Luther

On October 31st 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany effectually starting the Protestant Reformation. I knew the gist of it, that Luther listed all the things wrong with Catholic doctrine and especially denounced the sale of indulgences (or pardons) which were an effort by the Catholic Church endorsed by the pope to raise money for the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. But I never really understood the depths of it until I recently read through some of his statements as part of a study on confession. I found myself laughing out loud at his sarcasm of the pope and sitting in awe at the courage of this man of God bringing such heavy indictments against the powerful Church. Let me list some of my favorites here:

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

86. [In reference to questions from the laity] -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

No wonder this man was excommunicated, labeled a heretic and condemned under penalty of death!