02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor

Saints During the Reformation
The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century was to
have an enormous impact on the development of Christianity
and the veneration of saints. The Roman Catholic Church at
this time was viewed by many Christians as corrupt and immoral,
particularly in its widespread practice of selling indulgences.
This involved the Church selling documents to
individuals that promised forgiveness of their sins and effectively
promised a reduction of the time that they would spend
in purgatory.This activity, together with simony or the selling
of positions within the Church, horrified many Christians
who believed that the Church had truly lost its way. Most
prominent amongst these dissenting voices was that of Martin
Luther who famously nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the
door of Wittenberg Castle Church on 31 October 1517. His
dramatic criticisms of the excesses and corruptions of the
Catholic Church would send shock waves throughout
Christian Europe.
The Dutch theologian Erasmus shared Martin Luther’s
criticisms of the Church but differed in that he sought reform
within the Church and claimed he was not attacking the very
institution itself. For Luther, it was inevitable that breaks and
schisms would occur within the Church and that they were
likely to be accompanied by social disruption and change.
•89•