History & Civics

What was the role of the Council of Trent in Counter Reformation?

Reformation

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Answer

Convened by Pope Paul III in 1545, the Council of Trent played a central role in the Counter-Reformation by modernising the Catholic Church and restoring its credibility.

Its key actions included:

  1. Doctrinal Authority: Reaffirmed the Pope as the head of the Church and final interpreter of doctrine, while banning anti-Catholic books.
  2. Clergy Reforms: Condemned irresponsible lifestyles among priests, banned fees for religious services, and created seminaries to properly educate and train clergy.
  3. Public Outreach: Updated Church teachings to match changing times and advocated using local languages, rather than just Latin, for preaching.

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