The Council of Trent was the Church’s response to the attack on its teachings by the Reformers. Senior bishops and cardinals from various countries met between 1545 and 1563 in Trento, Italy.
The Council attempted to deal with the Church’s existing problems and to impose discipline:
• Simony, pluralism, nepotism, absenteeism and the sale of indulgences were banned.
• Seminaries were set up in every diocese to train priests.
• Priests were to be celibate and could not marry.
• Strict rules and punishments were introduced for priests who broke these rules.
• It published a list of books that Catholics were forbidden to read (The Index of Prohibited Books).
A painting of the Council of Trent
It also clarifi ed Catholic teachings and defended them against the arguments of Reformers: • Faith and good works were required to get into heaven. • There were seven sacraments. • Mass and the Bible must be in Latin.
• They drew up a single ‘rulebook’ for Catholicism, the Catechism. This was designed to provide people with clear, simple answers to questions about their faith, and also to ensure there was consistency in how Catholicism was taught across Europe.
The Counter-Reformation was largely successful in preventing the further spread of Protestantism – but was unable to reverse it in any of the countries where it had taken hold.
CHECKPOINT!
1. What was the Inquisition and how was it used against the Reformation? 2. How did the Jesuits try to combat the Reformation? 3. What was the Council of Trent? 4. How did it respond to problems and abuses in the Church? 5. What was the Catechism and why was it important?
. I understand the main elements of the Counter-Reformation. TIME TO GO BACK I CAN MOVE FORWARD
Go to page 63–64 of your Sources and Skills Book for exercises on letters from the time. 143
