The Council Oftrent

The Council ofTrent

Decadesearlier [before theCouncil ofTrent],Luther and otherreformers hadcalled for acouncil to deal with theserious issues facing the Church. By the time theCouncil ofTrentwas convened in1545, Luther had long gone his ownwayand the council thatresulted wasnot going to bring aboutthe sweeping changes in doctrine that he wanted.Nonetheless,this Councilwas a huge event.The bishops gathered there maynothave made the changes thatLuther and otherreformers wanted,but

theydidgivethe clearestand most precisestatements todate aboutmanyCatholic doctrines.This was work enough initself,but the biggestsuccess of the Council layinits completeoverhaul of the way the Church was organizedandrun.

The Council metin three stages over theperiod 1545–1563.Sowhydidittake almost20 years for the Council todoits work?On the one hand,the bishops had too manythings todealwith;on the other, wars werebeing foughtover the veryissues they were discussing,whichmeant that the Council had to disband attimesto avoiddanger.Wecanbreakdownthe Council’s work into three main categories: the authorityof Scripture and Tradition, issues related todoctrinesand sacraments,and organizational reforms.

The Authority of Scripture andTradition

This wasreallyatthe heartofthe disagreements between Protestants andCatholics.The Protestant Reformers held that Scripture was the only true guide forChristian belief.Catholics then and now accept the authorityof Scripture but alsobelieve that early Christian writings, the statementsofpopes and documents from Churchcouncils—collectivelyknown as Tradition—are alsopartofthe divine revelation tohumanity.Inthe face ofthe Protestant declarations to the contrary,Trentaffirmed that the Holy Spirit continues tolead the Church—that revelation did not end withthe finalbook ofthe Bible.

This beliefin the ongoing process ofrevelation had implicationsfor theCatholicposition on who should interpretScripture. Protestants generallysaid that everybeliever could interpret Scripture,although

theyquickly realizedthat this ledtomanydifferent interpretations and muchfragmenting among Christians. The Council saidthat bishops are the ones given authorityover interpretation because they are inthe lineofapostolic succession, which guaranteesthat they maintain thewisdom and knowledge ofthe early Church and of succeeding generations.

Doctrines andSacraments

The ProtestantReformershithard at thesacraments,with Luther and others holding thatonlybaptism and the Eucharistcan beshown from the New Testamenttobe valid.The bishopsatTrentreaffirmed that each of the seven sacraments wasinstituted by Jesus duringhis ministry on earth,and explained the theologybehindeachone in detail.Inaddition,manyProtestantReformershad thrown the tricky issue oftransubstantiationout the window, explainingthat the purpose of the Eucharist wastoserve as a remembranceofChrist’ssacrifice,not areenactmentofit. Trent, however,continued the Catholic understanding that the bread andwineare truly changed intothe bodyand blood of Christ,meaning thatthe Massis a continuationofthe workof Christ.

The Council alsoexplained howCatholicsthink aboutgrace. Luther had becomeconvinced thateven though humansremainsinful,God justifies them because oftheir faith.Trentrejected this,saying that the believer plays arole incooperatingwith God’s grace. God justifies people notonlyon the basis of whattheybelievebut alsoon whattheydo with that belief—their works.This in no wayimplies that belief is unimportant;rather, itis a statement that belief mustresultinactionin order for it to be effective.

Reforms

Herewe findthe mostinnovative part of the Council.The bishopsdecided that reform needed to begin where most people’s pointofcontact withthe Church begins: withthe localparishpriest.Too many priests werepoorlyeducated and did notunderstand the theology that theyweresupposed to teach. The bishopscame up withanovel solution to this problem:the creation ofseminaries. Theword “seminary” comes from the Latinfor “seed”—inseminaries, the seedsofgood priests are planted and grown.BeforeTrent, the education ofpriests had been haphazard;in some places, the ability to speak enough Latintosaythe Masswas allthatwas required. Butnowpriestcandidates would be well trained and thoroughlyexamined,both on theirtheologicalknowledge and on their worthiness to perform suchan importantrole inthe lifeof the Church.

Therewere top-downreformsof the Churchaswell. Church leaderswere made to stop the practicesof simonyand nepotism. Bishopswere required to hold regular synods asawayofdealing withclerical abuses and theological questions, and to spendtime intheir home parishes withthe souls under their care.The teaching authorityof the bishopswasreaffirmed,since theyconnectthe Church’shead (the hierarchy) with its body(the believers), but bishops were reminded that their roleas teachersmeant

thattheyhad tomakesure that the laityknew the faith and stayed inline withit.

The Council alsolaid outguidelinestoensure that peopleviewedrelics and images with theproper reverence,butnot in amagical orsuperstitiousway. As for indulgences,that fireballthat sparked Luther’s protests inthe first place,Trent said that theyreallywere valid,but that the waytheyhad been used attimeswas disgraceful.Theywere for devotional purposes,and the Church should not make moneyon them.

The Council dealt with manyother issues, but youcanseefrom these main points how itworkedto answer the questionsthatProtestants had raised in the minds ofbelievers. Itwas a big successin explaining exactlywhat theChurch taughtaboutChristian faithand Catholic practice,and ithelped bring new lifeinto the Church.On the academic side,Catholics made big leapsinbiblical and theologicalscholarship inthe decadesfollowing theCouncil. Onthe personal side,we see arenewed interest inmoral reform and spiritual growth among people throughout the Church.Inthe lasthalfofthe sixteenth century, more than halfofthe popes weremen who had been involved inthe Council, and theyhelpedkeep its spirit alive and growinginthe Church—abig change from the “Now thatGod has given usthepapacy,letus enjoyit” mentalityofearlier in the century.

Whatthe Council could notdo is heal thedivisions among Christians and bringthem into unityonce again.This was due partly to a fundamentaldividebetween Protestants and Catholics over what

exactlyneeded to be reformed.Protestants thought that the problems in the Churchultimatelystemmed from incorrect theology,while Catholics believed theirtheology to be grounded inGod’s truth and thought reform wasneeded inthe areasofethicsand morality.TheCouncil ofTrent is where itbecame clear thatWesternChristianitywasnot going tobeunifiedagain.

(ThisarticleisexcerptedfromTheCatholicChurch:ABriefPopularHistory,byCynthiaStewart[Winona,MN:Anselm