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Which teachings about saints and relics did the Council of Trent affirm?

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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.

At the Council of Trent (1563), the Roman Catholic Church formally affirmed the legitimacy of venerating saints and relics in response to Protestant criticisms.123

Regarding saints, the Council declared that the holy bodies of martyrs and other saints—who were living members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit—should be venerated by the faithful because God bestows many benefits upon humanity through them.4

Regarding relics, the Council maintained that their veneration was permitted, as it redounds to the honor of the saint. To address concerns regarding authenticity and potential abuses, such as venal practices, the Council established specific rules to ensure that relics were genuine. This doctrinal clarification served to solidify traditional practices that had been challenged during the Reformation, while simultaneously working to eliminate the corruption and abuses that had previously surrounded these devotions.123