Pope Paul III

Pope from 1534 to 1549, Paul III convened the Council of Trent, supported Catholic reform, and advanced his family’s political interests.

Council of Trent: An ecumenical council held intermittently from 1545 to 1563 that defined Catholic doctrine and enacted church reforms. Paul III convened this council in 1545, beginning a defining response to the Reformation.
College of Cardinals: The body of senior Catholic clergy that advises the pope and elects his successor. Paul III appointed reform-minded cardinals who helped prepare the Council of Trent.
Farnese family: An Italian noble family that produced Pope Paul III and built political influence through ecclesiastical and dynastic alliances. Paul III’s family connections shaped his political ambitions and appointments.
Ignatius of Loyola: A Spanish priest who founded the Society of Jesus, approved by Paul III in 1540. Paul III’s approval of Ignatius’s order made him a consequential ally of Catholic renewal.
Counter-Reformation: The Catholic Church’s response to Protestant reform through doctrinal renewal, institutional reform, and opposition to Protestantism. His papacy helped launch the movement later known as the Counter-Reformation.
Consilium de emendanda ecclesia: A 1537 report by a commission of cardinals identifying abuses in the Catholic Church and proposing reforms. Paul III commissioned this report to diagnose institutional problems before the council met.
Alessandro Farnese: The birth name of Pope Paul III, who served as pope from 1534 to 1549. This name identifies Paul III before his election to the papacy.
Gasparo Contarini: An Italian cardinal and diplomat who advocated Catholic reform and represented the papacy at the Regensburg Colloquy. Paul III named Contarini to the commission that reported on Church abuses.
Society of Jesus: A Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius of Loyola and approved by Pope Paul III in 1540. Paul III’s approval gave the Jesuits official standing and enabled their rapid expansion.
Papal States: Territories in central Italy governed by the pope as a temporal ruler until Italian unification. Paul III’s reforming work took place alongside his government of these territories.

Linked from 11 pages