Editing Council of Trent (section)

=== A general, free council in Germany ===
Luther's position on ecumenical councils shifted over time,<ref>{{citation | first = Hubert | last = Jedin | title = Konziliengeschichte | publisher = Herder | year = 1959 | page = 80}}</ref> but in 1520 he appealed to the German princes to oppose the papal Church at the time, if necessary with a council in Germany,<ref>{{citation | title = An den Adel deutscher Nation | year = 1520 | language = de}}</ref> open and free of the Papacy. After the Pope condemned in ''[[Exsurge Domine]]'' fifty-two of Luther's theses as [[heresy]], German opinion considered a council the best method to reconcile existing differences. German Catholics, diminished in number, hoped for a council to clarify matters.<ref name="Jedin 81">Jedin 81</ref>

It took a generation for the council to materialise, partly due to papal fears over potentially renewing a schism over [[conciliarism]]; partly because Lutherans demanded the exclusion of the papacy from the council; partly because of ongoing political rivalries between France and the [[Holy Roman Empire]]; and partly due to the Turkish dangers in the Mediterranean.<ref name="Jedin 81" /><ref name="treccani">{{cite web |url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/clemente-vii_(Enciclopedia-dei-Papi)/ |title=Clemente VII |website=Treccani.it |language=it |access-date=12 July 2021 |quote=Ma l'ostilità del papa alla convocazione di un concilio era grandissima e già allora ben conosciuta, tanto che l'ambasciatore di Carlo V, il duca di Sessa, non ebbe il coraggio di affrontare direttamente l'argomento. Concorrevano ad alimentare tale ostilità da un lato le ombre ancora vicine del conciliarismo e l'esperienza del contrasto coi "gallicani", dall'altro il timore che il concilio potesse trovare nella sua nascita illegittima un buon pretesto per deporlo (ancora durante il conclave di Adriano VI, Soderini lo aveva trattato pubblicamente da bastardo).}}</ref> Under [[Pope Clement VII]] (1523–34), mutinous troops many of whom were [[Lutheran]] belonging to the Catholic [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] [[Sack of Rome (1527)|sacked Papal Rome]] in 1527, "raping, killing, burning, stealing, the like had not been seen since the [[Vandals]]". [[Saint Peter's Basilica]] and the [[Sistine Chapel]] were used for horses.<ref>Hans Kühner Papstgeschichte, Fischer, Frankfurt 1960, 118</ref> Pope Clement, fearful of the potential for more violence, delayed calling the council.<ref name="treccani"/>

[[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] strongly favoured a council but needed the support of [[Francis I of France|King Francis I]] of France, who attacked him militarily. Francis I generally opposed a general council due to partial support of the Protestant cause within France. Charles' younger brother [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand of Austria]], who ruled a huge swath of territory in central Europe, agreed in 1532 to the [[Schmalkaldic League#Nuremberg Religious Peace|Nuremberg Religious Peace]] granting religious liberty to the Protestants, and in 1533 he further complicated matters when suggesting a general council to include both Catholic and Protestant rulers of Europe that would devise a compromise between the two theological systems. This proposal met the opposition of the Pope for it gave recognition to Protestants and also elevated the secular Princes of Europe above the clergy on church matters. Faced with a Turkish attack, Charles held the support of the Protestant German rulers, all of whom delayed the opening of the Council of Trent.<ref>Jedin 79–82</ref>