Martin Luther

MARTIN LUTHER: THE RELUCTANT REVOLUTIONARY
PROF. M. M. NINAN
“Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls
that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which
to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial.”
Julius II (b. 1443, r. 1503–1513).
[Indulgence for Raising Funds for the Basilica of St. Peter, in Latin].
Universis presentes litteras inspecturis pateat. Quod propter contributionem elimosinariam factam in subsidium favrice
Appostolorum Principis in Romana Urbe: Concessum est.
Rome: Johann Besicken, ca. 1507.
Broadside, printed on paper.
(BRA1993)
Bridwell Library holds the unique copy of this indulgence printed circa 1507 to raise funds for the rebuilding of the
Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. Purchased by those seeking remission of their sins, indulgences came to be severely
criticized by the early sixteenth century. Abuses of indulgences, such as their unlimited promotion without need for
penance, led Luther to condemn their sale entirely.
The only thing that indulgences-for-money guaranteed, Luther declared, was an increase in profit
and greed, because the pardon of the Church was in God's power alone. While Luther did not deny
the pope’s right to grant pardons for penance imposed by the Church, he made it clear that
preachers who claimed that indulgences absolved buyers from all punishments were in grave error.
From this controversy the Protestant Reformation was launched.
Luther's critique of indulgences had a tremendous impact on his world. The 95 Theses gained
enormous popularity over a very short period of time. Leo X demanded that Luther recant 41
purported errors, some from the 95 Theses and others from other writings and sayings Luther,
which Luther famously refused to do before the Diet of Worms in 1521, thus symbolically initiating
the Protestant Reformation.
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