Google Preferred SourcesComments
ForumsShare

This week in Christian history: Henry IV gets absolution after standing barefoot in snow; Pope affirms Council of Trent

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Twitter

Pope Pius IV issues papal bull Benedictus Deus – Jan. 26, 1564

Pope Pius IV (1499-1565), the head of the Roman Catholic Church who championed the Counter-Reformation and reconvened the Council of Trent.
Pope Pius IV (1499-1565), the head of the Roman Catholic Church who championed the Counter-Reformation and reconvened the Council of Trent. | Wikimedia Commons

This week marks the anniversary of when Pope Pius IV issued a papal bull titled "Benedictus Deus" that affirmed the decisions at the Council of Trent, which sought to rebut the Protestant Reformation.

The Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563, issued decrees affirming various teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and rejecting Protestant ideas such as salvation through faith alone.

With the bull, wrote historian William Andrew San Pedro, Pius IV “ratified all the decrees of the council and declared them as binding upon all Catholics under pain of excommunication.”

“Pius continued the council’s mission by producing a catechism to teach the decrees of the council and by beginning the process of codifying the Catholic liturgical books,” San Pedro added.

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Become a CP Insider.
Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

The truth has a cost, and Insiders help carry it.
A dollar from an Insider comes with no strings attached. It keeps our reporters on the story, keeps our journalism open to everyone, and keeps every editorial decision in the newsroom, where it belongs.

Become a CP Insider and choose the amount you want to pay. You can change, pause or cancel anytime. As a thank-you, you’ll get:

  • The Insider Newsletter, a members-only monthly letter from our newsroom

  • Ad-free reading across christianpost.com


From as low as $8.25/month
Prefer to give once?

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles.
Return to homepage.