In the 95 Theses, Martin Luther addresses the blatant selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church. The money went towards the construction of St. Peter’s basilica. Luther criticizes the Catholic Church for essentially stealing money from people, rather than using their own finances for charitable purposes.
He goes on to elaborate on the uselessness of indulgences, arguing that the Pope has no authority over the souls held in Purgatory. If he did have such...
In the 95 Theses, Martin Luther addresses the blatant selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church. The money went towards the construction of St. Peter’s basilica. Luther criticizes the Catholic Church for essentially stealing money from people, rather than using their own finances for charitable purposes.
He goes on to elaborate on the uselessness of indulgences, arguing that the Pope has no authority over the souls held in Purgatory. If he did have such authority, then he could have easily pardoned every soul out of love and compassion. Therefore, it seems that the Pope is taking advantage of the poor by offering them a false hope of liberating the souls of their loved ones in exchange for money. Instead, Luther believes that Christians who rely on indulgences are being deceived into a practice of Christianity that is not founded on Biblical principles, but rather on the greediness of the Catholic Church.
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