Martin Luther

Indulgences basically told people that they didn't have to believe, but could still be saved and their time and their time in Purgatory would be lessened, just by buying these indulgences. Martin Luther, outraged at this action, immediately repealed. In 1517, the 95 Theses statements was nailed and all of Germany and Northern Europe would read about them because of the printing press invented by Johanne Gutenberg. The Catholic Church never really understood the faith at all. .
             Not only did the Catholic Church sell indulgences, they also sold positions. Their greed for money had corrupted yet wealthy officials to be appointed cardinals. Over the years this continued and led to them getting and providing an impact on political ideas and because of their wealth, they gained power. Time went on and the church lacked many religiously minded people amongst the clergy. Luther noticed this and understood. What was the Catholic Church doing anyway if they themselves couldn't even get salvation?.
             During these years the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul were being built. This is of course, in Rome and it still stands today. This was a very huge project and needed a lot of money to be carried out (Hooker). The money was gathered by priest cardinals and bishops and the pope, himself who encouraged people to pay for penitence for themselves as well as love ones who had already died. These penitence were sometimes purchased by way of a private mass, which cost a lot money and or their families land. That way the church could either rent the land back to the family or sell it off as needed. In 1517 he finally makes his appeal to his bishops against the indulgence sales. He gets in serious trouble with the church. .
             1517, (Hooker) was a year of a lot of changes in this part of the world. On All Saints" Day he wrote 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg that ignite the Protestant Reformation.