Luther S Words At The Diet Of Worms
Excerpts from his account of the confrontation at the diet of worms.
Luther s words at the diet of worms. Martin luther s speech at the imperial diet in worms 18 april 1521 1 most serene emperor illustrious princes gracious lords. April 18 martin luther defiant at diet of worms martin luther the chief catalyst of protestantism defies the holy roman emperor charles v by refusing to recant his writings. In 1517 luther s protest had begun with his rejections of certain aspects of the medieval doctrine of penance and indulgences in the 95 theses. In june of the previous year 1520 pope leo x issued the papal bull exsurge domine arise o lord outlining forty one purported errors found in martin luther s ninety five theses and other writings related to or written by him.
Luther at the imperial diet of worms 1521 background luther who through the church s excommunication was practically declared a heretic was invited to worms by the emperor who had been pressured by a few princes. It s primary concern was not martin luther but the popular rebellious monk and prodigious author would have to be addressed. Both the church and emperor wanted luther to recant his teachings while he was there. A s noted below it was indeed this week in 1521 when young martin luther was called before holy roman emperor charles v at the diet of worms diet meaning a formal meeting not a weight loss.
Pope leo x had just issued the final ban on luther ending his allotted time for repentance on january 3 and the diet of worms opened with a papal brief requesting charles v to do his duty arrest luther and stamp out the. He had been called to. Bettenson documents of the christian church 1903 based on luther s opera latina frankfurt 1865 73 background. As opposition increased and as he studied the scriptures in their original languages luther s departures from late medieval theology grew ever more significant.
1521 the translation is from h c. The text on the left was on the reverse side. The imperial diet of worms of 1521 was in many respects the culmination of the first phase of the luther s reformation. In 1520 pope leo x issued a bull of excommunication against luther.