TRENT, COUNCIL OF, the most celebrated of the assemblies regarded by the Roman Catholic church as ecumenical or general, and the great repository of all the doctrinal judgments of that communion on the chief points at issue with the reformers of the 16th century. Very early in his conflict with pope Leo X., Luther had appealed from the pope to a general council; and after the failure of the first attempts at an adjustment of the controversies, a general desire grew up in the church for the convocation of a gene ral council, in which the true sense of the church upon the controversies which had been raised might be finally and decretorially settled. Another, and, to many, a still more pressing motive for desiring a council, was the wish to bring about the reform of the alleged abuses as well of the court of Rome as of the domestic discipline and govern ment of local churches, to which the movement of the reformers was in part at least ascribed. But the measures for convoking a council were long delayed, owing partly, i it has been alleged, to the intrigues of the party who were interested in the main tenance of those profitable abuses, and especially of the officials of the Roman court. including the cardinals, and even the popes themselves ; but partly also to the jealousies, and even the actual conflicts, which took place between Charles V. and the king of France, whose joint action was absolutely indispensable to the success of any ecclesias tical assembly. It was not till the pontificate of Paul III. (1534-19) that the design assumed a practical character. One of the great difficulties regarded the place of meet ing. In these discussions much time was lost; and, without entering into detail, it will suffice to say that the assembly did not actually meet till Dec. 13, 1545, when 4 arch bishops, 22 bishops, 5 generals of orders, and the representatives of the emperor and the king of the Romans, assembled jit Trent, a city of the Tyrol. The number of prelates afterward increased. The pope was represented by three legates, who presided in his name—cardinals del Monte, Cervino, and Pole. The first three sessions were devoted to preliminaries. It was not till the fourth session (April, 1546) that the really important work of the council began. It was decided, after much disputation, that the doctrinal questions and the questions of reformation should both be proceeded with simultaneously. Accordingly, the discussions on both subjects were continued through the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sessions, in all which matters of great moment were decided; when a division between the pope and the emperor, who, by the victory of Mfililberg, had become all powerful in the empire, made the former desirous to transfer the council to some place beyond the reach of Charles's arbitrary dictation. The appearance of the
plague at Trent furnished a ground for removal, and in the eighth session a decree was passed (Mar. 11, 1547) transferring the council to Bologna.
This translation was opposed by the bishops who were in the imperial interest, and the division which ensued had the effect of suspending all practical action. Meanwhile, Paul III. died. Julius III., who had, as cardinal del Monte, presided as legate in the council, took measures for its resumption at Trent, where it again assembled May 1, 1551. The sessions 9 to 12, held partly at Bologna, partly at Trent, were spent in dis cussions regarding the suspension and removal; but in the 13th session the real work of the assembly was renewed, and was continued, slowly, but with great care, till the 16th session, when, on account of the apprehended insecurity of Trent, the passes of the Tyrol having fallen into the hands of Maurice of Saxony, the sittings were again sus pended for two years.
But the suspension was destined to continue for no less than nine years. Julius III. died in 1555, and was followed rapidly to the grave by his successor (who had also been his fellow-legate in the council as cardinal Cervino), Marcellus II. The pontificate of Paul IV. (1555-59) was a very troubled one, as well on account of internal difficulties as owing to the abdication of Charles V.; nor was it till the accession of Pius IV. (1559-65) that the fathers were again brought together to the number of 102, presidency of cardinal Gonzaga, re-opening their deliberations with the 17th session. All the succeeding sessions were devoted to matters of the highest importance—communion under one kind; the sacrifice of the mass; the sacrament of orders, and the nature .and origin of the grades of the hierarchy; marriage, and the many questions connected therewith. These grave discussions occupied the sessions 17 to 24, and lasted till Nov. 11, 1563. Much anxiety was expressed on the part of many bishops to draw the council to a conclusion, in order-that they might be enabled to return to their sees in a time so critical; and accordingly, as the preliminary discussions regarding most of the remain ing questions had already taken place, decrees were prepared in special congregations comprising almost all the remaining sunjects of controversy, as purgatory, invocation of saints, images, relics, and indulgences. Several other matters, rather of detail than of doctrinal principle, were referred to the pope, to he by him examined and arranged; and on the 3d and 4th of Dec., 1563, these important decrees were finally read, approved, and subscribed by the members of the assembly, consisting of 4 cardinal legates, 2 other cardinals, 25 archbishops, 168 bishops, 7 abbots, 7 generals of orders, and 39 proxies of bishops—making in all 252.