The Reformation

The 31st of October is not just halloween,this year is the 500 year anniversary of the Reformation. There was a man called Martin Luther, he was a German monk.

The Reformation was about Pope Leo, who wanted to bulid a cathedral, st Peter's Basilica in Rome. It was going to be very big and expensive.

The catholic church wondered how they would pay for such a grand building.Just to tell you it is not Martin Luther King we are talking about! In order to get the money they decided to create a system to allow people to pay for their sins in order to go to heaven.

Martin Luther was very much against this system and he wrote 95 reasons and posted them on the church door in Wittenberg. He probely also sent his 95 reasons to his archbishop.

It was a challenge to the Pope and the whole Holy Roman Empire. It created a politikal and religious reform in Europe. The Roman Catholic church now accepts many of the 95 reasons, but not yet all of them.