Reception of the Council of Trent's norms on marriage in Hungary
in the 16th and 17th centuries

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Autori/ Authors: Andrej Krivda        Lukáš Sekerák  

In: Notitiæ historiæ ecclesiasticæ

ISSN: 1338-9572 (Print)

ISSN: 2730-0153 (Online)

Ročník/ Volume: 14

Číslo/ Issue: 2

Strany/ Page Range: 43-62

Rok vydania/ Publication Year: 2025

Jazyk/ Language: Slovak

Vydavateľ/ Publisher: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku

Abstrakt/ Abstract: This historical study offers an in-depth analysis of the reception and implementation of the Council of Trent’s marriage legislation in the Kingdom of Hungary during the 16th and 17th centuries, a period marked by political fragmentation, Ottoman occupation, and confessional conflicts. The research focuses on the decree Tametsi, which introduced the canonical form of marriage, and examines how this norm was gradually enforced despite the absence of formal promulgation. Through a historical-legal approach, the article investigates diocesan and provincial synods (1560, 1611, 1629) and the role of leading prelates such as Mikuláš Oláh and Peter Pázmány in shaping matrimonial discipline. It highlights the interplay between universal canon law and local customary practices, showing how the principle of usu receptum granted binding force to Tridentine norms over time. The study demonstrates that clandestine marriages, common until the late Middle Ages, were systematically eliminated by requiring the presence of a parish priest and witnesses, introducing mandatory banns, and standardizing liturgical practice through the Rituale Strigoniense. By situating these developments within broader processes of Catholic restoration and confessionalization, the article contributes to understanding the dynamics of legal reception and ecclesiastical reform in early modern Central Europe. It argues that the Hungarian case exemplifies a unique model of normative integration, where persistent pastoral efforts and synodal legislation compensated for the lack of formal legislative acts, ultimately aligning Hungary with the post-Tridentine legal framework.

Kľúčové slová/ Keywords: Council of Trent, Tametsi decree, Hungarian marriage law, Rituale Strigoniense, recatholicization.

Citácia/ How to cite:

KRIVDA, Andrej a SEKERÁK, Lukáš, 2025. Recepcia noriem Tridentského koncilu o manželstve v Uhorsku v 16. a 17. storočí. Notitiæ historiæ ecclesiasticæ. Online. Roč. 14, č. 2, s. 43-62. ISSN 1338-9572 (Print). ISSN 2730-0153 (Online). Dostupné na:

Toto dielo je publikované pod/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.