The decree Cum adolescentium aetas of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) is also called the decree on seminaries. It was among the last of the conciliar decisions, not reached until the third period of the council (1562/1563; session XXIII, canon 18) [1. 750–753]. In light of the complaints about the bishops’ lack of diligence in the selection of secular clergy, many of whom were uneducated, of dubious character, or simply too young, the decree mandated that the trainin…