On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Disputatio pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. Commonly known as the 95 theses, this act is seen as the start of the Protestant reformation. Luther’s intent was to initiate an academic discussion, not to form a schism within the Catholic Church.

According to Catholic theology, indulgences would minimize temporal punishment or time spent in purgatory. Luther objected to the widespread abuses in the selling of indulgences; especially in the indulgences which were being sold to finance the renovation of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Disputatio pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum was translated from Latin into German in January 1518. On 15 June 1520, Pope Leo X issued Exsurge Domine, a papal bull, in response to the Luther’s teaching. The bull ordered Luther to recant or be excommunicated. Luther responded, in part, by burning a copy of Exsurge Domine on 10 December 1520. On 3 January 1521, Pope Leo X issued Decet Romanum Pontificem in which he excommunicated Luther.

One of the major issues between Catholic and Lutheran theology concerned justification; whether it came about as a result of faith or works. In theology, “justification” is the process of an individual becoming right with God; that a sinner becomes innocent of his or sins.

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–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Photo Caption: “The Selling of Indulgences” by Hans Holbein the Younger. Sixteenth century.

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