In 1545 a Catholic council was called to respond to the Protestant Reformation. It became an 18-year process that defined essential dogmas for the Church. The statements of the Council of Trent lacked clarity, but it adhered to the seven sacraments, authorized officially the use of the Vulgate Bible of Jerome (which had been used unofficially for nearly twelve centuries), and reaffirmed the equal authority of tradition with Scripture. Various commissions were appointed to carry out needed measures. One of the most important was the Congregation of the Index for the censorship of religious literature, which drew up a blacklist of offensive publications. A Tridentine Creed was prepared which contained the Nicene statements, a summary of the decrees of Trent, and a confession of the primacy of the pope.
Impact: Pius IV confirmed the decrees of the council in 1564 and they set the standard of faith for the Catholic Church until the mid-20th century.