Today is the 500-year anniversary of Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses. It is hard to imagine many events more significant in European and church history. Here is a few of Luther's theses:
11. This abuse of changing the canonical penalty into the penalty of purgatory seems to have arisen when the bishops were asleep.
20. Therefore the Pope, in speaking of the perfect remission of all punishments, does not mean that all penalties in general be forgiven, but only those imposed by himself.
32. On the way to eternal damnation are they and their teachers, who believe they are sure of their salvation through indulgences.
65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets, with which, in times of yore, one fished for the men of mammon.
66. But the treasures of indulgences are nets, with which now-a-days one fishes for the mammon of men.
82. Why does not the pope deliver all souls at the same time out of purgatory for the sake of most holy love and on account of the bitterest distress of those souls -this being the most imperative of all motives- while he saves an infinite number of souls for the sake of that most miserable thing money, to be spent on St. Peter's Minster: -this being the very slightest of motives?
11. This abuse of changing the canonical penalty into the penalty of purgatory seems to have arisen when the bishops were asleep.
20. Therefore the Pope, in speaking of the perfect remission of all punishments, does not mean that all penalties in general be forgiven, but only those imposed by himself.
32. On the way to eternal damnation are they and their teachers, who believe they are sure of their salvation through indulgences.
65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets, with which, in times of yore, one fished for the men of mammon.
66. But the treasures of indulgences are nets, with which now-a-days one fishes for the mammon of men.
82. Why does not the pope deliver all souls at the same time out of purgatory for the sake of most holy love and on account of the bitterest distress of those souls -this being the most imperative of all motives- while he saves an infinite number of souls for the sake of that most miserable thing money, to be spent on St. Peter's Minster: -this being the very slightest of motives?