Unit 2 study Guide - The Counter-Reformation -The Council of Trent (1545–1563)

Question 1

What did they reaffirm?

Answer 1

The hierarchy and power of the papacy.

Question 2

What was the Vulgate? When was it made the official bible?

Answer 2

In 1546, the Council of Trent decided that the Vulgate (the Latin version of the Bible) would be the only official Latin Bible for the Catholic Church.

Question 3

Who’s education did they improve?

Answer 3

Improved education for Catholic clergy.

Question 4

What did they ban?

Answer 4

Banned pluralism, simony, and absenteeism; stopped the sale of indulgences.

Question 5

Created index of Prohibited books. What some books/authors in the established the Index of Prohibited Books

Answer 5

1. Martin Luther’s Works
   The Ninety-Five Theses (1517)
   On the Freedom of a Christian (1520)
   Luther’s writings were central to the Protestant Reformation and were considered heretical by the Catholic Church. The Council of Trent specifically condemned Luther’s ideas.
2. John Calvin’s Works
   Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536)
   Calvin’s ideas on predestination and his rejection of Catholic doctrine made his works a target for the Catholic Church. His writings helped spread Reformed Protestantism.
3. Other Protestant Reformers’ Writings
   Works by other prominent Reformers, such as Ulrich Zwingli, John Knox, and Theodore Beza, were also included.
4. The Bible in Vernacular Languages (Translation)
   Translations of the Bible into vernacular languages (such as the German and English translations of the Bible) were also included in the Index, as the Catholic Church believed that only the Latin Vulgate should be used by the faithful.
5. Humanist Texts (Critical of the Church)
   Some works by Erasmus of Rotterdam, who was a leading humanist scholar, were included because his writings sometimes critiqued the Church and supported reforms that were seen as aligned with Protestant ideas.
6. Books by Catholic Reformers (If Too Radical)
   Even some works by Catholic scholars who wanted to reform the Church but remained loyal to Catholic doctrine could be banned if their ideas were too radical or close to Protestantism. For example, Erasmus’s “On Free Will” was at times considered problematic.

Question 6

What did they do to combat heresy?

Answer 6

Extended the Inquisition to combat heresy.

Question 7

What did they empower the Jesuits to do?

Answer 7

Empowered the Jesuits to extend Catholicism and fight Protestant expansion.

Question 8

What was the purpose of the Council of Trent?

Answer 8

To address and respond to Protestant challenges to the Catholic Church.