The Council of Trent and the most important results of his work

XIX Ecumenical Council of Trent 1545-1563 was one of the most important milestones of Catholicism. Most accepted dogmas after half a millennium remain relevant. The High Assembly of the spiritual leaders of the Catholic Church gathered at the height of the Reformation, when the residents of northern Europe, who were dissatisfied with the abuses and luxurious life of the churchmen, refused to recognize the power of the Pope. The Council of Trent and the most important results of his work became the decisive "offensive" on the reformers, marking the milestone of the Counter-Reformation of the 16th century.

Spiritual Prerequisites for Conflict

By the end of the 15th century, the Catholic Church had concentrated many lands in its hands and had accumulated great wealth. In Europe, the church tithe was common - the recovery of a tenth of the profits from the harvest or monetary incomes. The church lived magnificently, at a time when a significant number of believers were poor. This circumstance undermined the foundations of faith, the authority of the church. In addition, the Roman popes widely launched trade in indulgences - special certificates "for the remission of sins." For a certain amount of a person's indulgence, regardless of the severity of the offenses, they were released from any sin. This sale caused discontent among believers. The center of the Reformation was Germany, which at that time was fragmented and resembled a "patchwork quilt". On such an unfavorable background, it was decided to convene the Council of Trent.

Humanism inflicted significant damage on the authority of the Catholic Church . His leader was Erasmus of Rotterdam. In the pamphlet "Praise of Nonsense," the humanist sharply condemned the shortcomings and ignorance of churchmen. Another figure of German humanism was Ulrich von Gutten, who considered papal Rome an opponent of German unification. It must be added that the irritation of believers was caused by the fact that the language of the service was Latin, which ordinary parishioners did not understand.

Reformation

The Reformation became a global challenge to the foundations of the Catholic Church. For the most part, it was against the Reformation that the decisions of the Council of Trent were sent. The initial idea was to hold a joint meeting of the Council chaired by the Pope and the leaders of the Reformation. However, the dialogue, rather, the scholastic dispute did not happen.

October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed in Wittenberg to the doors of his church "95 theses", sharply condemning the trade of indulgences. In a short time, tens of thousands of people became supporters of Luther's ideas. In 1520 the Pope issued a bull about the excommunication of a monk from the church. Luther burned it publicly, which meant a final break with Rome. Martin Luther did not object to the church, he wanted it to become easier. The postulates of the reformers were understandable to everyone:

• Priests could marry, wear ordinary clothes, must obey the laws common to all.
• The Lutheran Church refused icons and sculptural images of Christ and the Mother of God.
• The Bible is the only source of Christian faith.

The origin of Protestantism

Emperor Charles V decided to intervene. In 1521, Luther arrived at the Reichstag in the town of Worms. There he was offered to renounce his views, but Luther declined. Outraged, the emperor left the meeting. On the way home, Luther was attacked, but the Saxon Elector Frederick the Wise saved him by hiding him in his castle. The absence of Martin Luther did not stop the Reformation.

In 1529, Emperor Charles V of apostates demanded the observance of exclusively Catholic worship in the territory of the Holy Roman Empire (in fact - Germany). But 5 principalities with the support of 14 cities expressed their protest. From that moment on, the Catholics began to call Protestants supporters of the Reformation Protestants.

The attack on the Reformation

For all its long history, the Catholic Church did not know such a deep upheaval that the Reformation was for it. With the support of the rulers of the Catholic countries, the papal Rome began an active struggle against the "Protestant heresy". The system of measures aimed at stopping and eradicating reformist ideas and movements was called Counter-Reformation. The trigger of these events was the Council of Trent in 1545.

The beginning of the offensive against the Reformation was marked by the revival of the medieval Inquisition, in the centers of which hundreds of "Protestant heretics" were killed. Inquisitors took control of book publishing. Without their permission, it was impossible to print a single work, and "harmful" literature was added to a special "index of forbidden books" and was to be burned.

Catholic Reform

The Reformation split the Catholic world in half, but in the middle of the sixteenth century the Europeans hoped that the situation could still be remedied. It is only necessary that in order to find reconciliation, both sides make a step towards each other. This was thought not only of ordinary believers, but also of cardinals and bishops. From their midst, the voices of those who called upon the holy throne to reform the church sounded ever more insistently.

The Roman popes hesitated for a long time before agreeing to change. Finally, in 1545 Pope Paul III convened the Ecumenical Council. The place of the Council of Trent is related to the city of Trento (Italy). He passed with interruptions until 1563, that is, as many as 18 years.

Victory of the reformers of the Catholic Church

From the very beginning, the members of the cathedral split into two groups - supporters of the Catholic reform and its opponents. In the fierce discussions, the latter won. Under their pressure, the main decisions of the Council of Trent were adopted, which consolidated the position of the Catholic faith for centuries.

Papacy had to cancel the sale of indulgences, and to ensure the future of the Catholic Church to create a network of theological seminaries. Within their walls, Catholic priests of a new type should be trained, who were not inferior to the Protestant preachers by their education.

Trident Cathedral: its implications and consequences

The cathedral became the answer of Catholicism to Protestantism. He was called by Pope Paul III in 1542, but because of the Franco-German war, the first meeting took place only in 1945. The cathedral was held by three popes. Altogether there were 25 meetings, but only in 13 sessions were crucial decisions made concerning faith, customs or disciplinary rules.

The Council of Trent is one of the most significant in the history of the Catholic Church. The dogmas adopted at the meetings concern a number of fundamental questions. For example, the sources of faith were determined, the canon of the books of Holy Scripture was approved. At the Council, separate dogmas were discussed, which the Protestants rejected. Based on the discussions, the attitude towards indulgences was revised.

Questions of the sacrament of baptism and chrismation, of Eurasianism and repentance, of the sacrament, of the sacrifice of St. Liturgy, matrimony. This dogmatic series was completed by the decision on purgatory, on the veneration of the saints and so on.

Pope Pius IX approved the conciliar decrees of 1564. After his death, the Pope St. Pius V issued a catechism confirmed by the Council, an updated trebnik and an updated service book.

Trident Cathedral: the main decisions

• The inviolability of the church hierarchy, mass and confession.
• Preservation of the seven sacraments, the worship of holy icons.
• Confirmation of the mediating role of the church and the supreme authority of the Pope within it.

The Council of Trent has laid the foundation for the renewal of Catholicism and the strengthening of church discipline. He showed that the break with Protestantism became final.

The teaching of the Council of Trent on the Eucharist

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) dealt with the question of the Eucharist throughout its duration. Three important decrees were adopted by him

• "Decree on the Holy Eucharist" (1551).
• "Decree on the Communion of Two Kinds and Communion of Little Children" (16.VII.1562).
• "Decree on the Blessed Sacrifice of the Holy Mass" (17. Х.1562).

The Trident Council, first of all, protects the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the way that this presence appears under the images of wine and bread during the consecration - "transubstantiatio". Of course, this was a general explanation of the method, because around the detailed explanation of exactly how this "transubstantiatio" is going on, there have been arguments among theologians.

Previously it was assumed that Christ is present in the Eucharist after the Liturgy, if the sanctified Body and Blood remain. The Council of Trent confirmed this. Also, a significant identity was confirmed between the sacrifice of the Holy Service and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

After the Council of Trent, theologians again concentrated on the narrow vision of the Eucharist: in the presence of Christ and on the sacrificial character of the Mass. This approach convinced the Protestants to be right. Especially much was said about the sacrifice of the Mass, and although it was never denied that this was the only sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the excessive accentuation of the Service's sacrifice in itself could give the impression that this victim was cut off from that historical one. In addition, the excessive emphasis that the priest during the service of the Eucharist is the "second Christ", significantly reduced the role of a loyal people during the Liturgy.

Conclusion

For the most part, the doctrines adopted by the Council of Trent have been preserved unchanged to the present day. The Catholic Church lives according to the laws adopted 500 years ago. This is why the Trident Council is considered by many to be the most important since the separation of the single church into Catholic and Protestant.