Martin Luther And The Catholic Church

Martin Luther’s Letter to the German nobility condemned many of the Catholic Churches practices that Martin Luther believed reflected a corrupt church and described his growing opposition to the pope. Martin Luther believed that the pope should not have any authority over the emperor unless it is for spiritual offices. He believed that the only time, out of religious situations, the pope should feel above the emperor is when he anoints and crowns him at the altar. Martin Luther also did not understand the point or agree with pilgrimages or supports the facts that priest were not allowed to marry. He believed that pilgrimages separated you from your family which you are suppose to protect, not leave and that by forbidding priest to marry you are going against God’s wishes. While Martin Luther does not agree with many of the Catholic Church’s practices, the purpose of this document is not to bring hate upon the pope and Catholic Church but rather bring light upon the early reformation and Luther’s new religious movement.

A major 16th century movement initially aimed at reforming the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformation was begun by a German monk named Martin Luther who challenge the Catholic Church’s doctrine by posting his 95 Theses on a church door. He did this because he was appalled that the church was selling indulgences, which were written letters that assured people’s salvation, in order to build a new Basilica in Rome under Pope Leo X. Martin Luther argued that the Bible, not the pope, was the central means to discern God’s word and was the only thing capable of giving salvation.

In the Introduction of this document, Luther tried to coax the German aristocracy that the Pope was evil and that they should reliance in God. Martin spoke with anger when he proved his point about the pope and the church. Luther said, “Their malice and wickedness I will now, by the help of God, expose, so that, being known, they may henceforth cease to be so obstructive and injurious.” Luther tried to prove that the Church and the

The dominance or the power to give orders or decision making of the Roman Catholic Church remained unchallenged for many years. Succeeding in 1517, Martin Luther disrupted the Catholic Church to its very foundations. Luther was not a rebel but determined for God's Word to manifest the truth. Luther's disruption was not trying to overthrow the Catholic Church or even start his corporeal religion. All Luther endeavors to do was to prevent the Church from engaging in some practices that he considered

In Martin Luther’s, Open Letter to the Christian Nobility, he describes three points of justification, which the Romanists/Catholics have previously used to defend themselves, to build a wall around them so that no one has a reason to be able to reform the Catholic Church. As a result, these excuses offered by the Romanists, in order to avoid a reformation, has been the cause of terrible corruption throughout all Christendom. First, when pressed by the secular powers, the Romanists have issued commands and have established that these secular powers have no jurisdiction over them. However, on the other hand, the Romanists have also established that the spiritual is above the secular power. Secondly, an attempt is made by the temporal powers

While Martin Luther is most notable for his 95 Theses, his Letter to German Nobility is more powerful and elaborative in his argument against the teachings of Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther writes a letter to the German nobility pleading to end all affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. In his letter, Martin Luther expresses that nothing is received in return for all the money Germany sends to Rome and that the money is spent “fruitlessly”. After his attempt to directly attack the Church through the 95 Theses failed, Martin Luther wrote to the German people in attempt to cut ties with the injustice Church. Martin Luther’s letter effectively able to provide concrete examples and solutions in which how the German nobility should further proceed in their involvement with the Roman Catholic Church.

In Martin Luther’s To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Luther writes to the German princes on the three walls that the Catholic Church uses to defend themselves from reform. Luther attacks all three walls for the power it gives to the Pope. His attack of the second wall, that only the pope can interpret scripture, is a tenant of Luther’s theology. The Lutheran belief of Sola Scriptura holds that only Scripture should be the source of all Christian practices, rather than doctrines declared by popes or other teaching authorities. While the second wall reflects a legitimate belief of Luther’s theology, Luther writes on this topic to the german nobility because it is politically beneficial towards himself, his movement, and the princedoms of Germany, not necessarily for religious reasons. These political motives are illustrated when studying the relationship between the church, the princes, and the Holy Roman Empire in Germany at the time, Luther’s response to the Peasant Revolt of 1525, and the scholars of The Church at the time.

On October 31st, 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church. He wrote the 95 Theses to attack and protest against the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, primarily going after the sale of indulgences. Indulgences are described as the lessening of time a soul would have to spend in purgatory wrongfully sold by priests to Christians as certificates that promised salvation in the afterlife.

Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career by James M. Kittelson is a biography of the famous German monk turned theologian and reformer, Martin Luther. This is one of the most influential men in history, and as a matter of fact, “In most big libraries, books by and about Martin Luther occupy more shelf room than those concerned with any other human being except Jesus of Nazareth” (Kittelson 9). This fame of Luther’s isn’t only postmortem, “This extraordinary interest in an extraordinary man reaches back almost half a millennium. Even in his own time Luther was a ‘media personality’ the first of such in three thousand years of human history” (Kittelson 9). Luther was a subject of great controversy in his own time, as well as in our, and it has only driven his name and message into the spotlight. No matter or what one aligns himself with, “People still find themselves taking sides on the question of Luther” (Kittelson 9). It is for this reason that James M. Kittelson wrote this survey. He tells us that “The primary purpose of this book is to tell the story of Martin Luther to readers who are not specialists in the field of Luther studies” (Kittelson 10). This book is a general overview of all aspects of Luther, not just a precise dissection of one aspect, which allows for “as faithful a picture as possible of the whole man” (Kittelson 11).

As the lawyer of Martin Luther, I proclaim that he is innocent of all charges presented against him. He has been charged with heresy, starting revolt against the pope and Catholic Church, as well as preaching against the Catholic church and pope. Since his young adulthood, Martin made the decision to become an augustinian monk Since that day, he had been a loyal member of the Catholic church. He even became a priest for Wittenberg’s City Church. It was at Wittenburg that Mr. Luther began to question some of the practices of the Roman Church.

Luther also became concerned with the hypocrisy in the lives of the church clergy. His work, “An Open Letter to The Christian Nobility of the German Nation Concerning the Reform of the Christian Estate” revealed the power that the Pope and the bishops had usurped from the government and the people. According to Luther, the Pope had encroached upon the power of the government by declaring “…that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them…” (1520). The church had also reserved the exclusive right to interpret the use of Scripture, decide its application and the ability to summon a council. The national governments and the people were not only banned from questioning the church, but also deprived of any way of officially petitioning against it.

“the Church of Rome, formerly the most holy of all Churches, has become the most lawless den of thieves, the most shameless of all brothels, the very kingdom of sin, death, and hell; so that not even antichrist, if he were to come, could devise any addition to its wickedness.” He believed that Church had to many restrictions and that it was using to much power and money instead of faith, and that preachers were abusing the position of their job. He beleived that Roman Catholic Church has lost the sanse and true meaning of Christianity when they started to preach that freedom could be earned by buying induglunces as where people had to pay certain amount of money so their sins would be forgotten. Luther opposed these thinkings in ''On Christian Liberty'' by explaining that no work or indulgences are neccesary for salvation, because if man has faith, he can pure his sins by himself. He explained why faith is so important and how good works without faith are nothing.

Roman Catholicism, as practiced by the pope and clergy, had strong control over the spiritually of their followers. The congregation was unable to directly contact God without the help of a priest. Most were illiterate and mass was performed in Latin. Sacraments were dispensed only by a priest. Purportedly, indulgences could shorten time in purgatory. Luther felt that all Christians should have a direct link with God without the help of priests. Each Christian should place their faith in God alone. They should also read the Bible themselves.

In Martin Luther’s letter to Nicholas von Amsdorf, Luther states, “I am carrying out our intention to put together a few points on the matter of the reform of the Christian estate, to be laid before the Christian nobility of the German nation in the hope that God may help his church through the laity; since the clergy, to whom this task more properly belongs, have grown quite indifferent.” This sentence sets the tone and describes what Luther wants to address in his treatise. Luther is saying that he intends to address the problems within the church and bring attention to them. He is convinced the way to fix these problems is to give the task to people who are not a part of the clergy, like the German nobility.

The new year has begun and much has changed with respect to the state of Holy Mother Church. This is the 100th year anniversary of Our Lady's appearance at Fatima. However, what is being emphasized in the wondrous Vatican is the celebration of the heresiarch Luther's rebellion against the Church. The historical revisionists and modernists in the Vatican are trying their best to transform chicken scat into chicken salad. Luther is being touted as a reformer of the Church. Cardinal Kurt Koch stated: “Luther was pressing for a substantial reform of the Church and not a Reformation that would lead to the disintegration of the unity of the Church. The fact that, at the time, his idea of reform was not able to be realized is largely due to