Luther was excommunicated for criticizing the Catholic Church, accusing it of nepotism and corruption. On January 3, 1521, Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X, born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was pope from 9 March 1513 to his death in 1521. Born into the prominent political and banking Medici family of Florence, Giovanni was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of the Florentine Republic, and was elevated to the card…
What was the result of the excommunication of Martin Luther?
[32] It was the beginning of a centuries-old contrast between the Protestant Reformation and the Church of Rome. With excommunication, Luther was ousted from all imperial territory (something that weighed on him for the rest of his life).
What happened to Luther’s Manual for conducting confessions?
The manual for conducting confessions disappeared into the flames, as did a few works written against Luther by Eck and Emser. When everything was burning, Luther himself came “with fear and trembling” 2 and threw in the excommunication bull.
What happened to Martin Luther’s books?
As a consequence, only the books of canon law were burned. The manual for conducting confessions disappeared into the flames, as did a few works written against Luther by Eck and Emser. When everything was burning, Luther himself came “with fear and trembling” 2 and threw in the excommunication bull.
What happened to Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms?
In January 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther. Three months later, Luther was called to defend his beliefs before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, where he was famously defiant. For his refusal to recant his writings, the emperor declared him an outlaw and a heretic.
Who protected Luther's reformation?
Why was Martin Luther called an outlaw?
Who was the catalyst of Protestantism?
Who was the General who bagged the Fox?
See more
About this website
What was the impact of the excommunication of Martin Luther?
What was the result of Martin Luther's exile?
What is the main significance of being excommunicated?
What does it mean that Martin Luther was excommunicated from the church?
What happened to Martin Luther after he posted the 95 Theses?
Which pope excommunicated Martin Luther?
What happens when a person is excommunicated?
What happens after excommunication?
Does the Catholic Church still excommunicate?
What was the result of Calvinism?
Why did the church excommunicated Martin Luther in 1521?
Why did Martin Luther break away from the Catholic Church?
The Day Martin Luther Was Excommunicated - Crossway
Herman Selderhuis is professor of church history at the Theological University Apeldoorn in the Netherlands and director of Refo500, the international platform focused on raising awareness for projects related to the legacy of the Reformation. He also serves as the director of the Reformation Research Consortium, president of the International Calvin Congress, and curator of research at the ...
What are the reasons Martin Luther left the Catholic Church?
It is important to remember that Martin Luther did not originally want to leave the Catholic Church, he wanted to reform it. As a result, he was forced out of the Church.
When did Luther get excommunicated?
Rome, for its part, had had enough. On January 3, 1521 , Luther was excommunicated. The severity of excommunication is not to be underestimated; it was customary that the political authorities would follow the lead of the church, which meant exile from the empire. Fortunately for Luther, a number of rulers already did not want to yield to Rome.
What was Luther's conclusion about the pope?
Once more, Luther listed all his arguments, and then the conclusion was clear: canon law made the pope to be God on earth; such an unbiblical thought had to come to an end.
What happened to the books of canon law?
As a consequence, only the books of canon law were burned. The manual for conducting confessions disappeared into the flames, as did a few works written against Luther by Eck and Emser. When everything was burning, Luther himself came “with fear and trembling” 2 and threw in the excommunication bull. Afterward, he went home, but the students stayed ...
What is the significance of the worms?
Worms, 1521. In modern-day Worms an important monument commemorates Luther’s visit to the 1521 diet. The monument is very detailed, depicting many figures as predecessors and fellow fighters with Luther. Luther stands on top alone, looking determined, just as he stood before the emperor.
When did Melanchthon burn the bull?
Instead of recanting his views, he just burned the bull. On December 10 , after exactly sixty days, when the excommunication bull went into effect, Melanchthon posted an announcement for people to come to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, just outside the Elster Gate, at 9:00 p.m.
Did Luther want to yield to Rome?
Fortunately for Luther, a number of rulers already did not want to yield to Rome. Some were touched in their hearts by Luther’s message or at least by his efforts to reform the church. Others saw his action as a convenient opportunity to sever their ties with the pope and emperor. For some, both arguments were important.
Did Martin Luther know what he knew?
Luther experienced self-doubting, especially as to whether it was possible that he could be the only one in church history to know what he knew. It would have been quite something if he had been the only one in all those centuries who saw that the church had corrupted its message and forsaken true Christianity.
When was Martin Luther excommunicated?
Luther was excommunicated in 1521. The radically anti-traditional nature of many (not all) of Luther’s opinions (at least in their early stages) is clearly evident in his three great treatises of 1520: especially in To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation and The Babylonian Captivity of the Church. I'm not presently trying ...
Why did Martin Luther not become Catholic?
He did not reluctantly become so because he was unfairly kicked out of the Church by men who would not listen to manifest Scripture and reason.
What was the Protestant version of Luther's movement?
The standard “Protestant version” given for the beginning of Luther's new movement is that he only wished to reform the corruptions and excesses in practice, of the Catholic Church (particularly, abuses of indulgences, whoring bishops or priests, etc.).
Was Luther heretical?
It is absolutely evident that Luther was heretical and that the Church was under no obligation to even contend with him at the Diet of Worms in 1521, and equally obvious that the Church should demand that he recant, renounce, and cease teaching these things.
What problems did Luther have?
In the meantime the problems posed by Luther had not yet been answered. The chorus of consensus that he aroused seemed to be holding back the judgments of the universities on the theses. The theologians of Mainz had limited themselves to advising the archbishop to have the theses examined in Rome. The University of Erfurt, where Luther had studied, was unable to take a position. The first judgment, in August 1519, was that of the University of Cologne, a Dominican stronghold, and was followed by that of the University of Louvain. The slowness can be explained by the universities’ resistance to formulating an opinion on topics that had not been defined.
Why did Luther not retract his sermon?
Therefore, he could not retract, because he believed he was basing his convictions on the Bible. When the cardinal insisted that obedience was due to the pontiff, Luther pointed out that even the pope could make mistakes, as had happened to Peter in the Antioch controversy.
What was the significance of the 95 Theses of October 31, 1517?
For a long time Luther’s 95 Theses of October 31, 1517, were considered a challenge to the Church. This would be demonstrated by their posting on the door of the Wittenberg church of All Saints. The episode, despite the fact that many consider it historical, is a legend. This is not an insignificant detail, because it undermines the interpretation, handed down for centuries, of the posting as a sign of Luther’s rebellion against the Church. We discussed this at length five years ago. [4]
Who protected Luther's reformation?
Luther was protected by powerful German princes, however, and by his death in 1546, the course of Western civilization had been significantly altered. READ MORE: Reformation: Definition and History. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness.
Why was Martin Luther called an outlaw?
For his refusal to recant his writings , the emperor declared him an outlaw and a heretic.
Who was the catalyst of Protestantism?
Martin Luther, the chief catalyst of Protestantism, was a professor of biblical interpretation at the University of Wittenberg in Germany when he drew up his 95 theses condemning the Catholic Church for its corrupt practice of selling indulgences, or the forgiveness of sins. He followed up the revolutionary work with equally controversial ...
Who was the General who bagged the Fox?
In a stroke of strategic genius, General George Washington manages to evade conflict with General Charles Cornwallis, who had been dispatched to Trenton to bag the fox (Washington), and wins several encounters with the British rear guard, as it departs Princeton for Trenton, New ...read more

Consequences of Luther's Stand
- On June 28, 1519, the Spanish Habsburger Charles V, grandson of Maximillian, was chosen as emperor, but his coronation did not take place until October 1520. By the time the new emperor and the pope finally turned their attention to the controversy around the “Ninety-Five Theses,” the events of October 31, 1517, were already three years old. There could be no way to hold back th…
A Crossroads
- Whether they all understood the implications of this evening is not known, but the following morning Luther explained the meaning of the event in his lectures. Now was the time to make a choice against the pope and for Christ, even if that would create danger for one’s own life. For the common people he wrote the booklet Why the Books of the Pope and His Disciples Were Burne…
Luther Excommunicated
- Luther was quite conscious of the fact that the burning of the bull and the books of canon law had created a definite breach with Rome. To him that meant that he had broken with the whore of Rome and had returned to the church of Christ. Rome, for its part, had had enough. On January 3, 1521, Luther was excommunicated. The severity of excommunicati...
Worms, 1521
- In modern-day Worms an important monument commemorates Luther’s visit to the 1521 diet. The monument is very detailed, depicting many figures as predecessors and fellow fighters with Luther. Luther stands on top alone, looking determined, just as he stood before the emperor. In the days preceding that event, the situation was quite a bit different. Luther experienced self-dou…