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In 1545, after all the religious disturbances, Pope Paul
III wanted to strength the Catholic Church and make there believes clearer. So he ordered a church council in the Alphine city of Trent (hence the name, the Council of Trent)with all the bishops and priest to attend. He also invited Protestant representative to have a say in what they believed. Normally the pope feared councils of the church because they threatened his authority, but the overhaul of the beliefs and teachings of the Church were to much for him to handle by himself.



In theses meetings, they discuss the beliefs of the Catholic Church, condemning some people with other ideas such as Luther,they clarity regarding the Church doctrine, the priests got disciplined if they indulgences and above all they decided that the Pope was the leader of the whole church, in disagreement form the protestants.


As far as the doctrine went, the council refused to budge a fraction in the protestant direction. They agreed that the protestant way to salvation was necessary, but they disagreed and said it was sufficient. The council also rejected to the protestant way of how the bible is the sole source of doctrine, with more authority than the Church.


The council provided better discipline within the Catholic church and in better Catholic self-understanding.


The council ran for 18 year but only meet for three meeting - 1545-1547, 1551-1552, 1562-1563. Plague, war , travel problems, illness and political problems all contributed to the ling breaks between sessions and the range of bishops.