The Purpose and Accomplishments of the Council of Trent Palmer#10

Thesis: The Council of Trent sought to clearly define Catholic doctrine and reform abuses of the church in order to maintain order and unity in the Catholic Church
Ι. Reaffirmation of Catholic Doctrine
A. Clarified Dogma
1. Central Beliefs
a. Justification by works and faith combined
b. The importance of the seven sacraments
c. Priesthood is a holy and special estate
d. Transubstantiation
e. Scripture and Church tradition as sources of faith
f. Latin as only source for teaching of the Bible
g. No individual interpretation of scripture
h. Celibacy, purgatory, and monasticism upheld
i. Indulgences, Veneration of Saints, and relics and images
approved
ΙΙ. Correcting Abuses
A. Council’s Decrees
1. Drastic change to Monastic orders
a. upheld principle of indulgences but acted against its
abuse
b. Bishops should reside in their dioceses, attend to their
duties and control the clergy in their diocese

c. Pluralism (holding more than one church office suppressed)
2. Education
a. Seminary set up in each diocese for the education of
priests
ΙΙΙ. Accomplishments
A. Catholic Unity Maintained
1. Preserved papacy as center of unity for Catholic Church
2. Catholic doctrine clearly defined
3. Church united (unlike Protestants)
4. Most abuses corrected