Thus Exsurge Domine indicates that some of the 41 rejected propositions are heretical, some are scandalous, some are false, some are offensive to pious ears—but they are not all four. Do note that his ideas would not have spread if they had meant nothing to the people in north Germany. 5) Which of The 95 Theses did Exsurge Domine reject? No one is sure of the integrity of his own contrition, much less of having received plenary remission. The penalty of sin remains as long as the hatred of self (that is, true inner repentance), namely till our entrance into the Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth. the word in his own time. Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the

The pamphlet contained ninety five points that he felt should be argued at an academic level – they were not for general public discussion. It seems as though for the souls in purgatory fear should necessarily decrease and love increase. Those priests act ignorantly and wickedly who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penalties for purgatory. There was nothing revolutionary about what Luther did – it was the standard accepted practice of those academics who attended the university at Wittenburg. the cross of Christ is blasphemy.

How should he answer those who ask why the pope does not simply empty purgatory if it is in his power? if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church?'' [51] The Explanations have been called Luther's first Reformation work. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the However, if the problem is (2), (4), or (5) then the Thesis is not necessarily false—it could be technically true but phrased offensively, phrased in a misleading way, or phrased in a way that could lead people to sin.
Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. particular way in his own diocese and parish. [40], The Theses were copied and distributed to interested parties soon after Luther sent the letter to Archbishop Albert. 92. of indulgences and the need of true contrition. They do not mention either justification by faith alone or doing theology by Scripture alone. pope. It is certain that when money clinks in the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church Thesis 58. reason would be most just; the latter is most trivial. For example: "Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love … for after all, he does release countless souls for the sake of sordid money contributed for the building of a cathedral?

Thesis 15.

Imperfect piety or love on the part of the dying person necessarily brings with it great fear; and the smaller the love, the The pamphlet was not released to the general public to read but it was pinned to the church door in Wittenburg for other scholars to read and to discuss in preparation for a full discussion at a later date. But they are much more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams instead of what the Here are the first three of Luther’s theses, along with parallel statements from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Thesis 1: When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. Again, ``Why are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not return or permit the [71] 31 October 2017, the 500th Anniversary of Reformation Day, was celebrated with a national public holiday throughout Germany. [45][d], Albert seems to have received Luther's letter with the Theses around the end of November. Martin Luther's 95 Theses are often considered a charter, a bold declaration of independence for the Protestant church. Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters. These indulgences, according to Luther, discouraged Christians from giving to the poor and performing other acts of mercy, believing that indulgence certificates were more spiritually valuable. 95. Most were based on things Luther said in other writings.

If his right to grant remission in these cases were disregarded, the guilt .

A truly repentant sinner would also not seek an indulgence, because they loved God's righteousness and desired the inward punishment of their sin. perfect, that is, to very few. [29] He appeals to the pope's financial interest, saying that if the preachers limited their preaching in accordance with Luther's positions on indulgences (which he claimed was also the pope's position), the objections would cease to be relevant.

[59][f], Another prominent opponent of the Theses was Johann Eck, Luther's friend and a theologian at the University of Ingolstadt. In former times canonical penalties were imposed, not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition. [25] Theses 53–55 complain about the restrictions on preaching while the indulgence was being offered.

It could have been any of the following: The difference between these is significant: It is important to note that if the problem is (1) or (3) then the Thesis is necessarily false. Indeed, they would not exist. The 95 Theses.

Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. The preachers have been promoting indulgences as the greatest of the graces available from the church, but they actually only promote greed.

4) How did the Church respond to The 95 Theses?

Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys

This statement cannot be understood of the sacrament of penance, i.e., of confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priesthood.

Cajetan did not allow Luther to argue with him over his alleged heresies, but he did identify two points of controversy. [23] In theses 17–24 he asserts that nothing can be definitively said about the spiritual state of people in purgatory.

In 1517, Martin Luther drafted a document known as The 95 Theses, and its publication is used to date the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on “Catholic Answers Live.”.
Since no one knows whether a person is truly repentant, a letter assuring a person of his forgiveness is dangerous.