Martin Luther and the theses that started the Reformation
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On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther hung his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg. It was the start of the Reformation and the break between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran movement. Martin Luther was a professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg. The theses Luther posted on the church door were primarily about the possibility of buying one’s way out of purgatory by giving indulgences.
Purgatory, indulgences and theses
Today, it may be difficult to understand what purgatory meant in an understanding of the Christian message 500 years ago. Purgatory was a place where the dead skeletons stayed temporarily. A place they were to stay until God returned to judge between the living and the dead. Purgatory was a place where those waiting went through a purification process. It was a place where people had to make amends for their sins. The greater the sins of the dead, the more extensive and demanding this process was.
There was a possibility of a gentler time in purgatory. It was possible to buy indulgences. A kind of letter that shortened and softened the time spent there. Purgatory was a penance for sins. Through the Pope, who is God’s chosen son, it was possible to buy grace. Paying a fine or indulgence therefore tempted many who had enough money.
A thesis is a statement that forms the basis of a scientific investigation or philosophical discussion. Martin Luther’s theses were intended as a basis for scientific analysis.
St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican
In the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica was built. Construction began in 1506 and lasted 120 years. The cost of the church was enormous. The Pope financed part of this by issuing indulgences. This indulgence was very extensive and was intended to provide forgiveness for almost all sins.
Through his theses, Martin Luther argued that the Pope could not issue indulgences in the name of God. There is only a spiritual process that can lead to the forgiveness of sins. He claimed that indulgences caused Christians to avoid true repentance and sorrow for sin, believing that they could renounce it by obtaining indulgences.
Martin Luther sent his theses to Albert of Brandenburg, the archbishop at the time. Martin Luther’s theses create immediate reactions. Over the next few years, Martin Luther’s criticism of the Pope increased. In his theses, Martin Luther had not criticized the pope. But now the criticism of both the Pope and Catholic theology became stronger.
Martin Luther excommunicated by the Pope
On June 15, 1520, the Pope issued a declaration in which he threatened to excommunicate Martin Luther. After this, he gathered colleagues and students outside the city gate of Wittenberg. There, the declaration threatening banishment was burned on a bonfire. The declaration required Luther to recant a number of statements within 60 days.
On January 3, 1521, Martin Luther was declared excommunicated by the Pope. The break between the Roman Catholic Church and Martin Luther was a fact.
It was not in Martin Luther’s interest to create a popular revolution. He wanted to create an academic discussion about indulgences and the doctrine of purgatory. The result was a revolution that spread to large parts of Europe. Religious persecution was the result. A bloody rebellion between two branches of the same religion.