Catechism of the Council of Trent for Parish Priests

2021 Reprint of the 1934 Edition. Facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The Council of Trent clarified ambiguities that plagued the early Catholic church through the Middle Ages, including

• The precise number and nature of the sacraments,
• The veneration of saints and relics,
• Purgatory,
• The authority of the pope, and
• The use of indulgences.

The "either/or" doctrines of the Protestant reformers-justification by faith alone, the authority of Scripture alone-were rejected in favor of a "both/and" doctrine of justification by both faith and works on the basis of the authority of both Scripture and tradition. Additionally, the Latin Vulgate Bible was reaffirmed against Protestant insistence upon the original Hebrew and Greek texts of Scripture.

In addition to its impact on Roman Catholic doctrine, the legislation of Trent also reformed the internal life and discipline of the church.

• Providing for the proper education of its future clergy in Catholic seminaries
• Requirements for the clergy, and especially the bishops, give more attention to the task of preaching.
• Financial abuses were brought under control, and
• Strict rules requiring the residency of bishops in their dioceses were established.

The council also established specific prescriptions about the form of the mass and liturgical music.

Contents: Catechism of the Council of Trent -- Appendix I. Definition of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Pius IX -- Appendix II. Definition of the infallibility of the Roman pontiff / Vatican Council [I] -- Appendix III. The inseparability of the contract and sacrament in Christian marriage / from the encyclical of Leo XIII -- Appendix IV. Dispositions for frequent and daily Communion / from the Decree approved by Pius X.