Trent An In-Depth Study part 5
The decrees of the council were shortly afterward (January 26, 1564)
ratified by Pius IV, against the wish of the more determined Curialists, while
others would have wished him to guard himself by certain restrictions. These
were, however, unnecessary, as he reserved to himself the interpretation of
doubtful or disputed decrees. This reservation remained absolute as to
decrees concerning dogma; for the interpretation of those concerning
discipline, Sixtus V afterward appointed a special commission under the name
of the "congregation of the Council of Trent." While the former became ipso
facto binding on the entire Church, the decrees on discipline and reformation
could not become valid in any particular state till after they had been
published in it with the consent of its government. This distinction is of the
greatest importance. The doctrinal system of the Church of Rome was now
enduringly fixed; the area which the Church had lost she could henceforth only
recover if she reconquered it.
Many attempts at reunion by compromise have since been made from the
Protestant side, and some of these have perhaps been met half way by the
generous wishes of not a few Catholics; but the Council of Trent has doomed
all these projects to inevitable sterility. The gain of the Church of Rome
from her acquisition at Trent of a clearly and sharply defined "body of
doctrine" is not open to dispute, except from a point of view which her
doctors have steadily repudiated. And it is difficult to suppose but that, in
her conflict with the spirit of criticism which from the first in some measure
animated the Protestant Reformation and afterward urged it far beyond its
original scope, the Church of Rome must have proved an unequal combatant had
not the Council of Trent renewed the foundations of the authority claimed by
herself and of that claimed by her head on earth.
ratified by Pius IV, against the wish of the more determined Curialists, while
others would have wished him to guard himself by certain restrictions. These
were, however, unnecessary, as he reserved to himself the interpretation of
doubtful or disputed decrees. This reservation remained absolute as to
decrees concerning dogma; for the interpretation of those concerning
discipline, Sixtus V afterward appointed a special commission under the name
of the "congregation of the Council of Trent." While the former became ipso
facto binding on the entire Church, the decrees on discipline and reformation
could not become valid in any particular state till after they had been
published in it with the consent of its government. This distinction is of the
greatest importance. The doctrinal system of the Church of Rome was now
enduringly fixed; the area which the Church had lost she could henceforth only
recover if she reconquered it.
Many attempts at reunion by compromise have since been made from the
Protestant side, and some of these have perhaps been met half way by the
generous wishes of not a few Catholics; but the Council of Trent has doomed
all these projects to inevitable sterility. The gain of the Church of Rome
from her acquisition at Trent of a clearly and sharply defined "body of
doctrine" is not open to dispute, except from a point of view which her
doctors have steadily repudiated. And it is difficult to suppose but that, in
her conflict with the spirit of criticism which from the first in some measure
animated the Protestant Reformation and afterward urged it far beyond its
original scope, the Church of Rome must have proved an unequal combatant had
not the Council of Trent renewed the foundations of the authority claimed by
herself and of that claimed by her head on earth.
The effect of the disciplinary decrees of the council, though more
far-reaching and enduring than has been on all sides acknowledged, was
necessarily in the first instance dependent on the reception given to them by
the several Catholic powers. The representatives of the Emperor at once signed
the whole of the decrees of the council, though only on behalf of his
hereditary dominions; and he had his promised reward when, a few months
afterward (April), the German bishops were, under certain restrictions,
empowered to accord the cup in the eucharist to the laity. But neither the
Empire through its diet, nor Hungary, ever accepted the Tridentine decrees,
though several of the Catholic estates of the Empire, both spiritual and
temporal, individually accepted them with modifications. The example of
Ferdinand was followed by several other powers; but in Poland the diet, to
which the decrees were twice (1564 and 1578) presented as having been accepted
by King Sigismund Augustus, refused to accord its own acceptance, maintaining
that the Polish Church, as such, had never been represented at the council.
In Portugal and in the Swiss Catholic cantons the decrees were received
without hesitation, as also by the Seigniory of Venice, whose representatives
at Trent had rarely departed from an attitude of studied moderation, and who
now merely safeguarded the rights of the republic. True to the part recently
played by him, the Cardinal of Lorraine, on his own responsibility, subscribed
to the decrees in the name of the King of France. But the Parliament of Paris
was on the alert, and on his return home the Cardinal had to withdraw in
disgrace to Rheims. Neither the doctrinal decrees of the council nor the
disciplinary, which in part clashed with the customs of the kingdom and the
privileges of the Gallican Church, were ever published in France. The
ambassador of Spain, whose King and prelates had so consistently held out
against the closing of the council, refused his signature till he had received
express instructions. Yet as it was Spain which had hoped and toiled for the
achievement at the council of solid results, so it was here that the decrees
fell on the most grateful soil, when, after considerable deliberation and
delay, their publication at last took place, accompanied by stringent
safeguards as to the rights of the King and the usages of his subjects (1565).
The same course was adopted in the Italian and Flemish dependencies of the
Spanish monarchy.
far-reaching and enduring than has been on all sides acknowledged, was
necessarily in the first instance dependent on the reception given to them by
the several Catholic powers. The representatives of the Emperor at once signed
the whole of the decrees of the council, though only on behalf of his
hereditary dominions; and he had his promised reward when, a few months
afterward (April), the German bishops were, under certain restrictions,
empowered to accord the cup in the eucharist to the laity. But neither the
Empire through its diet, nor Hungary, ever accepted the Tridentine decrees,
though several of the Catholic estates of the Empire, both spiritual and
temporal, individually accepted them with modifications. The example of
Ferdinand was followed by several other powers; but in Poland the diet, to
which the decrees were twice (1564 and 1578) presented as having been accepted
by King Sigismund Augustus, refused to accord its own acceptance, maintaining
that the Polish Church, as such, had never been represented at the council.
In Portugal and in the Swiss Catholic cantons the decrees were received
without hesitation, as also by the Seigniory of Venice, whose representatives
at Trent had rarely departed from an attitude of studied moderation, and who
now merely safeguarded the rights of the republic. True to the part recently
played by him, the Cardinal of Lorraine, on his own responsibility, subscribed
to the decrees in the name of the King of France. But the Parliament of Paris
was on the alert, and on his return home the Cardinal had to withdraw in
disgrace to Rheims. Neither the doctrinal decrees of the council nor the
disciplinary, which in part clashed with the customs of the kingdom and the
privileges of the Gallican Church, were ever published in France. The
ambassador of Spain, whose King and prelates had so consistently held out
against the closing of the council, refused his signature till he had received
express instructions. Yet as it was Spain which had hoped and toiled for the
achievement at the council of solid results, so it was here that the decrees
fell on the most grateful soil, when, after considerable deliberation and
delay, their publication at last took place, accompanied by stringent
safeguards as to the rights of the King and the usages of his subjects (1565).
The same course was adopted in the Italian and Flemish dependencies of the
Spanish monarchy.
The disciplinary decrees of the council, on the whole, fell short in
completeness of the doctrinal. But while they consistently maintained the
papal authority and confirmed its formal pretensions, the episcopal authority,
too, was strengthened by them, not only as against the monastic orders, but in
its own moral foundations. More than this, the whole priesthood, from the
Pope downward, benefited by the warnings that had been administered, by the
sacrifices that had been made, and by the reforms that had been agreed upon.
The Church became more united, less worldly, and more dependent on herself.
These results outlasted the movement known as the Counter-reformation, and
should be ignored by no candid mind.
completeness of the doctrinal. But while they consistently maintained the
papal authority and confirmed its formal pretensions, the episcopal authority,
too, was strengthened by them, not only as against the monastic orders, but in
its own moral foundations. More than this, the whole priesthood, from the
Pope downward, benefited by the warnings that had been administered, by the
sacrifices that had been made, and by the reforms that had been agreed upon.
The Church became more united, less worldly, and more dependent on herself.
These results outlasted the movement known as the Counter-reformation, and
should be ignored by no candid mind.
A project by History World International END
End TRENT And In Depth Study part 5
NEXT SECESSION begins NUMBER ONE
The Council of Trent
The canons and decrees of the sacred
and oecumenical Council of Trent,
Ed. and trans. J. Waterworth (London: Dolman, 1848)
Hanover Historical Texts Project
Scanned by Hanover College students in 1995.
The page numbers of Waterworth's translation appear in brackets.
THE BULL OF INDICTION
OF THE SACRED OECUMENICAL AND GENERAL COUNCIL OF TRENT
UNDER THE SOVEREIGN PONTIFF, PAUL III
OF THE SACRED OECUMENICAL AND GENERAL COUNCIL OF TRENT
UNDER THE SOVEREIGN PONTIFF, PAUL III
PAUL, bishop, servant of the servants of God, for the future memory hereof.
At the beginning of this our pontificate,--which, not for any merits of our own, but of its own great goodness, the providence of Almighty God hath committed unto us,--already perceiving unto what troubled times, and unto how many embarrassments in almost all our affairs, our pastoral solicitude and watchfulness were called; we would fain indeed have remedied the evils wherewith the Christian commonweal had been long afflicted, and well-nigh overwhelmed; but we too, as men compassed with infirmity, felt our strength unequal to take upon us so heavy a burthen. For, whereas we saw that peace was needful to free and preserve the commonweal from the many impending dangers, we found all replete with enmities and dissensions; and, above all, the (two) princes, to whom God has entrusted well-nigh the whole direction of events, at enmity with each other. Whereas we deemed it necessary that there should be one fold and one shepherd, for the Lord's flock in order to maintain the Christian religion in its integrity, and to confirm within us the hope of heavenly things; the unity of the Christian name was rent and well-nigh torn asunder by schisms, dissensions, heresies. Whereas we could have wished to see the commonwealth safe and guarded against the arms and insidious designs of the Infidels, yet, through our transgressions and the guilt of us all,--the wrath of God assuredly hanging over our sins,--Rhodes had been lost; Hungary ravaged; war both by land and sea had been contemplated and planned against Italy, Austria, and Illyria; whilst our impious and ruthless enemy the Turk was never at rest, and looked upon our mutual enmities and dissensions as his fitting opportunity for carrying out his designs with success. Wherefore, having been, as we have said, called upon to guide and govern the bark of Peter, in so great a tempest, and in the midst of so violent an agitation of the waves of heresies, dissensions, and wars; and, not relying sufficiently on our own strength, we, first of all, cast our cares upon the Lord, that He might sustain us, and furnish our soul with firmness and strength, our understanding with prudence and wisdom. Then, recalling to mind that our predecessors, men endowed with admirable wisdom and sanctity, had often, in the extremest perils of the Christian commonweal, had recourse to ecumenical councils and general assemblies of bishops, as the best and most opportune remedy, we also fixed our mind on holding a general council; and having consulted the opinions of those princes whose consent seemed to us to be specially useful and opportune for this our project; when we found them, at that time, not averse from so holy a work, we, as our letters and records attest, indicted an ecumenical council, and a general assembly of those bishops and other Fathers whose duty it is to assist thereat, to be opened at the city of Mantua, on the tenth of the calends of June, in the year 1537 of our Lord's Incarnation, and the third of our pontificate; having an almost assured hope that, when assembled there in the name of the Lord, …. DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS THE DATE FOR THE START WAS CHANGED SEVERL TIMES [PJM]
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