Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses

Martin Luther.  Image source

At the time, Pope Leo X had authorised a major fund raising campaign in Germany to renovate St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  When Luther learned that many priests were now purchasing indulgences from the Popes men, he was furious, prompting him to write the ninety-five theses.

The paper was liked by many as others had become disheartened by the practices of some top church officials, and it was widely distributed.  It soon made its way to Rome and efforts were made to persuade Luther to retract it.  He refused and in 1521, Pope Leo X formally excommunicated him.

He again refused to recant in the same year in front of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Germany, who then issued the famous ‘Edict of Worms’, declaring Luther a heretic and given anyone permission to kill him on sight without consequence. Luther went into hiding and began work on translating the bible into German, a project that would take him ten years to complete and went against official church policy.

Charles V.  Image source

At the time, Germany was split into states each ruled by its own prince and some of these princes were in support of Luther’s ideas, claiming their allegiance to God over-rode any they had to the Holy Roman Emperor or the Pope.  They issued a protest to the church arguing their points and became known as ‘Protestants’, gradually the name was used for all who wanted church reform, including those outside of Germany.

Although Luther always saw himself as a Catholic, by the time he died in 1546 his beliefs had formed the foundations for the Protestant Reformation which would split the church in Europe and change the way many worshiped God forever.