The Reformation Project

  • Mar 15, 1517

    Pope Leo X begins selling Indulgences

    Pope Leo X begins selling Indulgences
    This is around the time that Pope Leo X began selling indulgences. The exact date is not known but many historians speculate it was this one. He wanted to use the money to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica.
  • Oct 31, 1517

    The Beginning of the Reformation

    The Beginning of the Reformation
    The German Monk known as Martin Luther was outraged by Leo X and the churches actions of selling indulgences. He nailed 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The paper costited of 95 revolutionary opinions and sparked the Protestant Reformation.
  • Jun 15, 1520

    Papal Bull of Excomunication

    Papal Bull of Excomunication
    In responce to the 95 theses, Pope Leo X delivered Exsurge Domine. The Papal Bull heavily criticized 41 flaws in which Luther was ordered to change. If he did not within a sixty-day period, he would be excomunicated. But on December 10 1520 in Wittenberg, Luther burnt the Papal Bull along with the book of church law and other books written by the Roman Church.
  • Jan 3, 1521

    Excomunication of Martin Luther

    Excomunication of Martin Luther
    Pope Leo X did not comprehend how to deal with the reformation and he ordered the vicar-general of the Augustinians to silence the monks. He decided to excomunicate Martin Luther from heavan in an attempt to halt his proccedings of the Protestant Religion.
  • Apr 16, 1521

    Appears at Diet of Worms

    Appears at Diet of Worms
    Luther was demanded by Emperor Charles V to recant all that he said and wrote. Luther refused. Charles V declared it illegal to support Luther in his teachings. He was allowed same travel out of the country because he had a letter of safe conduct.
  • May 4, 1521

    The "kidnapping" of Martin Luther

    The "kidnapping" of Martin Luther
    Martin Luther arranged a fake kidnapping with his friend Frederik the Wise of Saxony. Luther was to be "kidnapped" by masked horsemen at Frederik's castle, Wartburg Castle.
  • Apr 14, 1522

    German New Testament

    German New Testament
    It is not known the exact day. But in this month, Martin Luther completed his translation of the Latin New Testament to german. This was a huge change because only csholars who spoke latin (there were very few). Expecially after printing was introduced, ordinary people could read the New Testament and really understand God and Jesus themselves. He completed translated the Old Testament after and published the first complete Bible sometime in 1534.