In the middle of the sixteenth century, the Council of Trent was convened by the Pope of the Catholic Church. The Council of Trent had to find answers to the abuses within the church. All these abuses had been the cause of the advancing Reformation. With this council the Pope hoped to bring about a reversal.
The Catholic Church
From the beginning of Christianity, the leadership of the church was based in Rome, then the center of the Roman Empire, and therefore more or less the center of European civilization. Although the church suffered from religious persecution in the early years, a period of growth and prosperity began in 311 with its elevation to state religion by the Roman Empire. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, much of civilization disappeared, but the center of the Catholic Church remained in Rome.
Power
The Catholic Church spread across Europe. Bishops and priests were sent to pass on the faith. Kings and emperors understood that faith could be a means of exercising power over the people. The leadership of the Church also understood very well that faith was a means to exercise power over the political and military leaders, the counts, dukes, kings and emperors.
Abuse in the Church
The office of a church dignitary was no longer merely a matter of vocation, it became an enviable office because of its power, splendor and splendor. This meant that many church leaders aspired to office, but did not intend to live according to church teaching. Lust for power, purchased high positions, men who were not at all concerned with good morals, it was all no exception.
Martin Luther / Source: Lucas Cranach the Elder, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Priests, legally unmarried, still lived with women and had children. Monasteries who had to live poor according to the rules had arranged a brown life for themselves. You could even buy indulgences, allowing believers to receive a reduced sentence in the afterlife.
Reformation
It is not surprising that well-intentioned church leaders had risen up against all these abuses and protested against all these things. Men like Wyclif, Hus, Luther and Calvin protested against all abuses. Martin Luther managed to summarize all that criticism in a number of concise lists. Many pastors and believers underlined the criticism and joined the new movement. They defended their new ideas as Protestants . We call this the time of the Reformation .
Pope Paul III / Source: Titian, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Countermovement
All this made a countermovement necessary. If the Church wanted to maintain its right to exist, action would have to be taken. Pope Paul III recognized this and first took strong measures. He abolished the trade in indulgences, obliged bishops to be present in their diocese, and obliged them to be interested in matters of faith instead of women, drink, horses, etc. Paul III was fiercely criticized, probably because this pope was not exactly of impeccable behavior. For example, he had bought a cardinal’s post before he had been ordained as a priest and had also fathered four illegitimate children, all of whom had been given high ecclesiastical posts. Not exactly papal behavior, then. In addition to all the announced measures, Paul III initiated the Council of Trent , where the problems could be discussed and new guidelines could be drawn up.
Council of Trent
Council of Trent / Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons (PD)
of Trento , in South Tyrol, was chosen . Today the place is located in Italy and is called Trento . There were good reasons not to hold this council in Rome. First of all, it was neutral ground. Secondly, Trent was much more central in Europe, which also gave Protestant observers the opportunity to be there. Because it would of course be nice if an agreement could be reached that both parties would be happy with. That could prevent a permanent split in the church.
Pope Pius IV / Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons (PD)
Different sittings
The council was not completed in one go, it required several terms of office.
- Pope Paul III opened the first term (1545-1547)
- The second term (1551-1552) was held under Pope Julius III.
- During the third term of office (1562-1563), then under Pope Pius IV, the Council of Trent was concluded.
It is not surprising that the contradictions were sometimes fierce.
Teachings of Luther
Luther’s list of teachings was discussed by the Council, but all points were rejected. According to Luther, only the Bible was a guideline for a good life of faith, but the Council decided that divine revelation also manifested itself through church tradition, that is, through the oral and written transmission of religious truths. Moreover, the Bible could only be interpreted by the church. Rejecting Luther’s theses meant that the Catholic Church characterized them as error, or heretical.
Fracture
In 1563 the Council met for the last time. It had become clear that the differences between Catholics and Protestants were irreconcilable at that time. Both sides had been unable to convince each other of their truths. This made the break final. The relationship between the two groups was poor and would remain so until the Second Vatican Council , in the twentieth century.
Outcomes
The role of the Church as legislator and guardian of civilization was affirmed by the Council. Doctrines were reformulated. Countries that had remained Catholic in the previous period saw sufficient starting points in the renewed Church and pledged support. The Church retained its intellectual and moral influence in these countries.
Decisions
A number of decisions of the Council of Trent:
- Re-establishing the list of books that are part of the Bible, the canon of the Bible.
- Divine revelation is manifested through the Bible and church tradition.
- Latin is the only liturgical language
- A bishop must have studied theology. This rule made it very difficult for nobles to provide their offspring with a higher church office.
- A marriage must be solemnized in a church, in front of a priest and witnesses. This must be recorded in a marriage register.
- Baptisms and deaths are also recorded in a register.
- Drawing up a list of banned books, the Index librorum prohibitorum (list of banned books, simply Index ). Books had to pass through the church censorship before they could be published. The committee that determines what should be included on that list was established by the Pope in 1966. Paul VI was abolished. Since then, only the Pope himself can decide whether new titles will be added to the list.
- Clergy cannot hold multiple church offices
- Bishops must be present in their own diocese
- Truths of faith, such as original sin, the sacraments, and salvation, are reformulated and confirmed.
Improvement
With the Council of Trent, the Church launched an attack on the Protestant movements on the one hand, and on the abuses in the Church itself on the other. This led to a period of self-recovery, but also to persecution of everything and everyone who did not subscribe to the new church statements.
read more
- The First Vatican Council
- The Second Vatican Council
- The Popes of the Catholic Church
- The Conclave: The election of a new Pope