How did the Council of Trent change the responsibilities of bishops and clergy as preachers?
The Council of Trent significantly reformed the internal discipline of the Roman Catholic Church by placing a renewed emphasis on the pastoral responsibilities of the clergy.
A primary change was the explicit requirement that the clergy, and particularly bishops, dedicate more attention to the task of preaching. To support this increased focus on pastoral care and teaching, the council mandated that every diocese establish seminaries to ensure the proper education and training of future clergy.1234
These reforms were part of a broader effort to address clerical corruption and improve the quality of church leadership. To ensure that bishops were physically present to fulfill these preaching and administrative duties, the council established strict rules requiring them to reside within their own dioceses, effectively abolishing the practice of holding multiple bishoprics simultaneously.243