1.5 Renewal. The Council of Trent Flashcards
What were the 3 periods of the Council, under which 3 Popes, and why was it split up?
Trent 1545-63 (18 years, intermittent). Paul III, Julius III, Pius IV.
1st Period (1545-49): Sessions 1-10 (proposals to relocate due to war and plague were opposed by Francis I and Charles V. it ended with the death of Pope Paul III)
2nd Period (1551-1553): Sessions 11-16, under Julius III. The arrival of members of the League of Schmalkalden put them in danger, so they closed.
3rd Period (1562-1563): Sessions 17-25, under Pius IV
Why hadn’t the Church set its planned reforms in motion during the first half of the 16th century?
- It’s fear of conciliarism, associated with the liaising spirit
- The kings (Francis, Henry VIII and Charles V) were at war, and Protestant rulers feared a council could hold their own reforms back.
What 4 problems had Luther pointed out that the Church recognized needed to be reformed?
- inordinate number of benefices
- the abuse of indulgences
- Uneducated priests
- moral and spiritual lethargy
all signified a Church in dire need of reform and renewed religious zeal.
Who were the 2 Popes between Luther’s revolt and Trent, and why didn’t they call a council?
Adrian VI (1522-1523) and Clement VII (1523-1534)
Adrian VI was reform minded, a forerunner of the Catholic Reformation, Dutch (last non-Italian till JPII), bishop in Spain, where there was a Catholic reform. He wanted to win back the Protestants with good example. He was very moral. Died after 1 year.
Clement VII was educated, but indecisive. He had to deal with Henry VIII’s marriage and Lutheranism. wanted to reform the clergy and orders. Tried to call a council, was stuck between infighting between Francis I and Emperor Charles V, both of whom refused to allow their bishops to attend a council outside their control.
What was Paul III like? When was he Pope? What did he do before calling the council?
Pope Paul III became Pope in 1534. He had been a Renaissance Cardinal who loved the arts and parties. He had a late spiritual conversion and was ordained to the priesthood at age 51. He dedicated his life to reforming the Church. Many credit Paul III with the official start of the Catholic revival.
- He appointed exemplary cardinals and bishops to study the problems needing to be addressed,
- approved the Jesuit order and
- excommunicated Henry VIII in 1538 and placed England under interdict.
- He urged the Catholic princes of Germany to unite against their Lutheran counterparts
- managed to convince Charles V and Francis I to call a ten- year truce.
- Capitalizing on the truce as an opportunity for a council, in 1537 he created Consilium de Emendanda Ecclesia, a commission to study and report on needed Church reform. This commission established a blueprint for the upcoming Ecumenical Council of Trent.
What are 6 obstacles to Paul III calling the council, and when did it finally start?
- Many of his closest advisers were against a council, fearing an end to patronage and financial benefits of their position that reform might bring.
- Lutheran reformers wanted acceptance of their theological positions in advance of a council. They wanted to be on equal footing with the bishops present and demanded that only the Gospels be used in the deliberations and pronouncements. When it was clear they would not get their way, the Protestant League of Schmalkalden attempted to disrupt the council.
- Secular rulers were also opposed to a council: Henry VIII had started his own church, France did not want the French Church to lose its independence, and Charles V was afraid his subjects would react badly to a condemnation of Lutheranism.
- The secular princes wanted no dogmatic decrees discussed at the council and argued that only matters of discipline should be addressed (they eventually agreed to both)
- Paul III summoned a council to meet in Mantua in 1537, but Francis I refused to allow any French bishops to attend, and Charles V did not want the location in an Italian city outside his control. Consequently, when the Duke of Mantua could not guarantee the safety of the members, the council disbanded.
- It was finally agreed that the Italian city of Trent, a city under Charles ’s jurisdiction, should host the council. However, war broke out again between Charles V and Francis I and the council was delayed for another three years.
Finally, on December 13, 1545, the Ecumenical Council of Trent opened its first session.
How was Trent structured?
- 3 papal cardinal legates directed the affairs of the council.
- Over sixty bishops and fifty other theologians met to discuss the reform agenda put forward by Paul III’s Consilium of 1537.
- The council met in particular congregations where theologians and laymen discussed the topic of each session.
- Decisions of these congregations would be sent to the general congregation of bishops for their review, final promulgation of each topic occurred at the end of each session.
- All decisions were then sent to the Pope for his final approval.
What 5 topics were dealt with in the First Period of Trent?
- Sacred Scripture
- Original Sin
- Justification
- Sacraments
- Ecclesiastical Reform
What topics were dealt with in the 2nd Period of Trent?
- Details of the 7 Sacraments (continued from 1st)
- discipline of the clergy, benefices
- jurisdiction and supervision of bishops
What topics were dealt with in the 3rd Period of Trent
This had the most reform
- Finished the Sacraments
- veneration of saints and relics, and indulgences
- established the seminary system to educate the clergy
- a new catechism
What 2 conclusions did the 1st session of Trent come to about Scripture, and what didn’t it decide on?
- in matters of Faith and morals, the Sacred Tradition of the Church together with Sacred Scripture are the sources of Catholic belief
- the Latin Vulgate was the authoritative text of Sacred Scripture and the books contained therein is the complete canonical list,
- nothing was decided concerning translations of the Bible into vernacular languages
What 3 things did the 1st Period of Trent say about Original Sin and Justification (in response to Luther)?
- The council discredited the notion that Original Sin destroyed human freedom and man’s ability to cooperate with grace.
- Though it is true that Christ justifies and restores each person’s relationship to God the Father by his death on the Cross, the council declared that Baptism makes people “sons of God” who can freely choose to cooperate with God’s salvific mission.
- Although Faith is a gratuitous gift, good works guided by faith are necessary for salvation.
What did the 1st Period of Trent say about the Sacraments?
There are 7, instituted by Christ. It examined the first two: Baptism and Confirmation in detail.
What Ecclesiastical reforms did the first Period of Trent address?
In matters of reform, the council candidly addressed abuses of clerical benefices and the need to provide better training for the clergy. Pluralism (having charge over more than one diocese), was strictly forbidden, and strict laws were devised for the appointment of bishops and the awarding of benefices.
When was the 2nd Period of Trent and who was Pope?
(1551-1553) under Julius III
