Criticisms Luther presented to the Church 1517-1525

Celibacy:

• All the clergy must be celibate - compulsory!
• Albert of Mainz
• Not celibate members of the clergy were only fined without splitting them up
• Luther argued it seemed the Church only had rules to be broken so money could be made - he said priests should marry if it removes sexual temptation

Authority of Pope:

• Luther called the Pope the Antichrist in a letter - 1518
• Pope is Antichrist vs Father of the Church
• 'Papacy at Rome' 18th December 1518

Rituals and Relics:

• Relics of Saints were often frauds eg forearm of Saint Andrew was accused of being a pigs bone - many were fooled & laity were content with what the Church provided

Purgatory:

• Most were predicted to end up in purgatory because it's impossible to live sin free lives
• Catholic church taught that to reduce time in purgatory, you could confess, penance, attend mass or do 'good works' such as indulgences
• Not many objected to indulgences because they thought they were helping themselves, however Luther did object

Excommunication:

• Exclusion from Eucharist and in effect the expulsion from the Church
• 'Ensurge Domine' - bull issued to Luther to excommunicate him - 1520
• Luther burnt Papal Bull to show his view upon the Church - 10th December 1520

Transubstantiation:

• Transubstantiation vs Luther's idea of consubstantiation (he thought transubstantiation was cannibalism)

• Luther used the theory of iron - when fire applies to iron, it is still iron, as bread is still bread
• Consubstantiation involves the possibility of more than one 'element' being present in an object
• He thought both the laity and clergy should take bread & wine, not just priests with wine

Sarcraments:

• 'Babylonian Captivity of the Church' - 1520 - Luther said only 3 sarcraments: baptism, eucharist and penance (though later he discarded penance)
• He found no basis in scriptures for the other 4 sarcraments

• Luther used the theory of iron - when fire applies to iron, it is still iron, as bread is still bread
• Consubstantiation involves the possibility of more than one 'element' being present in an object
• He thought both the laity and clergy should take bread & wine, not just priests with wine

Sarcraments:

• 'Babylonian Captivity of the Church' - 1520 - Luther said only 3 sarcraments: baptism, eucharist and penance (though later he discarded penance)
• He found no basis in scriptures for the other 4 sarcraments