ▁V ' s ▁recent ▁success es ▁against ▁the ▁French ▁in ▁Italy , ▁aim ed ▁to ▁reverse ▁the ▁policy ▁of ▁religious ▁toler ance ▁adopted ▁in ▁ 1 5 2 6 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁meeting ▁was ▁not ▁attended ▁by ▁Charles . ▁He ▁sent ▁instructions ▁to ▁his ▁reg ent , ▁Ferdinand , ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁conc ili atory ▁line , ▁but ▁his ▁advice ▁did ▁not ▁reach ▁his ▁brother ▁in ▁time . ▁Instead , ▁Ferdinand ▁read ▁out ▁his ▁own ▁far ▁less ▁conc ili atory ▁suggestions ▁in ▁Charles ' s ▁name ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Diet . ▁Ferdinand ▁condem ned ▁the ▁way ▁many ▁princes ▁had ▁interpreted ▁the ▁re cess ▁issued ▁at ▁Spe yer ▁in ▁ 1 5 2 6 . ▁He ▁specifically ▁denied ▁them ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁choose ▁which ▁religious ▁re forms ▁would ▁take ▁effect ▁in ▁their ▁states , ▁and ▁ordered ▁that ▁Catholic ism ▁be ▁followed ▁in ▁all ▁states ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁ ▁The ▁Protest ants ▁felt ▁that ▁" Christ ▁was ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Ca ia phas ▁and ▁Pil ate ." ▁The ▁result