7


DiScOvErInG HiStOrY


Pope Leo X was not happy when he heard about the spread of Luther’s theses and he quickly sent Cardinal Cajetan to meet Luther in Leipzig and persuade him to recant (take back) his objections. Luther refused and so Leo in 1519 sent a theologian (someone who studies religions) named John Eck to discuss the matter with Luther. During their debate Luther went as far as to question the Pope’s power, stating that ‘a layman with scripture is to be believed before a pope or church council without scripture’. As Luther’s views gained popularity, Pope Leo X began to believe that Luther was very dangerous and so he issued a papal bull (a papal bull is a formal letter from the pope) entitled ‘Exsurge Domine’ which means ‘Arise, O Lord’. This letter threatened Luther with excommunication (when a person is not allowed to take communion and so is damned to hell for all eternity). On 10 December 1520 Luther publicly burnt the papal bull and therefore was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. This did not stop Luther who continued to write pamphlets outlining his view that the only place Christians must look for guidance was in the Bible, not from the Pope. The papal bull that excommunicated Luther in June 1520 asked the Church to ensure that the vineyard of the Lord be protected from the wild boar that had invaded it.


RECALL


1. Which universities did Luther attend and what did he study? 2. From Luther’s early life what sort of person do you think he was? Give reasons for your answer. 3. Why was Luther angry at John Tetzel? 4. Read thesis number 36 and try to explain in your own words what Luther meant. 5. Give two examples of how the invention of the printing press contributed to the Reformation. 6. In the papal bull of June 1520, what does the request to 'ensure that the vineyard of the Lord be protected from the wild boar that invaded it' mean?


7. Who is the wild boar?


The Pope next turned to Charles V of Spain. Charles was the Holy Roman Emperor and so ruled over Spain and parts of Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium and most of the New World. Pope Leo asked Charles to intervene and try to force Luther to recant his teachings. In April 1521 a Diet (a large meeting or parliament of many of the German princes and rulers) was organised at a town called Worms. Emperor Charles V promised that Luther would be safe if he came to the Diet to discuss a possible solution. Luther had a lot of support from the German princes and he refused to back down at the meeting, stating, ‘I cannot and will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right or safe’.


After the Diet ended, Charles V issued the Edict (order) of Worms declaring Luther to be an outlaw. All his writings were to be destroyed and if he was caught he was to be burnt at the stake as a heretic (someone who has beliefs that differ from the beliefs of an established religion). His followers were also outlawed and no one was permitted to provide food or shelter to them.


182


Fig 7.7 Luther nailing the theses to the church door of Wittenberg Castle on 31st


October, 1517.


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