page_title: Christianity in the 16th century
section_title: Council of Trent
hierarchical_section_title: Christianity in the 16th century / Counter-Reformation / Council of Trent
caption_attribution_description: Council of Trent in Santa Maria Maggiore church
context_page_description: In 16th-century Christianity, Protestantism came to the forefront and marked a significant change in the Christian world.
context_section_description: The Council of Trent (1545–1563), initiated by Pope Paul III, addressed issues of certain ecclesiastical corruptions such as simony, nepotism, and other abuses, as well as the reassertion of traditional practices and the dogmatic articulation of the traditional doctrines of the Church, such as the episcopal structure, clerical celibacy, the seven Sacraments, transubstantiation (the belief that during mass the consecrated bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ), the veneration of relics, icons, and saints (especially the Blessed Virgin Mary), the necessity of both faith and good works for salvation, the existence of purgatory and the issuance (but not the sale) of indulgences, etc.  In other words, all Protestant doctrinal objections and changes were uncompromisingly rejected.  The council also fostered an interest in education for parish priests to increase pastoral care. Milan's Archbishop Carlo Borromeo set an example by visiting the remotest parishes and instilling high standards. A protracted debate followed the council on whether the teaching of the Church Fathers more closely matched Trent or the Evangelicals.
caption: The Council in Santa Maria Maggiore church; Museo Diocesiano Tridentino, Trento
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