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How did the Council of Trent address purgatory and indulgences?

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Painting by Nicolo Dorigati showing the opening session of the Council of Trent, with clergy in white robes seated in a grand cathedral and an altar at the center. — Council of Trent Opening session of the Council of Trent in 1545, depicted by Nicolò Dorigati, 1711; in the Museo Diocesano Tridentino, Trento, Italy.

The Council of Trent addressed the doctrines of purgatory and indulgences during its final period (1562–1563) as part of its formal response to the Protestant Reformation.2

Purgatory

The council reaffirmed the existence of purgatory as a place of purification for souls before they enter heaven, maintaining it as a core tenet of Roman Catholic belief. By doing so, it upheld the traditional view that the living could assist the dead through prayer and good works, rejecting the Protestant rejection of this penitential system.1234

Indulgences

While the council reasserted the validity of indulgences as part of the church's salvific process, it took decisive action to address the corruption that had fueled criticism from reformers like Martin Luther. Specifically, the council condemned "all base gain for securing indulgences," effectively prohibiting the financial abuses and the "sale" of indulgences that had become widespread. This decree was further solidified in 1567 when Pope Pius V officially abolished the sale of indulgences.32