The Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517, was a pivotal point in European history which forever changed the face of the Catholic Church. While the causes of the Protestant Reformation were numerous, two issues which upset people like Martin Luther and causing them to react were the ever increasing desire for wealth and power of some popes and the sale of indulgences.
Corruption within the church had existed for centuries as popes became increasingly concerned with their wealth and power. As shown in document 1, Pope Julius is told he may not enter the gates of heaven because he brought the wrong keys – keys of wealth and power – not the keys of knowledge. As a Catholic priest, teacher, and theologian, Erasmus witnessed the downfall of morality among the clergy and was therefore moved to use his writings, like In Praise of Folly, to shed light on the growing wealth, power, and corruption within the church. This idea of corruption within the church is further demonstrated by Ulrich von Hutten, who states “What little may perhaps be left is drawn away daily by the new schemes invented by the council of the most holy members of the Roman curia.” (Doc 4) As a German nobleman in control of vast lands and wealth, von Hutten would undoubtedly notice his coffers becoming increasingly strained under the weight of hefty papal taxes. The ever-growing taxes led people to revolt, not only spiritually, but also politically as demonstrated in the German Peasant’s Revolt of 1525, when peasants hoped to protect and possibly even increase their economic standing.
In addition to corrupt popes, the sale of indulgences became a point of contention amongst individuals such as Martin Luther. A German monk and theologian in search of salvation, Luther believed that one could only obtain salvation through faith and therefore greatly opposed the selling of indulgences. In Doc 3, he states “thus those preachers of indulgences are in error who say that by the indulgences of the Pope a man is freed and saved from all punishment.” However, some individuals such as Tetzel, promoted the sale of indulgences. He states “You may obtain letters of safe conduct from the vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ, by means of which you are able to liberate your soul from the hands of the enemy…” (Doc 2). Tetzel, who as a friar was authorized by the church to sell indulgences, probably benefitted financially and therefore promoted the sale of indulgences in his sermons.
Corruption and the sale of indulgences were two of the numerous problems within the church. These seemingly “unholy” actions led to a movement of reforms led by individuals such as Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. These reforms would lead to future religious wars and political changes throughout Europe. In France specifically, King Henry IV would pass the Edict of Nantes, granting religious liberties to the French Protestants, or Huguenots. Through the leadership of such reformers and politiques, the common people would rally together to bring about change to the church’s policies and forever split the church.