PREACHING FROM TRENT TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT

(Sem. Jayvee Badua, Sem. Jim Daryl Eslabra, Sr. Loribelle R. Ribleza)

INTRODUCTION

Preaching during the period of Trent to Enlightenment covers roughly 16 th to 18th century
(1563-1780). This period highlights two important events: (1) the “Catholic Reformation” or
what is sometimes called: the “Counter-Reformation” ushered by the Council of Trent, and (2)
the intellectual movement in the era of rationalism during the enlightenment period.
The Council of Trent, the 19 th Ecumenical Council, was convoked primarily to deal with
the problems and controversies which arose because of the Protestant Reformation. It was, what
we can say, a period of ‘awakening’ for the Church as the great divide among the Christians led
the Catholic Church to look into herself and go through serious reformation and purification.

The Church, at the beginning of the 16 th century stood in great need of

purification and reform at every level. The renaissance popes frequently lived more
like secular princes rather than spiritual leaders. Their personal lives were
sometimes scandalous. Their position as rulers of the Papal States involved them in
warfare and political intrigue. Their political and artistic projects demanded the
expenditure of an enormous amounts of money. The Roman Curia, the
administrative body of the Church was top heavy inefficient and corrupt; positions
were frequently solved to raise funds for a depleted papal treasury.
Most bishops came from a nobility and had little contact with their flocks.
In many places, secular rulers had control of the appointment of bishops and the
disposition of other Church offices; they used them to reward their relatives and
friends with lucrative positions.
Frequently, the bishops and pastors had multiple ‘benefices’ from which
they drew income without attending to their pastoral responsibilities or even
residing in the place while the actual care of the parishes was left to poorly paid and
ill-educated curates. Celibacy was poorly observed; it was common for clergy to
have concubines and common-law wives. Discipline in the monastery was lax.
Preaching was neglected especially by the secular clergy. Not surprisingly,
popular religion was riddled with superstition and theological misunderstanding.
Much devotion centered around relics (some of them false) and shrines. The “Real
Presence” in the Eucharist was often understood in a materialistic way, and the
sacrament was seen more as something to be adored rather than to be received. 1

In order to respond to this need for purification and reformation, the Council strives for a
three-fold area in their work: (1) doctrinal, (2) disciplinary, and (3) pastoral. The Fathers
endeavored to come out with: (1) clear theological statements which would clearly define the
position of the Church with regards to the matters of orthodoxy, (2) decrees that will bring
about discipline and order among the pastors, in effect, reform to the clergy and (3) detailed
guidelines to bring about the creation of seminaries and appropriate centers to train and ordain
1
Michael Glazier and Monika K. Hellwig, “Reformation, The,” in The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia
(Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press, 2004), p. 692.
authentic pastor of the souls which will improve the work in the field of evangelization or the
pastoral work of the Church.2 With the situation of the Church during that time, it is not
surprising that our Council Fathers came up with these decrees. The results of the Council of
Trent which particularly pertains to the Reformation can be found in its 5 th Session, On
Reformation with two chapters: (1) on the Institution of a Lectureship of Sacred Scripture, and
of the liberal arts and (2) on Preachers of the word of God, and on Questors of alms. The first,
that the rigorous study and lecture of the Sacred Scriptures and Theology be not neglected and
the second, seeing the necessity of preaching the Gospel, that all bishops, archbishops, primates,
and all other prelates of the churches be bound personally to preach the Gospel as their primary
duty.3 With regard to preaching, Trent did not introduce a new era, rather, it provided an indirect
aid to preaching by clarifying doctrines and by calling for a better seminary formation wherein
the Jesuit colleges became key players.4
The Enlightenment period on the other hand, made difference at the onset of 18 th
century. It is an era of intellectual movement based on rationality and the scientific spirit. It is
new era where religion was reduced to God, virtue and the other life which influenced Catholic
preaching. This period ignored Revelation and metaphysics, and religion, particularly,
Catholicism was viewed as an obstacle to human progress. The Church or religion was no more
the center. Enlightenment sought to transform and improve the society without the help of any
religion or any religious authorities, thus, secular. This was truly a great transition. From the
Church being at the center to the Church being viewed as a ‘roadblock’.
Preaching was never lacking in any mentioned era, however, there was a great need for a
change in content and the styles of preaching according to the environment, the context and the
background of each era. During Trent, the content of preaching and/or teaching was being well
examined. Preaching was focused mainly on what is necessary for the hearers to know in order
to obtain salvation which includes the vices which they must avoid, the virtues they must
cultivate in order to escape eternal punishment and gain eternal glory of heaven. In short, a
moralistic preaching. During this period, since there was a call for instructions in homiletics in
the decree on seminaries, numerous treatises emerged which greatly influenced the content and
style of preaching.

THE TREATISES ON PREACHING

A. Ars Praedicandi
The Ars Praedicandi first emerged in the late Middle Ages, and primarily dealt
with the "thematic sermon," a scholasticism-related format often designed for an
educated people.5 It offers instructions on preparing sermons that can use also by other
preachers. It is a thematic sermon precisely because it focuses on the thought or ideas that

2
Father Braulio Peña O. P., “History of Catechetics,” in Catechetics: The Proclamation of the Soteriological
Message (Manila: UST Printing Office, 1982), pp. 40-41.
3
“The Council of Trent,” ~The Council of Trent - session 5~ (StGemma.com Web Productions Inc. , 2005),
http://www.thecounciloftrent.com/ch5.htm.
4
Edward B. Foley, Catherine Vincie, and Richard Fragomeni, “Preaching from Trent to the Enlightenment,” in A
Handbook for Catholic Preaching (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2016), p. 77.
5
Edward Foley, ed., A Handbook for Catholic Preaching (United States of America: Liturgical Press, 2016), 75.
 the preacher needs to convey to the listeners. In this instance, the flow of the sermon is
formed by the logical presentation of a main idea, and the hearers will be able to follow
the sermon due to the theme's clear statement. 6 Thus, it is usually expected that priests or
friars are more committed to preaching or some other form of public worship. They
would be the one who most in need of techniques to have a better sermon. The risen
Christ had commanded his apostles to "go out to the whole world and proclaim," and
preaching is a formal response to that command.

B. Desiderius Erasmus
Erasmus was a Christian humanist. He frequently held up a mirror to his
contemporaries as the greatest critic of his time. Before the Council of Trent, in 1535, he
published the Ecclesiastes. It is a book on preaching that, despite its vagueness, would
have a major effect. He referred to the sermon as a "concio," which is Latin for
"exhortation," and compared it to the persuasive speech that was formerly employed in
ancient Rome to convince a deliberative assembly. He, therefore, therefore supported the
use of traditional literary techniques and rhetorical strategies in Christian preaching. He
also promoted turning back to the Bible and the "Father of the Church" as sources for
sermons, emphasizing the sermon based on a specific passage of Scripture in particular. 7
Being a Christian humanist, he frequently reflected on issues that leads to
philosophical discussion, such as the relative importance of nature and nurture, the
connection between words and things, the best structure for a government, the nature of
faith, and the theory of knowing. He was a well-versed to use modern language. Erasmus'
ideas are best characterized as "Christian Humanism," which is a way of living that
combines Christian doctrine with ancient traditions. He accepted the humanistic view that
everyone has the potential to become better versions of their own selves and that
education plays a crucial role in developing human beings.8
Before he passed away, Erasmus published Ecclesiastes. This work of
Erasmus constructed as a metaphorical interpretation of both the qualities of a Christian
educator and effective preaching. In Erasmus' written work on the art of preaching, a
theology treatise, a hermeneutics outline textbook, and a list of sermon developed
subjects were all made evident. Ecclesiastes explored the virtues of the priestly office,
rhetorical strategies that affect a preacher's toolbox, and the subjective value of sermons
and biblical references.9 Hence, the preacher's responsibility is to comfort and heal the
congregation's particular souls. Priests generally promote their congregation's fidelity to
Christ's teachings by urging them to do the same in their daily lives. The goal of the
sermon or the homily of a priest is to influence a visible change in their
people's behavior. Also, the role of preaching is to elevate moral empathy. A good and
6
“Thematic Structures”, David Schmitt, accessed March 5, 2023,
https://concordiatheology.org/sermon-structs/thematic.
7
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 75.
8
“Desiderius Erasmus”, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, accessed March 5, 2023,
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/erasmus.
9
Carrington, Yerodin L., “A Dutch Christian Communicator, Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus”, International
Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology, October 2020, 5.
 peaceful relationship with God is influenced by the priest's learning of a heavenly
teaching and the congregation's application of it to a better earthly life.

C. Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo was born on October 2, 1538 and died on November 3, 1584.
He is from Milan.
He was a Protestant Reformer who had a role in the latter years of the Council of
Trent in the reformation of the entire Church. He focused on the concept of sin, the
causes of sin, virtues, followed by the sacraments and religious practices. His Teachings
were infused with a moralism. 10 Borromeo recognized Christ in his neighbor and
understood that showing compassion to the least of his flock was showing compassion to
Christ.
For Charles Borromeo, a better-trained clergy was essential to change. To do this,
Borromeo founded a major seminary within their diocese along with two smaller
seminaries, one for training missionary priests and the other for educating rural clergy.
The Oblates of St. Ambrose were a new order of priests established by Borromeo in 1578
with the mission of promoting ecclesiastical reform. He published his Instructiones
Praedicationis Verbi Dei or Instructions for the Preaching of the Word of God to help
priests fulfill their duties to preach.11 He delivered sermons at a number of churches
throughout the week in addition to on Sundays and holy days. He visited the sick and the
dying, and he rebuked and advised the common people in their homes. With the
assistance of other priests, he traveled the entire diocese. He visited every town and
village, without exception. He preached, gave lessons and instructions regarding faith,
administered the holy Sacraments, and encouraged everyone to live a Christian life.12
The Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis also contains a sermon of Saint Charles
Borromeo. He said, “One priest may wish to lead a good, holy life, as he knows he
should. He may wish to be chaste and to reflect heavenly virtues in the way he lives. Yet
he does not resolve to use suitable means, such as penance, prayer, the avoidance of evil
discussions and harmful and dangerous friendships. If teaching and preaching is your
job, then study diligently and apply yourself to whatever is necessary for doing the job
well? Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice
that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical
laughter and a derisive shake of the head. Are you in charge of a parish? If so, do not
neglect the parish of your own soul; do not give yourself to others so completely that you
have nothing left for yourself. You have to be mindful of your people without becoming
forgetful of yourself. When you administer the sacraments, meditate on what you are
doing. When you take care of your people, meditate on how the Lord’s blood that has
washed them clean so that all that you do becomes a work of love.” 13 Saint Charles

10
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 75.
11
“Borromeo, Carlo (1538–1584)”, Encyclopedia.Com, accessed March 5, 2023,
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/borromeo-carlo-1538-1584.
12
“St. Charles Borromeo, Archbishop and Cardinal”, Father Francis Xavier Weninger, accessed March 5, 2023,
http://catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com/St.%20Charles%20Borromeo%20Popup.html
 Borromeo wants to emphasizes that preacher must do what he teaches. This entails the
saying “practice what you teach.”

D. Agostino Valerio and Spaniard Louis de of Granada on the Classical Rhetoric

Agostino Valerio was bishop of Verona and a disciple of Borromeo, who published his
Three Books on Ecclesiastical Rhetoric or the Manner of Preaching on 1574. Also, Spaniard
Louis of Granada published his work of a similar title in 1576. Both of them drew heavily on
classical rhetoric.14
The art of persuasion is called rhetoric. The rhetorical theory provides a strategy for
identifying how to persuade or influence others through conversation.15 Hence, The Jesuits'
Roman College, the Sapienza, and other Roman institutions taught this classical rhetoric; it
was later formalized in the Jesuits' Plan of Study and passed on to the Jesuit colleges and the
new seminaries established by the Council of Trent.16 This indicates that rhetoric was viewed
as being used to address a particular audience in a particular set of circumstances especially
on imparting the preaching on the lives of people.
In relation to Ecclesiastical Rhetoric, the Jesuit educational model, as well as the
evangelization strategy, has relied on the mastery of specific rhetorical methods, most
notably in strong linguistic competency, since the sixteenth century. The Jesuits believed that
rhetoric was the strength that gave people who could master techniques especially the ability
to comprehend and create theological, anthropological, exegetical, and ethical concepts. 17
This rhetoric outlined five steps in the development of a sermon: First, invention with
the help of commonplaces; Second, the order in a sermon of exordium, narration, division,
confutation, and peroration; Third, figures of speech and of words; Fourth, organization and
reflection to help memory; and fifth, instruction on voice and action.18
The invention with the help of common places refers to finding the text's truths
through exegesis and crafting the sermon to be most engaging for the congregation. To put it
briefly, it explains how a true and memorable sermon concludes with the knowledge of
exegesis and the art of interpretation. The sermon must always be on the preacher's mind.
The audience must also be considered by the preacher because every congregation has
different life circumstances, every life of people is unique. The preacher should make sure
that the communication techniques employed advance the sermon's objective. Also, the

13
“‘Practice What You Preach’ by St. Charles Borromeo, Archbishop (1538-1584)” The Gracious Guest, accessed
March 5, 2023, https://www.thegraciousguest.org/post/practice-what-you-preach-by-st-charles-borromeo-
archbishop-1538-1584.
14
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 75.
15
Medjedoub, Rima, “Rhetoric and Persuasion from the Classical Era Through the Modern Age”, Journal of Milev
Research and Studies, 49.
16
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 75.
17
Mo, Wei, “Jesuit Rhetoric and Language Studies in Modern Shanghai”, Religions 2022, 1.
18
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 75.
 preacher needs to be aware of himself because communication goes beyond words. It also
concerns the preacher's personality.19
It is important to underline the order in a sermon. The sermon of exordium entails
about a sermon of the faithfulness of God and to show what faith is. The sermon of
narration’s main goal is to illuminate for the audience the lessons about life that may be
found in the interactions between God, man, and other people. 20 The sermon of division
implies that, for example, people may get to be in a state of destroying their relationships
with one another if there is unfaithfulness with their fellow human beings. Also, the sermon
of confutation entails that the preacher may give his insights to contradict unimportant
aspects in life so that listeners live in the life that pleases God. It is the act of disproving
somebody's point convincingly. Finally, the peroration entails the closing part of the sermon.
The preacher repeats the main thoughts or ideas of his homily or sermon.
It needs also to consider the words in preaching. A message sometimes gains flavor
from figures of speech. They merely need to be appropriate and well-stated. It is important to
pick relevant, remarkable experiences, to describe them in a clear and concise manner, and to
apply them in a captivating manner.21 Preaching ought to be spontaneous, sincere, and a little
slow. Speaking with love and commitment, being straightforward and honest, and speaking
with confidence are essential. The preacher should also be convinced of the concept
he teaches and the point he is trying to make. Words must come from our heart. The preacher
needs to communicate clearly, yet while the lips speak solely to the ears of mankind, the
heart talks to the heart.22
Also, the organization and reflection is significant. The preacher needs to have a deep
reflection on what a passage of the Scripture speaks by addressing the virtue it implies before
preaching about it. The preacher can simplify his sermon by focusing on the virtue, its
results, and how to acquire or practice it. 23 As a result, structuring thoughts in this situation
can be done as follows: first, what this virtue entails; second, its marks or meaning; third, its
effects; and fourth, the ways to gain it.24 Thus, with the aid of in-depth reflection and a solid
organizational structure, the preacher can articulate, evaluate, and clarify his thoughts.
Lastly, the instruction on voice and action entails that voice and actions aids in
directing listeners through the message. It adds interest and flavor to the sermon. The
preacher is speaking directly to the assembly while listening to him. In this sense, the
preacher is now the voice of God to the people.

19
“Biblical Truth: The Sermon’s Invention”, Preaching Source, accessed March 5, 2023,
https://preachingsource.com/blog/biblical-truth-the-sermons-invention.
20
“The Narrative Preaching”, Ministry Magazine, accessed March 5, 2023,
https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1984/08/narrative-preaching#:~:text=What%20Is%20narrative
%20preaching%3F,man%20and%20fellow%20human%20beings.
21
Francis de Sales, “On the Preacher and Preaching”, 22.
22
Ibid., 29.
23
Ibid., 26.
24
Ibid., 27.
THE ROLE OF JESUITS IN THE COUNTER-REFORMATION

The Trent Council opened on 13th December 1545. In response to Pope Paul III's
request, Ignatius named Diego Lanez, Alfonso Salmerón, and Pierre Favre as the three Jesuits
who would act as theologians to the three papal delegates overseeing the meeting. On May 18,
1546, Lanez and Salmerón arrived in Trent. Favre, though, never arrived.25
Lanez and Salmerón were tasked at Trent with creating abstracts from Protestant
publications and extracting ideas for the council to examine. Speaking in front of the gathered
fathers were both Jesuits. Ignatius composed an instruction for their benefit before the two of
them left Rome in the early months of 1546. In it, he encourages them to start an apostolate
among the citizens of the city and offers some self-helps. He also offers advice on how to deal
with others at the council. Ignatius obviously did not see the role as a full-time job because they
also had to preach, hear confessions, visit the ill and the poor, and catechize kids.26
In order to rebuild church life and teaching in the event of the Reformation. The Jesuits
swore a particular oath of obedience to the pope. Many of the Counter-leaders, Reformation's
whether Jesuit or not, placed a high priority on education, and to help the clergy get ready for a
more disciplined life in the service of the church, and to develop seminaries.27
It has been found that the Jesuits made a significant intellectual and educational
contribution to the counter-reformation movement. Although the Jesuits were not officially a
teaching order, they were nevertheless very influential in this sector and became especially
prominent in scholarship and education.

THE VARIOUS CONTENTS AND STYLES OF PREACHING

PREACHING IN ROME

A. The Renewal of Preaching

Preaching was revived, first in Rome and subsequently elsewhere, upholding
Renaissance humanist values. These values aimed and called people to repentance and
the sacrament of confession with the intention of encouraging them to reject evil and
embrace virtue. With their center in Rome, the Eternal City, preaching played a
significant role in converting Catholic Christians into Roman Catholics. Sermons no
longer included criticism of the church, which was common in the years before to Trent.
On the basis of Scripture and tradition, sermons declared Roman Catholic doctrinal

25
“To the Fathers Attending Council of Trent”, Georgetown University, accessed March 5, 2022,
https://library.georgetown.edu/woodstock/ignatius-letters/letter8#:~:text=The%20Council%20of%20Trent
%20opened,Alfonso%20Salmer%C3%B3n%2C%20and%20Pierre%20Favre.
26
Ibid.
27
“Counter-Reformation: Religious History”, Britanicca, accessed March 5, 2023,
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jesuits
 beliefs; disagreements with Protestants were rare. The homily, also known as the sermo
evangelicus, helped to popularize preaching in Rome.28

A. Preaching in Italian Culture

Preaching was fundamental to Italian culture during the early modern period. Its
frequently theatrical nature drew audiences and moved them. The sermons engaged the
audience and encouraged involvement.29 The description of preaching as theatrical in
nature come down to us from the three centuries in Italy between 1400 and 1700. They
include crying and shouting. Preaching was at the heart of Italian culture and devotion
throughout those times. People, at least in the big urban regions, anticipated that
preaching would regularly astound, delight, enlighten, and even transform them and their
society.30

B. The Prominent Preachers in Italy

a. Cornelio Musso and Francesco Panigarola
Cornello Musso was a Franciscan who lived during the sixteenth certury.
He was the Bishop of Bitonto. He was well-known at the Council of Trent, was
born in Piacenza in 1511 and passed away in 1574. He was arguably the most
famous orator of his time. The importance of inner and personal conversion,
which is attained through imitating Christ, is the main message of his sermons.31
According to his contemporaries, Musso was the first to preach
convincingly in Italian in both an elaborate and straightforward manner. He
participated significantly in the council and delivered the opening sermon at Trent
in 1545. He successfully merged Franciscan principles with humanist eloquence.
One observer asserted that his verbal descriptions. Sometimes he preached to the
elite in the first part and the common folk in the second.32
Also, Francesco Panigarola was a preacher and was a Bishop of Asti, born
at Milan on 1548 and died at Asti on 1594. Francesco Panigarola was well-
recognized for creating beautiful word imagery and frequently gave sermons in
Rome at St. Peter's and Santa Maria in Aracoeli. 33 He was sent to Rome when he
was twenty three years old, where his sermons received a lot of attention. In
France and Savoy, he converted a large number of Calvinists. Also, in Naples,
enough money was raised through one of his sermons to construct a hospital for
the terminally ill.34
Both Musso and Panigarola published their sermons, which afterwards
served as both examples for preachers and material for laypeople's devotions. In

28
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 75-76.
29
Ibid., 76.
30
Norman, Corrie, The Social History of Preaching: Italy, 125.
31
“Cornelius Musso”, New Advent, accessed March 6, 2023, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/16064c.htm.
32
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 76.
33
Ibid.
34
“Francesco Panigarola”, New Advent, accessed March 6, 2023, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11444a.htm.
 their printed sermons, which may be termed literature, Lent and Advent sermons
predominated.35
In early modern Italy, preaching stood out as an activity that involved
active participation. The main part was played by the preacher. His speech,
movements, and clothing frequently inspired the image of a prophet from the
Hebrew Bible. The preacher usually recognized the congregation, knelt before the
Holy Sacrament or the crucifix if the sermon was delivered outside, as it
frequently did, and then prayed with his hands extended. He then prayed the Hail
Mary aloud in front of the assembly after once more adoring the crucifix. After
giving his cloak to a helper, he ascended to the pulpit and removed his hood. He
then made his topic announcement and started the sermon, during which he
frequently addressed his audience personally. In the Forty Hours devotion, where
the consecrated Host was worshiped for a continuous forty hours as preachers
took turns encouraging the crowd, preaching and Eucharistic devotion were
commonly separated.36

PREACHING GERMANY

A. What is Postils?
More than in other nations, the postils were essential for preaching in Germany.
The early modern equivalent of "homily aids" were these widely disseminated
compilations of sermons or sermon outlines, intended to aid priests in the preparation of
their sermons or even to be read as sermons. The word postil, which means "after the
words [of the gospel preach the following] text," is derived from the Latin post illa verba
textus.37
The practice of using postils was established in the later Middle Ages, and it
significantly expanded with the invention of printing. Postils were typically divided into
two categories: one for Sundays of the year and the other for feast days, which were far
more frequent than they are now. It was believed that the gospel and epistle readings
chosen for Sunday services in the early Middle Ages included all of the fundamental
beliefs and teachings of the church. For instance, there was a chance to teach on marriage
when the gospel reading for the Second Sunday after Epiphany related the tale of the
wedding feast at Cana.38
Eight to ten sermons are included for a Sunday in some of the large volumes of
postils. Endowed preaching positions were common in many German towns and cities,
and sermons were usually delivered in a separate service in the afternoon after a homily
during the morning Mass. Postils were available in both Latin and German, and many
priests could adapt a Latin outline into a German sermon.39

35
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 76.
36
Ibid., 76-77.
37
Ibid., 77.
38
Ibid.
39
Ibid.
 B. John Eck
In 1530, three years after Luther's initial sermons, John Eck, a professor at the
University of Ingolstadt, became the first significant opponent of Luther. He released
three volumes of sermons. Both traditional content and arguments against Luther's
biblical interpretations were presented.40
Eck was friendly with Martin Luther up until the publication of his Ninety-Five
Theses in 1517, which Eck condemned as heretical in a treatise printed the following
year. Eck engaged in spirited discussion with Luther and his student A at the renowned
Leipzig Disputation of 1519 on issues like papal supremacy and the infallibility of church
councils. Eck traveled to Rome in 1520 and assisted Pope Leo X in writing the papal bull
Exsurge Domine (June 1520), which condemned 41 of Luther's theses and threatened
excommunication for the latter. Eck was subsequently given the task by Leo X to
distribute and enforce the new papal bull across Germany.41

C. Friedrich Nausea
By 1532, Friedrich Nausea (d. 1552), a preacher at the Mainz cathedral, had
written four collections totaling 100 sermons, many of which were strongly critical of
Luther. From 1530 to 1555, over 132,000 full sets of Roman Catholic postils with the
main purpose of refuting Protestant interpretations of Scripture were printed. In the
parishes, postils were passed down from one pastor to another.42
Trent did not start a fresh preaching era. By pushing for greater seminary
education and clarifying doctrine, it did indirectly help preaching. The new Jesuit
colleges were more successful at training priests. Preaching was given additional
emphasis at synods that were conducted in 1547 during the Augsburg Interim, a period of
time when Roman Catholics briefly held power in Germany. Many topics that were
designed to be conciliation with Protestants were addressed by German Roman Catholic
postils.43 For instance, a piety that was Christocentric, paid less attention to the veneration
of saints and the unworthy nature of God's mercy, acknowledged that good works were
the fruits of faith and that the Spirit stirred up faith through the preaching of the Word,
and acknowledged that the German clergy and the popes' immorality were primarily to
blame for the spread of heresy.44
PREACHING IN FRANCE
By the late Middle Ages, preaching had reached most of France, however, with the
exception of the most remote alpine or rural areas. The number of published sermons in France
was far less than in Germany or Italy in the sixteenth century. Sermons changed in tone and
content after the Religious Wars broke out in 1560. 45 The situations that happened in France
would heavily influence the enlightenment era which was about to pave the way. Especially
40
Ibid.
41
“John Eck”, Britannica, accessed March 6, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Eck.
42
Foley, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 77.
43
Ibid.
44
Ibid., 77-78.
when only the mendicant orders did much of the preaching and that the required preaching at that
time should only be brief regarding the instruction delivered at Mass which were rarely recorded.
This tried to change the normal delivery of homily which lasted about for an hour.

The Religious Wars wrought a serious blow in Catholicism and on the way of preaching.
It was unprecedented, for religion had never previously been such a source of conflict in Europe.
Even the most enthusiastic Catholics had to give up on their dreams of converting many
Protestants back to the Roman Church through evangelization and propaganda since
Protestantism had become a permanent fixture of the religious landscape. 46 Princes determining
the acceptable religion in their respective territories was established by a patchwork of peace
treaties that covered the majority of Europe, but those agreements in no way reflected what we
would now recognize as "tolerance"; rather, all parties believed they had exclusive access to
spiritual truth. Hence, with this, Catholicism had “weakened” in a sense, for they were to tolerate
other religions that emerged rather than oppose it. Of course, even the work of the ecumenical
Council of Trent was challenged in this era as they were faced with the urgent need for a
religious reform, and the revolt brought about by Luther. As the aforementioned preachers
opposed the immoralities of the popes and the clergy, during the Council of Trent, they
emphasized the discipline that the clergy must have in order to propose discipline and order
among the Church’s pastors–hence, strengthening seminaries and appropriate centers where to
train and ordain authentic pastors of souls.47

Amid the challenges of the era, France did not lack competent preachers who helped for
the propagation of the Church. Most especially, that it was also at this time in France that a new
style of preaching emerged influenced by Charles Borromeo’s Instructions on Preaching and
Valerio’s Three Books on Ecclesiastical Rhetoric that the rural mission was popularized. 48 These
were the prominent preachers:

A. Vincent de Paul (d. 1660)

Vincent de Paul was born of a peasant family at Pouy, Gascony, France in 1580 and died
at Paris in 1660. He was ordained in the 1600s and remained a tutor while continuing his studies.
He was captured by Turkish pirates and taken to Tunis and was sold as a slave, but he escaped in
1607 with his master, a renegade whom he converted. His return to France took him to many
works and challenges, from being a tutor to working on a secret mission to Henry IV, and later
becoming an almoner to the Queen Marguerite of Valois, and becoming in charge of a parish
near Paris, later an educator of the children of an illustrious French Family–the Gondis. He
began giving missions on the estates of the family but he wanted to escape the esteem of his
work and was later appointed as a “cure” (Parish Priest in French) of Chatillon-les-Dombes

45
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, ed. Edward Foley, (Liturgical Press:
Minnesota), 2016, 78.
46
Pressbooks.nscc.ca, World History, Religious Wars, https://pressbooks.nscc.ca/worldhistory/chapter/chapter-7-
religious-wars/.
47
Braulio Pena, OP, Catechetics, 1982, 41.
48
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 78.
where he converted several Protestants and founded the first conference of charity for the
assistance of the poor.49 Later, he founded the Congregation of the Mission in February 1617 in
the parish of Villepreux. They took up residence in an abandoned house and began to reach out
to the reserved peasants.50 The missionaries started by teaching the young catechism and the
hymns that would be sung throughout the services. A mission would include catechism and last
for three weeks. The grownups eventually overcame their doubts and quickly packed the chapel
for the sermon delivered in accordance to Vincent's "Little Method," which stood in opposition
to the revived classicism. Vincent de Paul was very concerned that preaching not become lost in
lengthy Latin citations and the obscuring of classical expertise, and turn the pulpit into a
showcase for the exposition of scholastic concepts. For Vincent de Paul, "theological persuasion"
was the key to all preaching. Vincent de Paul advises that preaching be characterized by a rule of
simplicity on the basis of this. His strategy consists of three main components: (1) "Why does the
preacher preach?", (2) "What should be preached? ", (3) "How Should the Preacher Preach?"

1. The Motivation of the Preacher/ Why does the preacher preach?: Vincent de Paul
believes that the preacher's motivation will influence the content of his preaching.
Knowing God's goodness and mercy must be the preacher's motivation for preaching.
This is a knowledge of God's desire for all of His creatures to be saved and become holy
that comes through faith. God provides, comforts, defends, and guides us.
2. The Orientation of Preaching/ What should be preached?: Vincent de Paul emphasizes
the content of the preaching should be “theological persuasion.” It must be hope. The
preaching must characterize full trust and faith in the Lord’s plan for salvation. In a
sense, it must have an eschatological flavor and orientation relating to heaven, the
Resurrection, God’s grace and covenants, and divine providence.
3. The Style of Preaching/ How should the preacher preach?: The means to preach,
according to Vincent de Paul, must be how Jesus Christ preached. The preaching must be
directed towards the lives of the faithful and the problems that they face. With this
method, the preacher will have a more adept understanding of the circumstances of the
people. Hence, the preacher must relate with them, and tell stories about ordinary life
avoiding extravagance and complexity.

B. John Eudes (d. 1680)

John Eudes was born on a farm in northern France. He was a religious missionary,
founder of two religious communities, and a devoted promoter of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
the Immaculate Heart of Mary. During plagues in the year 1627 and 1631, he helped to care for
those affected in his own diocese. Afraid that he would infect his fellow religious, he lived in a
huge cask in the middle of a field. His gifts as a preacher made him popular, and he preached to
over a hundred parishes lasting from several weeks to months. 51 He eventually left his religious
community and founded in the same year a new community called the Eudists or the
49
Newadvent.org, St. Vincent de Paul, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15434c.htm.
50
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 78.
51
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-john-eudes/
Congregation of Jesus and Mary. This community was devoted to the formation of the clergy by
establishing diocesan seminaries. Later, he would encounter problems and was disturbed by the
sad condition of prostitutes who wanted to escape such life. He helped in founding temporary
shelters for them and the experience struck him deeply. He founded, then, a new religious
community called the Sisters of Charity of Refuge.52

The focal point of John Eudes’ contribution to preaching at that time was his devotion to
Jesus and Mary which made him endure the length of preaching to the peripheries, helping the
poor, and the prostitutes. Not to mention the seminaries that he established which had been
beneficial in propagating the faith and training pastors to be a good preacher to the faithful.

C. Julian Maunoir (d. 1683)

Julian Maunoir was a prominent figure among the Jesuits and was branded as the
“Apostle of Brittany” who led four hundred missions from 1640 to 1683. He would missions ten
times a year from four to five weeks each. 53 He began teaching at the college at Quimper in 1625
after joining the Society of Jesus in Paris, where he devoted his time to the Bretons. He was
raised in the French-speaking part of Brittany, thus he never spoke Breton. Yet within two
months, after journeying to the Ty-Mamm-Doue (the House of the Mother of God) shrine, he
was preaching with ease in this Celtic tongue. 54 He began his apostolate and mission preaching
mostly in Breton. Upwards of thirty thousand people attended some missions, where Maunoir
was assisted by a large team of local diocesan priests and where the main sermons were held
outside in a field or in the village or town square. 55 His style of preaching was peculiar for he
would put questions to the congregation and solicit questions from them which he would answer,
and in turn become accustomed to their way of thinking. While on the mission, he managed their
communal living. They talked about missionary strategies, moral theology concerns, and
personal holiness projects at their twice-daily conferences, while also meditating and reciting the
Office.Afterward followed “break-out” sessions for catechesis and the learning of the peculiar
Breton cantiques or didactic religious poems to be sung throughout the mission, along with
opportunity for confession. The subjects of the initial sermons were taken for the most part from
the first week of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola (d. 1556): the purpose of our
existence, the four last things (death, judgment, heaven, and hell), sin and forgiveness, the
sacraments (especially confession and Holy Communion), and the rewards of heaven.56

THE ENLIGHTENMENT PERIOD

52
ibid.
53
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 79.
54
Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedias, Almanacs, Transcripts, and Maps: Julian Maunior,
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/maunoir-julien-bl
55
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 79.
56
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 79.
 The baroque and Enlightenment overlapped in the late seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries. Preaching continued to prevail during the Enlightenment period, but it varied in tone
and content.

At this time, no Roman Catholic preacher paralleled the works of the preachers in the
previous periods. The Enlightenment tried to reduce religion to God, virtue, and the afterlife
which greatly influenced the preaching in the Church. We can recall that the Enlightenment
period is often called the “Age of Reason,” in this era various philosophers and philosophical
projects burgeoned–especially that of elevating reason and human ascendancy to the pedestal.
The advance of human reason in the Enlightenment gave authority to the intellect to understand
the world which led to the rejection of most of the teachings of Christianity. For the philosophers
in the Enlightenment period, reason would lead to becoming “enlightened’: and in that sense
being happy and progressive. It criticized the eschatological nature and teachings of Christianity
most especially the Fall from the Garden, miracles, the fulfillment of God’s salvific plan for
humanity, and Christ’s divine nature. It even got to a point where they questioned the infallibility
of the Bible and the pastors. They promoted that Christianity would bring darkness and not
enlightenment57 and that people are shackled to Christianity and would need freedom from it.

This would greatly influence the world of Christianity as it would encounter challenges
through refutation of its authority and teachings. Especially during the rise of Kantianism which
advocates the exit of man from self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity, in this sense, would mean
man’s inability to make use of one’s own understanding independent from the guidance of the
other. However, amid the challenges and the criticisms, the Bible was the most read book of the
Enlightenment era for more Bibles were printed in France during the eighteenth century than in
any other previous centuries.58 Sermons became more didactic, drawing on Scripture and reason
as well as the Catechism of the Council of Trent and the Catechisms of Peter Canisius.
Narratives, legends, anecdotes, and examples were banished. Sermons became shorter. A natural,
utilitarian morality came to the fore, still based on the Ten Commandments and often supportive
of obedience to the growing state. Preachers also addressed the rights and responsibilities of each
estate and stages of life.59

Mission in the rural areas of the western and southern Europe continued to thrive. The
period from 1680 to 1750 was called “the golden age” of the missions in Europe. 60 For there
were a number of preachers which stayed faithful to the mission of spreading the Word of God,
namely:

A. Jacques Benigne Bossuet (d. 1704) and Louis Bourdaloue (d. 1704)

57
The Gospel Coalition, The Rise of Biblical Criticism in the Enlightenment,
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-rise-of-biblical-criticism-in-the-enlightenment/.
58
Ibid.
59
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 82.
60
Ibid.
 In the second half of the seventeenth century, pulpit oratory rose to the level of literature.
Louis Bourdaloue was a prominent figure in the said time together with Bishop Jacques Benigne
Bossuet.61

Bossuet was born in Dijon in 1627. For more than a century his ancestors, both paternal
and maternal, had occupied judicial functions. In a very short time, he mastered the Greek and
Latin classics. Homer and Virgil were his favorite authors, while the Bible soon became his livre
de chevet (bedtime books).62 That is why we could see that in his preaching he embodied French
classical elegance with his style of using periodic sentences and sonorous voice, combining
reason, balance, and order while drawing extensively on the Bible and the works of Augustine.
He preached most about the panegyrics of saints, funeral orations, advent, and lent sermons. He
also preached against monarchical abuses while also acknowledging the benefits that the present
monarch had given. He remained active in the controversies of the time, especially Jansenism
and Gallicanism.63

Bourdaloue was born at Bourges in 1632. He entered the Society of Jesus at the age of
fifteen. His sharp intelligence, persistent work ethic, and strict dedication to religious rules
captivated admiration. He thereafter was elevated to professor of moral theology and philosophy.
Nonetheless, he became well renowned for his oratory skills after a few sermons he was called
upon to deliver on short notice, and it was then that he decided to dedicate his work exclusively
to the work of preaching.64 He eventually took up the role of the king and the court's regular
preacher and also gave sermons at other Parisian churches. For that, he is often branded as the
“king of preachers and the preacher of kings.” 65 He possessed a healthy reason, a vibrant
imagination, and a thorough understanding of the human heart. He was a moralist and embodied
firmly what he preached as he fought against vices and disorders of the court and city; he
opposed Jansenist rigorism, its view on predestination, and its severe limitation on the reception
of Holy Communion.

They both died within two months of each other. In one hand, Bossuet was praised for the
subtlety and breadth of his thoughts, the astounding succinctness, splendor, and grandeur of his
language, as well as the magisterial and even regal manner in which he mastered his subject and
enthralled his audience. Just a small portion of his remarkable lectures were pre-recorded since
he usually spoke without any preparation. On the other hand, Bourdaloue was essentially a
preacher. He wrote his preachings with extreme care, and though they were numerous enough to
form editions of twelve and sixteen volumes, there is only one sermon that is incomplete.66

61
Ibid.
62
New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia, Jacques Benigne Bossuet, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02698b.htm.
63
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 80.
64
StudyLight.org, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Louis Bourdaloue,
https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/l/louis-bourdaloue.html.
65
Ibid.
66
Ibid.
 When we move east of Catholic Germany, and especially to the baroque preaching of the
Habsburg monarchy and Bavaria, we would find more of an optimistic tone and a wide variety of
types of sermons. The preacher proclaimed the Word of God from finely carved pulpits that
appeared to be floating in space during sermons that were held in well-lit churches. 67 Preaching
at that time accompanied the daily lives of the people, relating to the events that mostly envelop
their experiences regarding the state, jubilees of the dynasty, the start of war, the conclusion of
peace as well as rituals seeking deliverance from plagues, fires, and floods. Aside from that,
there were preachings which discussed prohibition of drinking, dancing, female fashions, luxury,
and frivolity.68

Preachers drew on a wide variety of sources: Scripture, commentaries on

Scripture, postils, the Missal, and the Breviary and often encyclopedias and histories that
provided examples from nature and from history. God governed the world. Whoever
sought to evoke God’s glory and greatness, love and mercy, needed to vary, pile up, and
surpass the standard images and metaphors of the day. The preacher had to adapt to his
congregations. Underneath all the examples, word pictures, and tales there yet remained
the structure and the ordinary progression of a humanist oration.69

Jeremias Drexel (d. 1638), at that time a prominent preacher at the court of Bavaria,
admonished that a sermon should not exceed one hour–that preachers may take with them an
hourglass or a pocket watch into the pulpit.

B. Johan Ulrich Megerle (d. 1709) – Germany

Johan Ulrich Megerle or better known as Abraham a Santa Clara was born in Baden in
1644, he spent most of his time in Vienna where he died in 1709. He wrote a wide variety of
books, in addition to preaching. He preached at court when Leopold I appointed him in 1667, but
he preached frequently addressing the common people; his style became peculiar in contrast with
the elite French preachers. His words left a lasting mark on the German that people spoke in
Austria and especially in Vienna. As a matter of fact, the poet Friedrich Schiller described him as
a preacher of great originality, wit, and cleverness. 70 [Schiller: "This Father Abraham is a man of
wonderful originality, whom we must respect, and it would be an interesting, though not at all an
easy, task to approach or surpass him in mad wit and cleverness."] 71 Abraham was a powerful,
colorful, and effective preacher which could mimic with great effectiveness and tell stories
entertainingly. His knowledge of human nature and popular thought was exceptional, and he
gave lectures on all significant topics. He had no reservations about criticizing the ethics of the
court.

C. Paolo Segneri the Younger (d. 1712)

67
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 81.
68
Cf. Ibid.
69
Ibid.
70
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 81.
71
New Advent, Catholic Encyclopedia, Abraham a Santa Clara, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01056a.htm.
 Paolo Segneri was an Italian Jesuit, preacher, missionary, and ascetical writer born at
Nettuno in 1624. He had rigorously studied the Bible, the Fathers, and the Orations of Cicero to
prepare himself for the pulpit, which he had always felt a particular fondness for. After
Savanarola and St. Bernadine of Siena, Segneri was considered to be Italy's greatest orator. He
reformed the pulpit in Italy. His ideas are persuasive, and he strategically combines convergent
facts and arguments–in a way that brings to mind Bourdaloue. He also had a depth of
imagination (which was lacking in the French Jesuit) as well as a profound and melting feeling
of sympathy. He was well-versed in the art of refutation and brought harmony between his
thoughts and plans. His two sources of inspiration are (1) his love of God and (2) of the people
before him.72 Almost all of the people of the districts flocked to hear him preach, extraordinary
grace and favor flooded his career; yet he remained as simple as a child.

D. Alphonsus Liguori (d. 1787)

Alphonsus Liguori began his work of evangelization that would result in the foundation
of the Redemptorists.73 He founded the congregation in 1732 as an association of priests and
brothers living a common life dedicated to the imitation of Christ, and working mainly in popular
missions for peasants in rural areas.74 However, many churchmen were somehow doubtful of the
success of the mission of the congregation for “conversions” were founded on emotional
experience which was considered short-lived. Even so, Alphonsus’ great pastoral missions were
in the pulpit and confessional; reforming the elegant oratory of that time with simplicity, and the
rigorism of Jansenism with tenderness.75

Meanwhile in Spain and in the Americas, little accounts were recorded in this discussion
because of the vastness of the topic of preaching. Spain did not produce preachers at court who
paralleled Bossuet, Bourdaloue, and Abraham a Santa Clara. Nonetheless, preaching flourished
in Spain with the missions and works of Louis of Granada who published sermons that circulated
for both reading and guide for other preachers such as the volume of more than six hundred
pages of Andreu Capella (d. 1609), for Sundays and Lent of the Year in 1596; and the Jesuit
Eusebio Nieremberg (d. 1658) who published a compendium of homilies which combined
catechetical instruction with sermons and long remained popular in Spain as the “Eusebio.” 76

In Spain, homilies from five to ten minutes were often given at Mass with the sermons
delivered in the afternoon especially during Lent and Advent. 77 The parish, in order to address
that, would hire a Franciscan from a nearby convent. Rural missions were also conducted in
Spain. One prominent preacher for that was Pedro de Calatayud who was born at Navarre in

72
Biblia.work, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Bible and Theology, Paolo Segneri,
https://www.biblia.work/dictionaries/segneri-paolo-2/.
73
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 82.
74
Franciscanmedia.org, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-
alphonsus-liguori/.
75
Ibid.
76
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 82.
77
Ibid.
1689. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1710. He earned the title of Master in Theology and left
behind a range of religious and theological publications; such as, “The Flame of Holy Love for
the Sacred Heart,” “Various Sentences from the Scriptures for the Use of Missionaries,”
“Practice of a Sweet and Reasonable Christian Life,” and “Regrets of a Contrite Heart.” 78

The New World in the Spanish Empire characterized two types of preaching, one for the
European Population and one for the Amerindians. The former aimed at the exhortation of the
people to live their lives as better Christians. The latter worked for the evangelization of the
Amerindians which made use of simpler style and required a great deal of linguistic ability in
order to be effective in the Amerindian community. The mission here specifically was to uproot
the remnants of paganism and idolatry among the Amerindians. The aforementioned two types of
preaching were illustrated by the works of the Jesuit teacher of rhetoric in Peru, Jose de Arriaga
(d. 1622).79

CONCLUSION
The shift in the content and strategy in preaching during Trent to Enlightenment varies at
length. During the Trent period, preaching was enhanced as the Church went through the process
of purification and reformation: the doctrines became clear and the priests were reformed.
Treatises on preaching came about. The Ars Praedicandi, earliest of them, initially appeared in
the late Middle Ages. It provided guidance on sermon preparation that other preachers can use as
well. It is a thematic sermon since it centers on the message that the preacher wants to convey to
his audience. Erasmus and Charles Borromeo were two well-known preachers of the Modern
Era. Erasmus favored the application of traditional literary devices and rhetorical tactics in
Christian preaching while Charles Borromeo emphasized that a preacher must put his teachings
into practice and that reform required better-trained clergy. The Jesuits also made a valuable
intellectual and educational contribution to the counter-reformation movement. The Jesuit
educational system, as well as the evangelization strategy, had focused on the mastery of specific
rhetorical methods, most especially in strong linguistic ability. Preaching flourished in Europe.
In Rome. Their sermons were intended to encourage people to reject evil and embrace
virtue by calling them to repentance and the sacrament of confession. Rome's preaching attracted
and affected people since it were usually theatrical in nature. The sermons involved and
encouraged participation from the congregation. Musso and Panigarola were a two of the well-
known preachers in Rome. They made their sermons available for public listening, and they later
functioned as both models for preachers and inspiration for laypeople's devotions.
In Germany. The usage of postils was widely used in preaching. Postils are the resources
used by priests to prepare their sermons or homilies. One of the most influential preachers at the
time was Friedrich Nausea and John Eck. The latter being the first notable Lutheran opponent.
Three volumes of his sermons were published. Luther's biblical interpretations were criticized

78
Studylight.org, Bible Encyclopedia, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Pedro de Calatayud,
https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/p/pedro-de-calatayud.html.
79
From Trent to Enlightenment, A Handbook for Catholic Preaching, 83.
using both conventional content and traditional counterarguments. Friedrich Nausea, on the other
hand, published sermons to help pastors deliver sermons that would stop the spread of heresies.
In France. Preaching was notable in its style which tried to relate to the common people,
those in the peripheries, and even the peasants. The homilies were usually brief but substantial.
After Trent, a new era in preaching opened at the dawn of the Enlightenment period
wherein primacy was given to reason; the people questioned the authority of the Church, hence
posed a challenge to the preachers. However, the preachers in the Enlightenment period tried to
adapt to the demands of the present era and integrated in their preaching even the Greek classics,
the line of thinking of Augustine, and balanced reasoning. During this period, the style of
preaching also varied. In the East of Germany, the flavor of preaching was optimistic and varied.
The preachers in this era drew on a wide range of sources from Scriptures to commentaries on
Scriptures, postils, the Missal, the Breviary, and encyclopedias and history. In Spain, homilies
were only about five to ten minutes long. In addition, in some areas, preaching would mean
evangelization to uproot the remnants of paganism and idolatry from the people. In general, the
preachers in these respective eras were learned people who came from a poor family, and they
usually succeeded in their mission of preaching towards their people; their missions were blessed
by God with favor and grace—notably, many listeners in different places. Nonetheless, they
never made it all for themselves, they never were too proud of what they have reached and
become: they went to the peripheries, poor, and those who were in need especially when plagues
and wars broke out.
The foregoing discussion on the development of preaching would give us a conclusion
that in every era and in every culture or situation, the content and style of preaching varies
according to the given context and background. They vary according to the necessity. Preaching
development is thus a response to the need which the church addresses. This development aims
at something. In the period of Trent to enlightenment for an instance, we can note the dynamism
of preaching as it changes and develops according to the needs of that particular era and the
particular condition of the place where preaching takes place. The focus during Trent is not the
same as the focus of preaching during the Enlightenment period. The style and content of
preaching as well in Rome is not the same as the preaching in Germany or in France or Spain,
etc. Nevertheless, we always learn from the lessons of the past and mature through them. The
lessons remain classic although the circumstances might be different. From this exposure, it is
evident how the human factor can greatly affect the work which God has entrusted to the
Church. It can make or break the Church. This is still a reality until today since human nature
remains the same. The presence of greatly diversified ‘faiths’ are still in the circulation:
paganism, fanaticism, large number of different sects with twisted Bible interpretation – these
are still very much present until today. Furthermore, even when the age of reason and secularism
dawned during the enlightenment period, its shadows did not only remain but had also evolved
and covered the earth. It remains a challenge which needs to be constantly addressed. Hence, the
holistic training and formation of the priests and the future priests cannot be compromised.
Rather, it needs to be fostered even more since generation keeps changing. Reformation and
purification needs to be constant in order to remain faithful and passionate for mission. Just like
the dynamism exemplified during the period of Trent to Enlightenment, the same vigor is being
called for from the custodians and guardians of the treasures of the Sacred Scriptures and
Theology. They are being called in order to spread the Truth of the Good News in two-folds:
with faithfulness and preciseness and the singularity of message manifested in their way of life.
That is, preaching in words and deeds with unexceptional zeal and fidelity to the Truth of the
Gospel.