Did women have a role in the Council of Trent? No, it's not a typographical error - the Council of Trent, that ecclesiastical event (1545-1563) whose 450^th anniversary will be celebrated in 2013. The answer is no. But from Trent onwards, women began to be affected: for years there was talk of forced monastic conversions, and especially of the many founders of female congregations that still exist today and play an important role in bringing the Church closer to daily life. This makes it possible to "reread even the Council of Trent in light of gender," especially due to two aspects (at least) arising directly from Trent that are still in effect today, as is explained in this anthology volume collecting the contributions of a 2009 convention.The first is the barring of women from the holy orders. The ordination of women is impossible because access to the priesthood carries a superiority over others that women cannot assume, since they are inferior to men. That was the argument of the Dominican Domingo de Soto, made at the time of the Council. The Council, in fact, does not speak of any role for women, and its documents speak only of "men." It simply wasn't part of the mentality of that age, and the ban on women in the holy orders arises from this period.

Vatican II carried a review of language and the priesthood, but the treatise of Trent very much influences both the collective imagination and theological doctrine.

The second aspect is liturgical reform, which has engendered much nostalgia for the Tridentine mass and the use of Latin. For those who feel this nostalgia, the Council of Trent is seen as continuous with tradition, which was broken by Vatican II with its liturgical reforms and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. In reality, as demonstrated by lay theologian Andrea Grillo, Vatican II did the same job as Trent (though using more cryptic language): to renew language and style while at the same time assuring continuity. Where is the error? In those who cannot see that there is sacred action, reserved to the clergy, and another, ritual action, which puts the Church and the announcement of Christ at its center. As Paul VI said in 1965, Vatican II and liturgical reform brought "a new spiritual pedagogy," or different modalities for content that is consistent with tradition. The journey toward a new language is not without danger - this has always been a fundamental problem for the Church, intensified today because of the plasticity of language. We strive to understand what the Californian cognitivists of Palo Alto have known for the past 60 years: we are immersed in communication, which shapes every action and behavior. To succeed in making this a positive skill is a challenge for the Church (as it is for everyone), in the realm of symbols and in terms of explanation of the Gospel. It is an immense task.