Martin Luther

Martin Luther, a German monk hated the greed, bribery and corruption he had observed in the church. When he became a teacher at the University of Wittenburg in Germany, he told his students that all that was necessary to be a Christian was to believe truly in Christ. If people had complete faith. God would forgive their sins and they would find salvation.

People, he declared, would not wipe out their sins by going on pilgrimages, praying to saints or buying indulgences.

In 1517 a friar John Tetzel, came to Wittenburg selling indulgences. Half the money collected was to go towards building a new St. Peter’s Church in Rome. The other half was to pay off an Archbishop’s debts. Luther was furious.

Luther wrote out a long list of complaints against such indulgences and nailed them to the church door at Wittenburg. The list was later called the 95 Theses.

Although Luther did not realize it at the time, he had thus begun the Protestant Reformation. His ideas and beliefs were soon to attract thousands of followers.

In 1529 the word “Protestant” came to be given to his followers.

The Pope sent him a message saying that Luther was in the wrong and demanding that he recant. Luther took the Bull and burned it. The Pope excommunicated Luther. This meant that Luther was thrown out of the Church and that the Pope and other Roman Catholics thought he would go to hell when he died.

Reformation

From 1517 there were tremendous changes in the Roman Catholic Church in Europe. Since almost everyone was a member of the Church, this had great impact on the lives of people.

For a long time, many people had been unhappy with the way in which the Church was run. Some felt that the Pope was too rich and powerful. They felt that he did not rule the Church like a man of God but just like any other rich prince.

Some priest did not live holy lives.

Educated people wanted to make up their own minds about the Bible. The idea of the Renaissance, spread by printing, made them question the right of the Church to tell them how to live their lives.

Historians call these great changes the Reformation.