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Protests to Reform the Catholic Church The Reformation Protests to Reform the Catholic Church WhyWhatWhy would is do the youthe man thinkseeChurch tied? here? the order man thedid toexecution receive suchof certain a harsh individuals? punishment? In the late 1300’s, John Wycliffe, a scholar at Oxford University in England, questioned the authority of Church teachings. This is after the Great Schism. Wycliffe felt that Church corruption limited the ability of the clergy to properly lead Christians to salvation. What do you think? Wycliffe stated that a person did not need the Church or its sacraments to attain salvation. He said that Christians should regard the Bible, not the Church, as the supreme source of religious authority. In order to aid his fellow Englishmen to read the Bible, he translated it into English. Wycliffe was expelled from Oxford University in 1382 for his reformist ideas. His ideas, however, spread across Europe and influenced other reformers. Notes: The Reformation: Early Calls for Reform Who were some of the first people to speak out against Church corruption and teachings? John Wycliffe of England (1382): • He thought Christians didn’t need Church or sacraments to achieve salvation. • He regarded the Bible as the most important source of religious authority. • He completed the first translation of the Bible into English. • Outcome: He was expelled from Oxford. Jan Huss was influenced by the ideas of John Wycliffe. In 1403, Huss was the rector of Prague University. It was in this capacity that he challenged the pope’s authority and criticized the wealth of the Church. Huss believed that everyone should have access to God, without necessarily having to go through the Church. He wanted Mass said in Czech (his native language), instead of in Latin. He also wanted the Bible translated into Czech. In addition, he spoke out against the selling of indulgences and the practice of simony, because he felt that these practices were used only to raise money. Due to his calls for reform, Huss was summoned to appear before a council of Church officials. The council’s position at the time was to silence calls for reform, thereby retaining unquestioned authority. Why didn’t Huss’ ideas spread? Huss was charged with heresy. In defense, Huss declared that Christians should seek God in Scripture (the Bible), and NOT in sacraments and rituals. Because these views were declared to be against the teaching of the Church, Huss was burned at the stake. Why did the Church execute Huss? Watch the “Early Reformers” video clip after this slide. Notes: Early Reformers: Jan Huss of Bohemia (1403): • He criticized the wealth of the Church. • He wanted religious services conducted in the language of the worshippers, not in Latin. • He opposed the sale of indulgences. • Outcome: He was burned at the stake for refusing to accept the importance of Church rituals. • What do you see here? • Describe the man with the hammer in his hand. What do you think he is doing? • What might be written on the document he attached to the door of the church? • What are some of the crowd’s reactions? • What kind of person would it take to question the Church? Martin Luther was a Northern German monk whose inability to reconcile his own beliefs with the practices and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (the ONE Christian church at this time) led to the Protestant Reformation. Luther in 1529 by Lucas Cranach Reformation: This is a term meaning “change” or “reform”. It came about because people wanted a change in the way the Church taught and practiced Christianity. Protestant: This is the term that was applied to anyone who left the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1483, to middle class parents. He was a bright and dedicated student, but he was especially concerned with his faith. He struggled with what he perceived as his innate sinfulness. He felt he was unworthy of God’s acceptance. In 1505, after receiving his law degree, he was caught in a terrible thunderstorm. He made a vow that if he survived, he would become a monk. Two weeks later he joined a monastery. Luther was a devout monk who could not accept the corrupt state of the Church. One of the things that troubled him the most was the Church teaching that salvation was attainable through good acts. Gutenberg Bible, from Library of Congress While studying St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans in the Bible, Luther came across the passage: By faith are you saved. What does this mean? Luther interpreted this to mean that by faith alone one is saved. He believed that the key to salvation was in the acceptance that humans are inherently sinful. As such, they are incapable of the good works necessary to attain salvation. He argued that no matter how many good works people performed, they are NOT guaranteed salvation. Salvation could only be gained through sincere faith and God’s compassion for the repentant sinner. How is this different from what the Catholic Church was teaching at the time? This theory, of justification by faith, opened Luther’s eyes to the abuses of the Church. He saw these abuses not as corruption, but as insults to God. Section of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo In 1517, Pope Leo X allowed the Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz, Germany, to hold THREE offices at once. To pay the pope the enormous fee, Albrecht took out a loan from a bank. Albrecht then employed a monk to come to Mainz to sell indulgences. Leo X arranged with Albrecht that one half of the proceeds from the sale of the indulgences would go directly to the bank to pay off the loan. The other half would go to the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Church in Rome. How do you think Luther felt about this? Luther was outraged! In response, he wrote a document, which is now called the Ninety-Five Theses, that he hoped would lead to debate on Church abuses. One of the things he questioned was the validity of indulgences. These he posted outside the Wittenberg Church, in October of 1517. Luther’s main point was that Christians did NOT need the Church to attain salvation, because faith alone mattered. What do you think happened? What device helped spread Luther’s message? Notes: Martin Luther and the Beginning of the Reformation Why did Luther question Church practices and teachings? • He interpreted the Bible to mean that the path to salvation was by faith alone. • He believed forgiveness for sins could only come from God’s mercy. • He felt that indulgences were an “insult” to God. Luther’s views attracted many Germans who resented Italian control of the Church hierarchy, and the pope’s meddling in political affairs. Germany, at the time, was not a unified country, but a number of small kingdoms, or principalities, under the control of the Holy Roman Emperor. The princes of many of these small principalities saw Luther’s reforms as a way to escape the control of the Holy Roman Empire. Within a year, the Pope, Leo X, ordered Luther to report to Church officials in Rome and explain his views. If Luther’s message spread, what would this mean for the Catholic Church? The prince of Saxony, Frederick I, advised Luther not to go and promised to protect Luther. Frederick made this promise because he wanted to reduce the Pope’s power in his principality. In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a formal document of excommunication that gave Luther 60 days to renounce his views. Luther burned the order, and was excommunicated. Luther, a highly devout monk, broke with the Church. After he was excommunicated, Luther expanded his arguments against the Church. He published books and pamphlets in which he claimed: • all Christian men were as good as priests • the Church, especially the Pope, held no special position of power • congregations should be allowed to choose their own minister • the worship of saints and holy days was sinful • the only sacraments were baptisms and Eucharist (communion) • Mass and liturgies should be held in German • Clergy should be allowed to marry Although Martin Luther started with the intention of reforming practices of the Catholic Church, he developed theories for a new Christian Church – the Lutheran Church, the very first non-Catholic Christian Church, and a Protestant Church. Watch the “Martin Luther” video clip after this slide. Notes: Martin Luther How did his criticisms expand into an effort to form a new church? • He wrote 95 Theses to start a debate on Church abuses. • He published books and pamphlets questioning Church teachings. • His ideas for reform led to a new church, the Lutheran Church (the first Protestant church). These reforms touched off widespread revolt in Germany. Luther supported the seizing of Church land and the refusal to pay Church fees. In 1524, however, bands of peasants began to ransack monasteries and castles, believing that everyone was equal under God. This rebellion was suppressed, after more than 100,000 peasants were killed. Why did the peasants rebel? In 1529, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, tried to force all German states to re-institute Catholic practices. 6 princes and 14 cities refused. They became known as the Protesting Estates. The word Protestant was then applied to anyone who left the Roman Catholic Church. In 1555, after many wars, political battles and religious debates, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, signed the Peace of Augsburg. This allowed each German prince to choose which religion, Catholic or Protestant, would be practiced in his respective state. Subjects were to abide by their leader’s decision, but if they differed with the choice they were allowed to migrate to a state that practiced the preferred form of Christianity.
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