October 10, 2010

Martin Luther used The Ninety-Five Theses to display his unhappiness with the Church's sale of indulgences, and this eventually gave birth to Protestantism. It especially defied the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on the nature of penance, the authority and power of the pope and the efficacy of indulgences. Three fundamental things happened as a result of Luther’s passion to see the truth of the gospel being proclaimed. It promoted the protestant reformation. It brought many changes in religion, and way of life. New religious groups were formed.

1. Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when they say that a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's indulgences.
2. Indeed, he cannot remit to souls in purgatory any penalty which canon law declares should be suffered in the present life.
3. If plenary remission could be granted to anyone at all, it would be only in the cases of the most perfect, i.e. to very few.
4. It must therefore be the case that the major part of the people is deceived by that indiscriminate and high-sounding promise of relief from penalty.
5. The same power as the pope exercises in general over purgatory is exercised in particular by every single bishop in his bishopric and priest in his parish.
6. The pope does excellently when he grants remission to the souls in purgatory on account of intercessions made on their behalf, and not by the power of the keys (which he cannot exercise for them).
7. There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.
8. It is certainly possible that when the money clinks in the bottom of the chest avarice and greed increase; but when the church offers intercession, all depends in the will of God.
9. Who knows whether all souls in purgatory wish to be redeemed in view of what is said of St. Severinus and St. Pascal? (Note: Paschal I, pope 817-24. The legend is that he and Severinus were willing to endure the pains of purgatory for the benefit of the faithful).
10. No one is sure of the reality of his own contrition, much less of receiving plenary forgiveness.
11. One who bona fide buys indulgence is as rare as a bona fide penitent man, i.e. very rare indeed.