Leo X

In 1517, Martin Luther, a professor of theology in Wittenberg, wrote his 95 theses in response to the Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences. Sent to the Archbishop of Mainz on 31 October and rapidly circulated through printing, they criticised ecclesiastical abuses and advocated inward spiritual repentance. Condemned by Pope Leo X in 1520, they sparked the Protestant Reformation and permanently transformed the history of Western Christianity.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate