Council of Trent

Ecumenical council of the Catholic Church held at Trent from 1545 to 1563. Its Session IV decrees on canonical Scripture and the Vulgate are reproduced in full in the Preliminares. The Council declared the Vulgate authentic for public readings, disputations, sermons, and expositions, and decreed that sacred books not be printed without ecclesiastical approval.

Works

• Decrees of the Council of Trent, Session IV
• Decrees of the Council of Trent, Session V

Preliminaries

• DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (SESSION IV). — Header for the reproduced decrees

  "DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (SESSION IV)."

• DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (SESSION IV). — The Council described as lawfully assembled in the Holy Spirit

  "The sacred, œcumenical and general Council of Trent, lawfully assembled in the Holy Spirit, with the three legates of the Apostolic See presiding over it"

• DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (SESSION IV). — Decree of anathema against those who reject canonical books

  "if anyone does not receive the said books entire with all their parts... let him be anathema"

• DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (SESSION IV). — Decree on the Vulgate edition as authentic

  "ordains and declares that the said old and Vulgate edition... be held as authentic in public readings, disputations, sermons and expositions"

• DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (SESSION IV). — Decree regulating printing of sacred books

  "penalty of anathema and the fine imposed in the canon of the most recent Lateran Council"

• PREFACE TO THE READER (1) — The Tridentine Synod declared the Vulgate authentic

  "Among the many and great benefits which God has bestowed upon His Church through the sacred Tridentine Synod"

• PREFACE TO THE READER (1) — The Synod decreed the Vulgate be printed as correctly as possible

  "the same most holy Synod of Trent wisely added by its decree"

• PREFACE TO THE READER (1) — The Council's intent to restore, not create a new edition

  "it was not the intention of the sacred congregation... to produce some new edition... but rather to restore the Old and Vulgate Latin edition itself"

Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture

• Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture — The Council begins the reform of the Church from Sacred Scripture and prescribes that the reading of Sacred Scripture be restored everywhere

  "the holy Council of Trent begins the reform of the Church from Sacred Scripture, and in its entire first decree On Reform, prescribes as carefully as it does at length that the reading of Sacred Scripture be either established or restored everywhere"

• Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture — Reference to the most weighty decrees of the Councils, especially the Council of Trent, against twisting Scripture

  "against the most weighty decrees of the holy Fathers, the Canons, the Councils, and especially the Council of Trent"

• Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers — Session V of the Tridentine Synod decreed and sanctioned regarding the reading of sacred Scripture

  "the Tridentine Synod took care, lest that custom should waver anywhere, so that in Session V it would thoroughly decree and sanction regarding the reading of sacred Scripture"

• Chapter V: On the Dispositions Required for This Study — The Council of Trent at the beginning of Session II commands reading of divine Scriptures at bishops' tables

  "the Council of Trent at the very beginning of Session II commands that the reading of divine Scriptures be mixed in at the tables of bishops"

• Chapter V: On the Dispositions Required for This Study — Cardinal Hosius as president of the Council of Trent; Andreas Dudecius as legate of Hungarian clergy at the Council

  "Cardinal Hosius, president of the Council of Trent"

• The Author's Method (paragraph 48) — Lapide states the Vulgate must be defended by decree of the Council of Trent

  "I have always held that the Vulgate edition must be defended, by decree of the Council of Trent"

• Arguments for the Old Testament — The Church in the Council of Trent commands perpetual reading of Sacred Scripture everywhere

  "She, in the Council of Trent, in the entire first chapter On Reform, commands that the perpetual reading of Sacred Scripture be everywhere restored and established"

Related

• Apostolic See
• Trent