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How did the Council of Trent reform the education of Roman Catholic priests?

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Title page of a 1568 Welsh Christian doctrine book by Morys Clynnog, featuring Welsh text and a woodcut illustration of the crucifixion of Jesus at the center. — Counter-Reformation Title page of *Athravaeth Gristnogavl* (1568; “Christian Doctrine”), a Roman Catholic catechism translated into Welsh by Morys Clynnog as part of the church's Counter-Reformation efforts.

The Council of Trent (1545–1563) significantly reformed the education of Roman Catholic priests by mandating that every diocese establish and maintain seminaries under church auspices.123

This requirement was designed to ensure the proper training of future clergy, addressing previous concerns regarding the quality and consistency of priestly formation. In addition to formalizing this educational structure, the council emphasized the importance of pastoral duties, specifically requiring that clergy—and particularly bishops—devote greater attention to the task of preaching. These measures were part of a broader effort to consolidate the church's internal discipline, curb financial abuses, and standardize liturgical practices, ultimately shaping the structure of modern Roman Catholicism.132