Hey, this is Heather from the Renaissance English History Podcast, and this is your Tudor Minute for January 3.
Today in 1521 Pope Leo X issued the Papal Bull that excommunicated Martin Luther from the Catholic Church. It had been over three years since Luther first published his 95 Theses, his list of grievances against the church, and the Pope was finally done with this pesky German cleric. They offered him the chance to recant his 95 Theses, but he refused. Charles V called the Diet of Worms – a council convened by the Holy Roman Emperor to decide the fate of Luther – and Luther still didn’t back down. Charles declared him an outlaw and heretic.
Luther’s main stance was the idea of Justification by Faith alone. It’s the core belief of Protestants everywhere that you can’t earn salvation by good works, or the sale of indulgences, or even confession to a priest.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com where we just did a series on the Protestant Reformation in England in October.
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October is Reformation Month!