
The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent Covers such Topics as:
- Indulgences
- Justification
- The Eucharist
- Transubstantiation
- Penance
- Extreme Unction
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
- Original Sin
- Purgatory
What did agree to at the Council of Trent?
What did the Council of Trent agree on? It defined the mass as a true sacrifice; issued doctrinal statements on holy orders, matrimony, purgatory, indulgences, and the veneration of saints, images, and relics; and enacted reform decrees on clerical morals and the establishment of seminaries.
What are the three outcomes of the Council of Trent?
What were three outcomes of the Council of Trent? The three outcomes of the Council of Trent where that is established a confession of faith and supremacy of the Papcy, it condemned the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith, and it rejected the Protestant view of Scripture alone.
What did the Council of Trent fail to do?
What did the Council of Trent fail to do? The council was ordered by the Emperor and Pope Paul III to convene in Mantua on 23 May 1537. It failed to convene after another war broke out between France and Charles V, resulting in a non-attendance of French prelates. Protestants refused to attend as well.
What were the three outcomes of the Council of Trent?
How do you deal with being in limbo?
- Focus on the things you can control.
- Challenge your need for absolute certainty and embrace the unexpected benefits that come with a less certain life.
- Actively reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Seek help if you need it.
See more

What were the 4 points of the Council of Trent?
The Examen had four parts: Volume I examined sacred scripture, free will, original sin, justification, and good works.
What 3 things were decided at the Council of Trent?
In three separate sessions, the council reaffirmed the authority of the Catholic Church, codified scripture, reformed abuses, and condemned Protestant theology, establishing the vision and goals of the Catholic Counter-Reformation.
What were the two main goals of the Council of Trent?
The main goal of the Council of Trent was to try and reform the Catholic church, and reconcile with Protestants.
What did the final decrees of the Council of Trent do for the Catholic religion?
-The final decrees of the Council reaffirmed traditional Catholic teachings in opposition to Protestant beliefs. Both faith and good works were declared necessary for salvation.
What was the main result of the Council of Trent?
It served to define Catholic doctrine and made sweeping decrees on self-reform, helping to revitalize the Roman Catholic Church in the face of Protestant expansion. What emerged from the Council of Trent was a chastened but consolidated church and papacy, the Roman Catholicism of modern history.
What did the Council of Trent hope to achieve?
The Council of Trent focused on defending and elaborating on Catholic doctrine, as well as answering the criticisms of members of the Protestant faith. It affirmed that both faith and works were necessary for salvation, clarified the importance of sacraments, and improved clergy discipline and education.
Which two of the following were outcomes of the Council of Trent?
Which two of the following were outcomes of the Council of Trent? The church gave Catholic sacraments the same significance as the Bible. And the church stated that faith and good works are required for salvation.
What are the Church decrees?
A decree (Latin: decretum, from decerno, "I judge") is, in a general sense, an order or law made by a superior authority for the direction of others. In the usage of the canon law of the Catholic Church, it has various meanings.
What was decided at the Council of Trent quizlet?
The Council of Trent addressed church reform and rejected Protestantism, defined the role and canon of scripture and the seven sacraments, and strengthened clerical discipline in education.
What are 3 beliefs of the church of England?
Beliefs and worship a belief that the Bible contains the core of all Christian faith and thought. a loyalty to a way of worship and life that was first set out in the Book of Common Prayer. celebration of the sacraments ordained by Jesus - that of Baptism and Eucharist or Holy Communion.
What are 3 beliefs of the Anglican church?
In particular, the three creeds of the church (the Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed) constitute the core of Anglican belief.
What were the three major activities of the Jesuits?
What are the three major activities of the Jesuits? (1) Jesuits founded schools throughout Europe, teachers educated in classical studies and theology, (2) convert non-Christians to Catholic, sent missionaries around world, (3) stop spread of Protestantism.
Where was the Council of Trent held?
The Council of Trent took place in the city of Trent (Trento) in northern Italy. It was held in three parts over 18 years, from 1545 to 1563.
Why was the Council of Trent convened?
The Council of Trent was the formal Roman Catholic reply to the doctrinal challenges of the Protestant Reformation. It served to define Catholic do...
How did the Council of Trent clarify Roman Catholic doctrine?
The Council of Trent clarified many issues about which there had been continuing ambiguity throughout the early church and the Middle Ages, includi...
How did the Council of Trent reform the Roman Catholic Church?
In addition to its impact on Roman Catholic doctrine, the legislation of Trent also reformed the internal life and discipline of the church. Two of...
What was the Council of Trent?
The Council of Trent was the formal Roman Catholic reply to the doctrinal challenges of the Protestant Reformation. It served to define Catholic doctrine and made sweeping decrees on self-reform, helping to revitalize the Roman Catholic Church in the face of Protestant expansion. What emerged from the Council of Trent was a chastened ...
Who opened the Council of Trent?
Council of Trent. Opening session of the Council of Trent in 1545, by Nicolò Dorigati, 1711; in the Museo Diocesano Tridentino, Trento, Italy. A. Dagli—De Agostini Editore/age fotostock.
What doctrines did Protestant Reformers reject?
The “either/or” doctrines of the Protestant reformers— justification by faith alone, the authority of Scripture alone—were rejected in favour of a “both/and” doctrine of justification by both faith and works on the basis of the authority of both Scripture and tradition.
Why was the Council of Trent important?
Prompted by the Reformation, the Council of Trent was highly important for its sweeping decrees on self-reform and for its dogmatic definitions that clarified virtually every doctrine contested by the Protestants. Despite internal strife and two lengthy interruptions, the council was a key part of the Counter-Reformation ...
Why did Pope Paul III suspend the Council of Trent?
Nevertheless, this first phase of the Council of Trent had achieved a substantial step forward, leading to a thorough reform of the church’s teaching and discipline.
Where did the Council of Trent take place?
The Council of Trent took place in the city of Trent ( Trento) in northern Italy. It was held in three parts over 18 years, from 1545 to 1563. Read about the city of Trento.
Why did Pope Clement VII hold back the German Reformation?
Though Germany demanded a general council following the excommunication of the German Reformation leader Martin Luther, Pope Clement VII held back for fear of renewed attacks on his supremacy. France, too, preferred inaction, afraid of increasing German power.
How many periods were there in the Council of Trent?
The history of the council is thus divided into three distinct periods: 1545–1549, 1551–1552 and 1562–1563. During the second period, the Protestants present asked for a renewed discussion on points already defined and for bishops to be released from their oaths of allegiance to the Pope.
When did the Council of Trent take place?
Unable, however, to resist the urging of Charles V, the pope, after proposing Mantua as the place of meeting, convened the council at Trent (at that time ruled by a prince-bishop under the Holy Roman Empire ), on 13 December 1545; the Pope's decision to transfer it to Bologna in March 1547 on the pretext of avoiding a plague failed to take effect and the Council was indefinitely prorogued on 17 September 1549. None of the three popes reigning over the duration of the council ever attended, which had been a condition of Charles V. Papal legates were appointed to represent the Papacy.
What is the Vatican II?
Vatican II. Catholicism portal. v. t. e. The Council of Trent ( Latin: Concilium Tridentinum ), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento, in northern Italy ), was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation.
What was the significance of the decrees on marriage?
In the decrees on marriage (twenty-fourth session) the excellence of the celibate state was reaffirmed, concubinage condemned and the validity of marriage made dependent upon the wedding taking place before a priest and two witnesses , although the lack of a requirement for parental consent ended a debate that had proceeded from the 12th century. In the case of a divorce, the right of the innocent party to marry again was denied so long as the other party was alive, even if the other party had committed adultery. However the council "refused … to assert the necessity or usefulness of clerical celibacy ".
How many members were there at the Council of Nicaea?
The number of attending members in the three periods varied considerably. The council was small to begin with, opening with only about 30 bishops. It increased toward the close, but never reached the number of the First Council of Nicaea (which had 318 members) nor of the First Vatican Council (which numbered 744). The decrees were signed in 1563 by 255 members, the highest attendance of the whole council, including four papal legates, two cardinals, three patriarchs, twenty-five archbishops, and 168 bishops, two-thirds of whom were Italians. The Italian and Spanish prelates were vastly preponderant in power and numbers. At the passage of the most important decrees, not more than sixty prelates were present. Although most Protestants did not attend, ambassadors and theologians of Brandenburg, Württemberg, and Strasbourg attended having been granted an improved safe conduct
What were the consequences of the Council of the Church?
The consequences of the Council were also significant with regard to the Church's liturgy and practices. During its deliberations, the Council made the Vulgate the official example of the Biblical canon and commissioned the creation of a standard version, although this was not achieved until the 1590s.
What was the Council of the Church?
The Council issued condemnations of what it defined to be heresies committed by proponents of Protestantism, and also issued key statements and clarifications of the Church's doctrine and teachings, including scripture, the Biblical canon, sacred tradition, original sin, justification, salvation, the sacraments, the Mass, and the veneration of saints. The Council met for twenty-five sessions between 13 December 1545 and 4 December 1563. Pope Paul III, who convoked the Council, oversaw the first eight sessions (1545–47), while the twelfth to sixteenth sessions (1551–52) were overseen by Pope Julius III and the seventeenth to twenty-fifth sessions (1562–63) by Pope Pius IV .
What are the Decrees and Canons of the Council of Trent?
The Decrees and Canons of the Council of Trent are documents as valuable in a legal and historical, as in a religious point of view. Amid much that is purely Papal in its character, amid many avowed professions of unscriptural superstition, there is still much that is common to Reformed Churches, much that proves that “if there was a good deal of policy in the decisions of the Council of Trent, there was no want also of conscientious sincerity.”#N#[1]#N#To know what Roman Catholicism really is, according to its own best accredited testimony, we must turn to the pages of this council; to try Rome fairly, we must hear her plead her own cause.
Doth it please you to decree and declare?
Doth it please you to decree and declare, that, from the aforesaid and other allegations, it is so plainly and notoriously certain, respecting a disease of the kind stated, that the prelates cannot without danger of their lives remain in this city , and that therefore they cannot and ought not against their wills to be detained therein. And considering also the withdrawal of many prelates since the session last held, and considering the protests made in the general congregations by very many other prelates, wishing by all means to depart hence through fear of the said disease, who cannot justly be detained, and by whose departure the council would either be dissolved, or, from the small number of the prelates, its beneficial progress would be hindered; and, considering also the imminent danger to life, and the other notoriously true and lawful reasons alleged in the said congregations by certain of the fathers; doth it please you, in like manner, to decree and declare, that, for the preservation and prosecution of the said council, and for the safety of the lives of the said pre lates, this council be transferred, for a season, to the city of Bologna, as being a place more ready, healthy, and suitable, and that the translation have effect from this day forth, and that the session, already indicted for the 21st day of April ought to be celebrated, and be celebrated, there, on that appointed day; and that the further matters be proceeded with in order, until it shall seem expedient to our most holy lord and to the sacred council, that the said council may, and ought, to be brought back to this, or to some other place, thereupon taking counsel also with the most invincible emperor, the most Christian king, and with the other Christian kings and princes?
How great care is to be taken, that the sacred and holy sacrifice of the mass be celebrated with all religious service and?
How great care is to be taken, that the sacred and holy sacrifice of the mass be celebrated with all religious service and veneration , each one may easily make an estimate, who considers, that, in holy writ, he is called accursed, who doth the work of God negligently. [348] And if we must needs confess, that no other work can be performed by the faithful so holy and divine as this tremendous mystery itself, wherein that life-giving victim, by which we were reconciled unto God the Father, is daily immolated on the altar by the priests; it is also sufficiently clear, that all industry and diligence is to be applied to this end, that it be performed with the greatest possible inward cleanness and purity of heart, and outward show of devotion and piety. Whereas, therefore, either through the wickedness of the times, or through the carelessness and unworthiness of men, many things already seem to have crept in, which are alien from the dignity of so great a sacrifice; to the end that the honour and worship due thereunto may be restored, unto the glory of God and the edification of the faithful people; the holy synod decrees, that the ordinary bishops of places shall diligently take care, and be bound to prohibit and abolish all those things which either covetousness, which is a serving of idols, [349] or irreverence, which can scarcely be separated from impiety; or superstition, the false imitatress of true piety, have introduced.
What does it mean to be disposed of unto the said justice?
Now they are disposed unto the said justice, when, quickened, and assisted by divine grace, conceiving faith by hearing#N#[99]#N#they are freely moved towards God, believing those things to be true which have been divinely revealed and promised, and this especially , that the impious is justified of God by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;#N#[100]#N#and when, understanding themselves to be sinners, they, through the fear of divine justice, whereby they are profitably agitated by turning themselves to consider the mercy of God, are raised unto hope, trusting that God will be propitious to them for Christ’s sake; and they begin to love Him as the fountain of all justice; and are for that reason moved against sins by a certain hatred and detestation, that is to say, by that penitence#N#[101]#N#which must be performed before baptism: lastly, when they propose to receive baptism, to begin a new life, and to keep the divine commandments. Concerning this disposition it is written, He that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him;#N#[102]#N#and, Be of good cheer, son, thy sins be forgiven thee;#N#[103]#N#and, The fear of the Lord driveth away sin;#N#[104]#N#and, Do penance, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost;#N#[105]#N#and, Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;#N#[106]#N#finally, Prepare your hearts unto the Lord.#N#[107]
How long does it take to receive the rite of consecration?
Those who have been promoted to the greater churches shall receive the rite of consecration within the time ordained by law, and any delays granted beyond the period of six months, shall be of no avail to any one.
Who shall exhibit their dispensations to the Ordinary?
Those who hold several Benefices with Cure [ of Souls] shall exhibit their Dispensations to the Ordinary, who shall provide the Churches with a Vicar, assigning a Suitable Portion of the Fruits.
Which synod thought fit that the things following be ordained?
The same sacred and holy synod, pursuing the subject of Reformation, has thought fit that the things following be ordained.
What was the purpose of the Council of Trent?
After the separation of the Eastern and Western churches in 1054, the holding of councils by the pope became a way to give guidance to the church, both locally and ecumenically (for the entire church), on varying ecclesiastical matters. One of the most significant of these was the Council of Trent, held in the mid-1500s, which considered such weighty matters as the Lutheran Protestant Reformation and how to counter it, disciplinary reforms in the church, the definition of dogma, and ways to establish key tenets of Roman Catholicism. In fact, the growing complexities of the issues at stake grew so voluminous that it took 18 years, spanning the reigns of five popes, for the Council of Trent to actually convene.
How long did it take for the Council of Trent to convene?
In fact, the growing complexities of the issues at stake grew so voluminous that it took 18 years, spanning the reigns of five popes, for the Council of Trent to actually convene. During the Council of Trent, both Scripture and tradition were declared authoritative for the Roman Catholic Church, with tradition just as authoritative as Scripture.
What did Trent attendees say about salvation?
Trent attendees stressed man’s incapacity to save himself, yet confirmed the necessity for the cooperation of his free will , including his resolve to receive baptism and begin a new life. They denied that predestination to salvation can be known with certainty (one rebuttal to this belief is found in Romans 8:28-30 ).
What is the Council of Trent's attack on justification?
For all the talk in Catholicism of “grace,” the Council of Trent’s attack of justification by faith alone results in a theology of works-based righteousness; on some level, sinners must “earn” grace, or the sacraments would be unnecessary.
What does the Eucharist believe about bread and wine?
The council also confirmed the belief in transubstantiation, that the substance of bread and wine given during communion (the “Eucharist”) is changed into the actual body and blood of Christ, while the appearance of bread and wine remains.
What were the decrees of the Council of Trent?
The decrees of the council were shortly afterward (January 26, 1564) ratified by Pius IV, against the wish of the more determined Curialists, while others would have wished him to guard himself by certain restrictions. These were, however, unnecessary, as he reserved to himself the interpretation of doubtful or disputed decrees. This reservation remained absolute as to decrees concerning dogma; for the interpretation of those concerning discipline, Sixtus V afterward appointed a special commission under the name of the “congregation of the Council of Trent.” While the former became _ipso facto_ binding on the entire Church, the decrees on discipline and reformation could not become valid in any particular state till after they had been published in it with the consent of its government. This distinction is of the greatest importance. The doctrinal system of the Church of Rome was now enduringly fixed; the area which the Church had lost she could henceforth only recover if she reconquered it.
Who composed the Council of Trent?
Council of Trent. Public domain image from Wikipedia. A decree followed, composed by the Cardinal of Lorraine and Cardinal Madruccio, solemnly commending the ordinances of the council to the Church and to the princes of Christendom, and remitting any difficulties concerning the execution of the decrees to the Pope, ...
What was the effect of the disciplinary decrees of the Council?
The effect of the disciplinary decrees of the council, though more far-reaching and enduring than has been on all sides acknowledged, was necessarily in the first instance dependent on the reception given to them by the several Catholic powers. The representatives of the Emperor at once signed the whole of the decrees of the council, though only on behalf of his hereditary dominions; and he had his promised reward when, a few months afterward (April), the German bishops were, under certain restrictions, empowered to accord the cup in the eucharist to the laity. But neither the Empire through its diet, nor Hungary, ever accepted the Tridentine decrees, though several of the Catholic estates of the Empire, both spiritual and temporal, individually accepted them with modifications. The example of Ferdinand was followed by several other powers; but in Poland the diet, to which the decrees were twice (1564 and 1578) presented as having been accepted by King Sigismund Augustus, refused to accord its own acceptance, maintaining that the Polish Church, as such, had never been represented at the council.
Which monarchy adopted the same course?
The same course was adopted in the Italian and Flemish dependencies of the Spanish monarchy. The disciplinary decrees of the council, on the whole, fell short in completeness of the doctrinal.
Who wrote the Council of Trent and Counter-Reformation?
This ends our series of passages on The Council of Trent and the Counter-Reformation by Adolphus W. Ward. This blog features short and lengthy pieces on all aspects of our shared past. Here are selections from the great historians who may be forgotten (and whose work have fallen into public domain) as well as links to the most up-to-date developments in the field of history and of course, original material from yours truly, Jack Le Moine. – A little bit of everything historical is here.
Was the Council of Trent a compromise?
Many attempts at reunion by compromise have since been made from the Protestant side, and some of these have perhaps been met half way by the generous wishes of not a few Catholics; but the Council of Trent has doomed all these projects to inevitable sterility. The gain of the Church of Rome from her acquisition at Trent of a clearly and sharply defined “body of doctrine” is not open to dispute, except from a point of view which her doctors have steadily repudiated. And it is difficult to suppose but that, in her conflict with the spirit of criticism which from the first in some measure animated the Protestant Reformation and afterward urged it far beyond its original scope, the Church of Rome must have proved an unequal combatant had not the Council of Trent renewed the foundations of the authority claimed by herself and of that claimed by her head on earth.
Who signed the decrees of the Council?
The representatives of the Emperor at once signed the whole of the decrees of the council, though only on behalf of his hereditary dominions; and he had his promised reward when, a few months afterward (April), the German bishops were, under certain restrictions, empowered to accord the cup in the eucharist to the laity.

Overview
Decrees
The doctrinal acts are as follows: after reaffirming the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (third session), the decree was passed (fourth session) confirming that the deuterocanonical books were on a par with the other books of the canon (against Luther's placement of these books in the Apocrypha of his edition) and coordinating church tradition with the Scriptures as a rule of faith. The Vulgate translation was affirmed to be authoritative for the text of Scripture.
Background information
On 15 March 1517, the Fifth Council of the Lateran closed its activities with a number of reform proposals (on the selection of bishops, taxation, censorship and preaching) but not on the major problems that confronted the Church in Germany and other parts of Europe. A few months later, on 31 October 1517, Martin Luther issued his 95 Theses in Wittenberg.
Occasion, sessions, and attendance
In reply to the Papal bull Exsurge Domine of Pope Leo X (1520), Martin Luther burned the document and appealed for a general council. In 1522 German diets joined in the appeal, with Charles V seconding and pressing for a council as a means of reunifying the Church and settling the Reformation controversies. Pope Clement VII (1523–1534) was vehemently against the idea of a council, agreei…
Objectives and overall results
The main objectives of the council were twofold, although there were other issues that were also discussed:
1. To condemn the principles and doctrines of Protestantism and to clarify the doctrines of the Catholic Church on all disputed points. This had not been done formally since the 1530 Confutatio Augustana. It is true that the emperor intended it to be a strictly general or truly ecumenical cou…
Publication of documents
A comprehensive history is found in Hubert Jedin's The History of the Council of Trent (Geschichte des Konzils von Trient) with about 2500 pages in four volumes: The History of the Council of Trent: The fight for a Council (Vol I, 1951); The History of the Council of Trent: The first Sessions in Trent (1545–1547) (Vol II, 1957); The History of the Council of Trent: Sessions in Bologna 1547–1548 and Trento 1551–1552 (Vol III, 1970, 1998); The History of the Council of Trent: Thir…
Protestant response
Out of 87 books written between 1546 and 1564 attacking the Council of Trent, 41 were written by Pier Paolo Vergerio, a former papal nuncio turned Protestant Reformer. The 1565–73 Examen decretorum Concilii Tridentini (Examination of the Council of Trent) by Martin Chemnitz was the main Lutheran response to the Council of Trent. Making extensive use of scripture and patristic sources, it wa…
See also
• Nicolas Psaume, bishop of Verdun
• Black Propaganda against Portugal and Spain
• Anti-Papalism