The Council of Trent, 1545
Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga Presiding at the Council of Trent, painting by Elia Naurizio (1589-1657).
By Milan Gregory Perera, 3rd Year English
The Council of Trent was perhaps one of the most important events in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, which shaped its direction for at least the next 300 years. It was triggered by both the necessity and desire for far-reaching reforms. It was the nineteenth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church that was held in three parts from 1545 to 1563.
Before we elaborate on the decisions set in motion as a result of the Council of Trent, it is of paramount importance to look into the backdrop that led to this all-important ecumenical council.
On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg, circulated his 95 Theses—95 statements critiquing what he saw as the abuse of power by the Church. It is also important to stress that, at that point, Luther had no intention of tearing down the Church or starting his own religion. In reality, it was both a cogent and valid critique of the Church, which even Catholic humanists like Sir Thomas More and Desiderius Erasmus echoed on various occasions. With the excommunication of Luther, it was evident where things were heading.
As a result of the Protestant Reformation, which had been gathering momentum, unified Catholic Europe was rent asunder. Strong national identities began to be forged, and bitter rivalries ensued among nations which dawned the Age of Exploration, where empires were built and fortunes were made. Catholic Church had lost its unique position as the singular paternalistic entity which influenced and shaped all aspects of life in Europe. In truth, the Council of Trent was the Church’s desperate attempt to counter the advances of Reformation and Secular Humanism, which cast their spell on Europe.
The eminent prelates and theologians of the Catholic Church convened at Trent (Trento) in northern Italy between 1545 to 1563 for some twenty-five sessions presided by three Roman Pontiffs: Paul III, Julius III and Pius IV. The objectives of the Council were threefold: to provide a robust refutation of the Protestant claims on Catholic doctrine, to clearly define hitherto nebulous aspects of theology and crystallise them into dogmas and finally, a much-needed renewal and rejuvenation of worship and liturgy.
The necessity to address the ongoing clerical abuse of power, laxity in spirituality, rampant cronyism and the lack of a coherent synthesis of beliefs have been a constant irritation for many prelates who were apprehensive of the Church’s trajectory. The Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) was founded in this pervasive atmosphere just before the ecumenical council (in 1540 under the auspices of Pope Paul III). The objectives of the Society of Jesus resonated with that of the Council of Trent. Consequently, the Council of Trent was the favourable wind the Jesuits were hoping and praying for in order to steer the vessel of the Church from shipwrecking.
The Jesuits were led by apostolic zeal coupled with a strong missionary ambition in order to take the freshly-structured and freshly-packaged brand of Roman Catholicism to far-flung places, such as Japan and the Americas, in the following century. Jesuits did not simply proselytise but laid foundations for the newly introduced faith to flourish and take root. For example, as champion educators, Jesuits laid the blueprint for missionary education which was later adopted by other Christian denominations and non-Christian groups. The Jesuits built a large number of places of worship in distant outposts and placed a strong emphasis on the catechism, where any ambiguity regarding the tenants of faith is laid to rest. In the long run, this caused an irreversible stagnation of Church teachings which effectively curbed an active discussion of articles of faith in the face of evolving socio-political zeitgeist.
The Council proclaimed the Nicene Creed as the basis of the Catholic faith, fixed the canon of the Old and New Testaments, set the number of sacraments at seven, and defined the nature and consequences of original sin. It ruled against Martin Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith alone. It also confirmed the doctrine of transubstantiation (the dogma which states that the bread and wine in the Eucharist celebration turn into the body and blood of Christ) and issued decrees on episcopal jurisdiction and clerical discipline. It further defined the mass as a true sacrifice and issued statements on several other doctrinal issues.
Some of the major proponents of the intentions of the Council of Trent were Charles Borromeo, Francis de Sales and Philip Neri. The former was the nephew of Angelo de Medici (the future Pius IV), who genuinely sought to instil discipline, piety and application to monastic orders, which were becoming habitations of rich patrons who needed some respite.
By the end of the 16th century, many of the abuses that had motivated the Protestant Reformation had disappeared, and there was a brief period of stability which seemed to have stemmed the tsunami of Protestant Reformation, but this resurgence proved to be temporal as Europe was under the overarching influence of secular humanism loosely termed as the Enlightenment.