Martin Luther: Against Catholicism

Over the centuries the Roman Catholic Church became all powerful in Western Europe. The church owned large estates throughout Europe which housed church officials and clergies, universities, churches, and farms. There was no tolerance for anyone who was regarded to have gone against the church as they would be labeled heretic and burned at the stake. Church leaders relied on the naïvete and superstition of the populace. This gave the priest colossal power at a local level on behalf of the interest of the Roman Catholic Church. The relationship between people and the church was for the most part based on money which brought power.

As Europe became more religious, papists became bribable as the rich could buy high positions in the church. In addition, the pope took it upon himself to be the power and authority to rule over the Christian Church and the official interpreter of the Holy Scriptures. He alone decided church doctrine. The church often used icons which was actually a form of idolatry and was in violation of the first commandment. Other scandals included priests who lived with their mistresses instead of living a life of celibacy, and the practice of selling indulgences to raise money wherein rich sinners could bypass confessions and penance.

Martin Luther asked Saint Anne to spare his life in an electrical storm on his vow that he would become a monk. Luther kept his vow and pursued a monastic life with fasting, prayers and studying the scriptures. He studied at the top universities and at a very young age he became a professor of theology at one of the universities. Luther was also a priest and would give sermons at a church each week. Martin Luther devoted himself to the church but was tormented by the sinful actions of the papists.

Martin's theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Rome Catholic Church, as he states, "the pope boasted that he was the head of the church... He took upon him power, rule and authority over the Christian Church, and over the Holy Scriptures" (Halsall). The Pope believed that because Christ was not on the earth and therefore could not rule, he had authority over the church and the scriptures. He was the only one that could interpret the Word of God as no other person can explain the meaning except for him. Martin believed that Christ ruled over the church and the Bible is the living true authority of God, not the Pope.

Martin also disagreed with the idea of religious icons and relics. He felt if the church "...expels and drives away all idolatry and false-worshipping; these gone and banished, the foundation on which popedom is built falls also" (Halsall). The Vatican used many officially sanctioned relics such as pieces of straw, hay, feathers from a white dove, and pieces of the cross that would be sold to people as it pertained to Jesus when He was on earth. These relics were sought after by people