Recepcia noriem Tridentského koncilu o manželstve v Uhorsku v 16. a 17. storočí
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 Rit-uale 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.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Reformation and Early Modern Christianity
Theology and Canon Law Studies
Historical Legal Studies and Society
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Notitiae Historiae Ecclesiasticae
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 43–43
- Publication date
- 13 January 2026