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 The Council Of Trent Religion EssaySource: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/religion/the-council-of-trent-religion-essay.php:

 Throughout the early 1500s many Europeans sought to reform thestructure and traditions of the atholic hurch. !iots and protestsgradually spread to "arious parts of Europe causing many authoritiesincluding the atholic hurch to panic. The ouncil of Trent was calledin 15#5 $y %ope %aul &&& to respond to these concerns and to the%rotestant !e"olt. &t included an ecumenical council made up of all of the $ishops of the atholic hurch' which discussed the "ariousconcerns presented. This document analysis will not analy(e Theanons and )ecrees of the ouncil of Trent in its entirety. This analysiswill focus upon the fourth session written in 15#*' and the twenty-thirdsession' including the oration deli"ered in the last session in 155+

through 15*,. The ouncil was a means to reinforce the authority of the papacy and to ght $ack against the rise of %rotestantism. Theanons and )ecrees of the ouncil of Trent increased papal authority'as it was intended as a warning for all other forms of hristianity thatthe authority and legitimacy of the atholic hurch was not to $euestioned or threatened. The ouncil of Trent was "ital in theconsolidation of papal power.

 The ouncil of Trent gi"es us insight into the power of the atholichurch in the mid 1500s. lthough its num$ers had $een dwindling'the atholic hurch had the a$ility ght $ack in force. e can assume

$y the authoritati"e language of the ouncil of Trent that the atholichurch greatly feared the growing strength of the protestantmo"ement throughout Europe. The power of the church is e"ident $ythe aggressi"e language in the document such as no one dare orpresume under any prete2t whatsoe"er to re3ect it and $y authoritiesdescri$ing those who do not follow the canons as an anathema. nanathema in essence means condemning someone to hell. E"en afterthe charges $y reformists such as 4uther and al"in' the atholichurch still had the inuence to directly threaten and condemn%rotestantism. The ouncil of Trent legitimi(es under atholic law'papal authority to do whate"er necessary to pre"ent the spread of 

%rotestantism and $ring former atholics $ack to the church innumerous ways.6irst' The ouncil of Trent increased papal authority $y passing adecree concerning the pu$lication of sacred $ooks. The ouncil statesthat canonical $ooks 7the 8i$le9 should $e printed in its entirety asthey are in the ulgate edition. The ouncil states that &f any onerecei"e not' as sacred and canonical' the said $ooks entire with alltheir parts' as they ha"e $een used to $e read in the atholic hurch'

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and $ishops. Aoreo"er the ouncil enforces the legitimacy of their$ishops who are chosen $y the !oman ponti. &f anyone says that the$ishops who are chosen $y the authority of the !oman ponti are nottrue and legitimate $ishops' $ut merely human deception' let him $eanathema. gain' this is an indication that the ouncil of Trent was a

direct refutation of the growing protestant rituals which $roke withatholic tradition.6inally' The ouncil of Trent rmly placed the authority in the hands of the papacy to declare that only those who are known for their "irtues'not for their own am$ition' who will ser"e the interests of the people'not their own' and who desire to $e useful rather then in"ested withauthority' will $e chosen for the discharge of ecclesiastical oDces. This decree ga"e the church the authority to e2pel those who did notli"e up to the standards of the atholic hurch. This in an indicationthat the atholic hurch $elie"ed that it needed to reform itself insomeway to con"ince the masses that they were taking steps to stamp

out corruption.&t could also $e $enecial to consider to impact of the ouncil of Trenton the authority of princes and other secular rulers. The ouncildeemed it proper that secular princes also $e admonished of theirduty? $eing condent that as atholics whom Bod has willed to $eprotectors of the holy faith and church. The ouncil of Trent ga"eprinces the opportunity to potentially use the authority of the church tosuppress supporters of the reformation. This is an indication that thehurch was willing to work with princes to ensure the sur"i"al of atholicism and the destruction of %rotestantism. The anons and )ecrees of the ouncil of Trent is clearly a $iased

document and does not gi"e us the opposing opinions of the%rotestants throughout Europe. 6urthermore' this document does notattempt to understand' or reconcile the grie"ances of the %rotestants. Thus it makes no attempt to legitimi(e the criticism of the atholichurch $y %rotestants' $ut to criminali(e their criticism. &t is written $yan ecumenical council to legitimi(e in writing' their prosecution of whatthey deem to $e $lasphemy. >owe"er' we can assume that numerouspeople throughout Europe still "alued the opinion of the atholichurch. ith the proclamation of the ouncil of Trent' atholics sawtheir church take action against the rising power of %rotestantism' andit would $e safe to imagine that their fears would diminish following

the pu$lication of the ouncil of Trent. &t is apparent throughout thedocument' that the ouncil of Trent centrali(es the decision makingprocess of the atholic hurch and its a$ility to persecute indi"idualswho contradicted their strict interpretation of the hristian faith. &t ise"ident after carefully analy(ing the te2t that The anons and )ecreesof the ouncil of Trent increased papal authority' as it was intended asa warning for all other forms of hristianity that the authority andlegitimacy of the atholic hurch was not to $e uestioned or

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threatened.