5B - The Council of Trent and French Revolution Flashcards
During the turmoil of the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church responded to the growing call for reforms by convening a council in the city of Trent, Italy, called
the Council of Trent
The purpose of the Council of Trent was not only to address some of the concerns that had led to the Protestant Reformation but also to
clarify and reiterate the Catholic tradition, its organization and rationale. The Council outlined what issues would be discussed by the assembly so that each could be properly considered before being voted upon by the attending bishops and cardinals.
ecall that most of the new Protestant Churches saw no need for an organized clergy of priests, monks, nuns,
Introduction
or bishops; they also believed in the idea of “Justification by grace and faith alone” – that is to say that a person was saved from hell by God’s grace and there was no need for continued good works, confessions of sins, or donations to the Church.
Justification by grace and faith alone”
Finally, most Protestant Churches also held firmly to the idea of “____” – the rejection of non-Biblical traditions, documents, previous historical pronouncements or writings other than the Bible.
Sola Scriptura
Another aspect defined by the Council of Trent was the reaffirmation of the importance of all the traditional Christian sacraments and the doctrines that informed them. Following the Reformation, many new denominations had eliminated the sacraments with the exception of Baptism and the Eucharist, (though the practice of the Eucharist would take on a memorial function in the Protestant faith). To counter this change, the Council emphasized the principles behind Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Penance and Anointing the Sick and the sacrifice present through ______–, or the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, as in the sacrament of the Eucharist
transubstantiation
At the Council, the Catholic Church defined how Christ had instituted each of these sacraments through example, demonstrating that the Church’s continuation of them followed from his authority. Part of this reaffirmation of the sacraments involved a rejection of the Protestant idea of “Justification by grace and faith alone” without the need to perform good works. The definitions and rationales of these two major components of debate between Catholics and Protestants led to the creation of the ______ , which was approved by Pope St. Pius V in 1564. The _______ still serves as an instructional guide to the traditions, organization and rationale of the Catholic faith.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The final aspect clarified by the Council of Trent was the need for
reform at all levels of the Church’s hierarchy. The corrupt
Renaissance popes and illegally-appointed clergy had demonstrated
how much turmoil could happen and so the Council removed
immoral clergy persons and put into place regulations to ensure
proper appointments. Also, entirely new religious orders rose to
prominence at this time to ensure the fulfilment of the decrees made
at the Council of Trent. One of these orders was the _______commonly known as the ______. _________, a former Spanish soldier who had undergone intensive self-reflection following a debilitating accident, founded the Jesuit order.
Society of Jesus, Jesuits, St Ignatious of Loyola
The Council of Trent emphasized the importance of thoroughly educating parish priests and the Jesuits would found many seminaries, or religious schools, whose purpose was not only to teach but to assess the worthiness of individuals interested in entering Holy Orders
seminaries
synods
eetings of bishops who would then submit a report to the pope
fter the mid-16th century, the Council of Trent had a profound impact upon the definition of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy, tradition and rationale. Many of its clarifications, such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and standardized texts, provided a basis for Church practices. Catholics now had a clearer idea about the Church’s stance on various issues and the focus upon virtue served to increase confidence in the Church as a moral institution. Some historians call this period the ______, a time when newly reformed and educated clergy returned to strengthen the Church across Europe and dispute Protestant theology.
Catholic Counter- Reformation
While the Council of Trent effected the vast majority of Catholics in Europe, not every region would uniformly adopt the reforms. For example, the monarchy in France persisted in its disregard for the Catholic Church’s hierarch
For example, in the later 16th century, civil unrest between the Catholic rulers and prominent Protestants led the regent for Charles IX, Catherine de Medici, to order the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of over 2,000 French Protestants, called Huguenots, to prevent an uprising.
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The political upheaval caused by the religious disputes amongst the ruling classes further served to align the Church with the state in the midst of an increasingly impoverished country. While the Middle-Ages were now long over, monarchies across Europe generally aligned themselves with either Protestant or Catholic ideas. This further divided the continent and led to a reinforcement of the Church’s role in upholding the traditional rule of monarchy.
This political and religious alliance would be disastrous for the Church in times of political change. For example, when the French Revolution began in 1789, the Catholic Church stood accused alongside the nobility and royalty as their traditional support system. Though the Church had recognized the need for social reforms including freedom from autocratic or despotic rulers, French clergy
had been part of the French National Assembly (or French Parliament) that had been responsible for the many burdens imposed on the middle and lower classes. The monarchy of France was extravagant and uncaring of the plight of the people and soon became the target for political change through violence
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he Cult of Reason
a generally atheistic philosophical idea that human reason alone was supreme.
The revolutionary mob spread across France and instituted a terror associated with the guillotine and public executions of all those who were not in favour of the new government. Ironically, the whole revolution was finally brought to an end through the military might of a general named ____, who soon crowned himself as a new monarch – Emperor of France!
Napoleon Bonaparte
Throughout it all, the Catholic Church was in a state of shock. For hundreds of years the Church had been in a traditional relationship of authority and power with European monarchs – when the revolutions came and decided to remove that influence, the Church lost lands, clergy, prestige and power. At one point in history, long before the French Revolution, the nation of France was nicknamed, “____- – an example of how close and obedient it was to Catholic policies. This was certainly not the case after the revolution
the handmaiden of the Church”
