Final answer:
The Council of Trent lasted for 18 years, from 1545 to 1563, and was convened in response to the Protestant Reformation. It held 25 sessions and was pivotal in affirming Catholic doctrine and addressing Church abuses during the Counter-Reformation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Council of Trent
The Council of Trent lasted 18 years, from its commencement in 1545 to its conclusion in 1563. It was an essential part of the Counter-Reformation, convened by the Roman Catholic Church as a response to the challenges posed by the Protestant Reformation. The council held 25 sessions in the Northern Italian town of Trent, during which it rejected the Lutheran concept of justification by faith alone and instead reaffirmed the Catholic doctrine of merit through good works and the sacraments. It also asserted the existence of Purgatory, the significance of all seven sacraments, the necessity of religious art, and the authority of scripture alongside the Church's teachings and traditions.
The outcomes of the Council of Trent greatly influenced the practices of the Catholic Church, reaffirming its doctrines, addressing abuses, and promoting religious art while also emphasizing caution to prevent idolatry. These decisions not only shaped the Catholic Church's doctrine but also had significant political and cultural repercussions, intersecting with the ruling Habsburg dynasty and contributing to the Baroque period in art. Overall, the council sought to restore the integrity of the Church and delineate clear Catholic doctrine as a response to the spread of Protestantism.