what are some of characteristics of catholic church before the reformation?

Answer 1

Extreme hierarchical with a tremendous gap between the laity and the clergy.
Struggling w/ a rapidly changing world vis a vis the Muslims, crusades, new world, Orthodox Church.
Struggling w/ cost overruns on monumental mentality buildings.
Remote and removed from the people through the utilization of Latin rather than the native tongues.
Tempted by some strong pulls to let commerce determine the course rather than theology.

Answer 2

The religion of most people in Europe before the Protestant Reformation was Roman-Catholic. Roman Catholicism in the Middle Ages had a basis in the Pope and God directly appointing him. He had the power to give pardons and guarantee salvation. There was the practice of buying souls out of purgatory as well. One could not receive forgiveness for sins without an intermediary, and sermons were ritualistic, being performed in Latin.

Heresy just as it is now.

Answer 3

Same as now. The Pope claims to speak for God. Read what Martin Luther said. His writings have been translated from German to English and are on the web.
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-luther.html