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How did the Council of Trent require bishops to serve in their dioceses?

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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 implemented strict rules requiring bishops to reside in their respective dioceses to ensure effective pastoral care and oversight. By mandating this residency, the church effectively abolished the practice of holding a plurality of bishoprics, which had previously allowed individuals to hold multiple offices simultaneously without fulfilling the duties of each.12

These measures were part of a broader effort to reform the internal discipline of the Roman Catholic Church and address financial abuses that had become flagrant at various levels of the institution.12