The Council of Trent
Those who remember the scenes of the world’s bishops seated in serried ranks in St. Peter’s for the Second Vatican Council may be surprised that the Church’s answer to the Reformation, the Council of Trent – giving the now famous word ‘Tridentine’ – was (a) held at Trento in the far north of modern Italy, and not in Rome [Rome was still reeling from being sacked in 1527], (b) so spread out in time, 1545-1563, in various sessions, some held elsewhere, (c) often so sparsely attended [only 4 cardinals and 25 bishops at the first session] and (d) so late in starting after the first challenge of the reformers [the Papacy feared a Council might ‘take over’].
Contrary to what is sometimes thought, the Council did not summarise all Catholic belief, but dealt only with points raised by the reformers. However, with hindsight it could be said that some opportunities were missed. The Council Fathers took fright at Luther’s belief that the priesthood was a service rather than an ‘indelible mark’, and thus could not bring itself to say that it is in fact both. And nothing was said about the laity at all. These things had to wait another 400 years until Vatican II.
Council of Trent in Santa Maria Maggiore church
Nor was anything done about the liturgy, apart from tidying up loose ends. The Mass retained its medieval heavily sacrificial emphasis, and did not recover the other aspects – thanksgiving, community, a meal, unity with all creation – which were such features in the early Church.
To be fair, the study of liturgy was not then even in its infancy as a science in the Church. For the reformers, things were even worse; the liturgy was disembowelled, leaving only a bleeding trunk, the emphasis on the Word. Perhaps it is understandable that the Church decided to leave well alone.
Instead, it was a case of “what we already know”, done with much more discipline and training. Seminary formation was tightened up, Episcopal visitations – by such outstanding figures as St. Charles Borromeo and St. Francis de Sales – restored morale. Confession was rigorously governed. And the remarkable pastoral work of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris showed Counter Reformation spirituality at its best.
In the Papacy, personal austerity became the order of the day, reaching its height in the figure of St. Pius V (+1572). But it was not long before a longing for an uplifting display and grandeur began to reassert itself in Rome – aided by the presence of the remarkable sculptor and architect Bernini. This was also indirectly responsible for what then became a regular feature of priestly life – sometimes wrongly assumed to have existed from the year dot – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. To this we next turn.