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The 14th Century: Corruption In The Catholic Church

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Corruption in the Catholic Church was a serious issue by the late Middle Ages; “It had been in disarray since the Avignon papacy and the Great Schism of the fourteenth century (Matthews, Platt, Noble, Experience Humanities, pg. 366).” At this time, the Church was focused on Italian politics and committed to worldly interests. The Church was also losing power to secular rulers who strived to bring their subjects back under state control (Matthews, Platt, Noble, Experience Humanities, pg. 367). As no unified kingdom was developing in Germany, the Church had great power there. German princes were struggling to release themselves from the control of Charles V and Church reform was not a priority. In 1520, Martin Luther changed the course of history. The …show more content…

368). Martin Luther, a monk at the time, wrote the Ninety-Five Theses in response to the selling of indulgences in Germany to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The Ninety-Five Theses questioned the legitimacy of indulgences and challenged the sacraments of confession and penance as well as the authority of the pope. Martin Luther intended his Ninety-Five Theses to spark a debate about church practices at the university where he taught. Instead, however, he ignited criticism against the church and placed himself at the front line of reformation. The Archbishop of Mainz forwarded the Ninety-Five Theses to Rome for review in 1517. The Church was initially hesitant about their punishment for Martin Luther, but in 1520, Pope Leo X sent a papal bull warning Luther that he risked being excommunicated if he didn’t recant his writing. Luther set fire to the document in public which branded him as a heretic and an outlaw (Matthews, Platt, Noble, Experience Humanities, pg. 368). The Pope excommunicated him in January of

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The beginning of the 16th century brought with it the Reformation. The Catholic Church became challenged by Martin Luther and John Calvin. With nailing of the 95 theses on the Church doors, Luther began the Protestant Reformation. The counter-reformation was introduced in Europe to weaken the Protestant Reformation and rebuild the power of the Catholic Church through education, clergy reform, and spreading of the Catholic faith. The counter-reformation can be additionally seen as a political movement because of the loss in revenue in the Baltic provinces.

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This made Luther create a document called the the 95 Theses. The 95 Theses exposed the church in 95 different ways. Luther took this document very seriously. He even nailed the document to the door of the church so everyone could see.

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Martin Luther was a Catholic monk at the University of Wittenberg in Germany. Luther was unhappy with the practice of selling indulgences (a pardon releasing a sinner from performing a penalty in exchange for money), so, on October 31, 1517, he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. These Theses were intended to encourage discussion about indulgences, but, with the help of the printing press, Luther’s 95 Theses gave rise to the Protestant Reformation (Document B).

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Martin Luther then wrote the “95 Theses”, or “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”. This list was nailed on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, initiating the Protestant Reformation. However, Luther was not the only reformer. John Calvin agreed with Martin Luther, but believed that the church should be simple, removed of all icons, and also a stricter lifestyle.

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In the sixteenth century of Europe, religious reform and changes led people away from the Catholic Church. From Martin Luther’s exposition of the church’s corruption to King Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy, these two religious figures broke away from the Catholic Church in favor of alternative religions. Their lives were heavily involved in their personal and political motives to change the church’s religious practices and beliefs. In the German states, Martin Luther realized that the priests were often unqualified, immoral, and corrupted.

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Theses, posted in 1517, criticized the sale of indulgences and called for a debate on issues of faith and authority within the Church. He emphasized the doctrine of justification by faith, rejecting the Catholic Church's teaching on the necessity of good works for salvation. Luther also advocated for the priesthood of all believers, asserting that all believers have direct access to God and the ability to interpret the Bible for

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The 95 Theses, which were courteously written to the Pope, denounced the sale of Papal Indulgences and attracted the attention of German aristocrats who were tired of paying so much to the Church. Due to the printing press, Luther’s 95 Theses were printed quickly and translated into many different languages so that his writing became available and popular throughout Germany. The Pope responded to Luther’s accusations by mandating that Luther recant. Luther then realized that the Church was far more corrupt than he thought, so he announced that the Pope and Catholic Church had been wrong in the past and were wrong again at that time.

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On October 31, 1517, Luther posted Ninety-Five Theses on the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg Germany (Sayre 561-562). Luther believed that the Church had abused its power and position by manipulating the common people for their own gain. He believed that salvation is

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Martin Luther, a German professor and monk, made a large impact on society in the fifteen hundreds. His new ideas of Christianity changed the concept of how religion was viewed and practiced in the 16th century. Within his Ninety-five Theses, he questioned the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and brought to light the corruption surrounding the church while stating how Christianity should be practiced in different ways rather than what is being taught. It is important to understand his stances on religion to explain how different groups reacted to his ideas. While some parts of Europe accepted his ideologies into practice, others reject Luther for many different reasons.

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An indulgence was a donation to the church that came with a promise from the pope to reduce a sinner’s time in purgatory. Seeing his parishioners handing over money they did not have, did not sit well with Luther. All for a paper that he believed to be pointless. So he replied with the 95 Theses against indulgences and then placed them to the church door for all to see on October 31, 1517. This led to a number of debates with other men of the strong opinion, during this time Luther 's positions became increasingly harsh.

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These ideas prompted many Catholics into finally correcting the church themselves and seeking Reformation. Martin Luther became the leading figure of the Reformation because he had openly challenged the authority of the Pope and attacked the practice of indulgences in his “Ninety-Five Theses” letter. Several other prominent Theologians such as John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli seized upon Luther’s beliefs and Reformation swept across 16th century Europe, leading eventually to

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