COMPARISON OF CATHOLICISM AFTER TRENT AND PROTESTANTISM

A COMPARISON OF CATHOLICISM AFTER THE COUNCIL OF TRENT AND PROTESTANTISM (16TH CENTURY)

CATHOLICISM	PROTESTANISM
Salvation attained through faith and good works.	Salvation attained through faith alone. Men without grace cannot do good works
Authority rests on scripture as well as tradition. Pope and church tradition define dogma.	Authority rests on scripture alone [and faith] alone.
Pope holds an authority which is supreme and absolute within the church.	The conscience of the individual is the highest authority.
There are seven sacraments, including confession and penance.	There are only two sacraments: baptism and eucharist.
During Mass, priests perform the miracle of transubstantion. Whereby the waifer and the wine become the blood and the body of Christ	Consubstantion. Nor the blood nor the body of Christ are present in the Mass.
Priests are above the laity and are believed to be endowed with supernatural powers.	There is a "priesthood of believers." Priests and pastors are equal to the the laity in all respects.
Priests must remain celibate.	Pastors may marry.
Monasticism and nuns.	No monks or nuns.
Language of the church is latin.	Vernacular becomes the language of the liturgy.
Relics and saints are worshipped. Pilgrimages are encouraged. Maryan cult is quite prominent.	These are done away with.
If one has not sinned excessively, one must go through purgatory to be cleansed of sin after death. Time in Purgatory may be shortened by prayer, good deeds, and the purchase of indulgances.	Existance of Purgatory is denied.

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) redefined Catholic doctrine in the face of the Protestant Reformation. It emphasized traditional Catholic doctrine rather than make concessions to the Protestants. The Protestants, especially, Luther and Calvin had returned to the theology of St. Paul and St. Augustine, whereas the Catholic Church had accepted the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.

CATHOLICISM PROTESTANISM

Salvation attained through faith and good works. Salvation attained through faith alone. Men without grace cannot do good works

Authority rests on scripture as well as tradition. Pope and church tradition define dogma. Authority rests on scripture alone [and faith] alone.

Pope holds an authority which is supreme and absolute within the church. The conscience of the individual is the highest authority.

There are seven sacraments, including confession and penance. There are only two sacraments: baptism and eucharist.

During Mass, priests perform the miracle of transubstantion. Whereby the waifer and the wine become the blood and the body of Christ Consubstantion. Nor the blood nor the body of Christ are present in the Mass.

Priests are above the laity and are believed to be endowed with supernatural powers. There is a "priesthood of believers." Priests and pastors are equal to the the laity in all respects.

Priests must remain celibate. Pastors may marry.

Monasticism and nuns. No monks or nuns.

Language of the church is latin. Vernacular becomes the language of the liturgy.

Relics and saints are worshipped. Pilgrimages are encouraged. Maryan cult is quite prominent. These are done away with.

If one has not sinned excessively, one must go through purgatory to be cleansed of sin after death. Time in Purgatory may be shortened by prayer, good deeds, and the purchase of indulgances. Existance of Purgatory is denied.

The Catholic Counter-reformation tried to suppress Protestantism through the usage of:

Jesuits (1540),
the Roman Inquisition (1542),
the Index of Forbidden books for the laity to read.

This was the CHURCH MILITANT! Philip II of Spain would lead a Crusade within Europe. He would attempt to eradicate Protestantism. There was a missionary fervor.

The Catholic Reformation put some reforms into practice:

the reform of the monasteries
the creation seminaries in each diocese to educate the priests
the suppresion of plurality of benefices and non-residence of bishops
the founding of new religious orders
the elimination of some of the worst abuses of Indulgences
the purification and raising of disciplinary standards for monks and clergy

Back to Class Notes & Learning Aids Back to Edelstein's Home Back to Faculty list. NEXT