Luthers Attack on the Church; Exclusive interview
13th August 1530
Today I am seated with a very well known figure in our community. He is very influential and has had all of us thinking about and questioning the practises of our religion at some point in time. He is, of course, Martin Luther, an ordained Preist that has been causing alot of trouble in the workings of the Catholic Church in the past few years. Today he has agreed to take part in the first biographical interview of his life and what caused him to have such a significant impact on the religious uncertainties of these times.
Without further ado; the interview transcript.
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Welcome to our offices Mr Luther
Martin Luther= Oh please, Just call me sausage.
The Olden Times= Oh...okay, sure. Our readers and unable-to-readers have been pestering us to ask you a few questions about your past and what prompted you to challenge the practises of the Church. What do you think, was the beginning key event that led to your involvement in this religious reformation?
Martin Luther= Well, It would be fair to say this all started when I became a monk. I was studying to be a lawyer and if I had carried on that path, I would not have done any of the things I have. I decided to become a monk and drop my education in law, much to my fathers displeasure, as during the ferocious thunderstorm of 1505 I made a pledge to St Anna, that if she delivered me safe and alive from the storm, that I would become a monk. I stuck to this pledge rather unwillingly however. I had quite an enquiring mind and often questioned and feared God and death.
TOT= It must have been very hard for you to become a monk with so many doubts and concerns about the Catholic Religion. What can you tell us about the feelings you experienced during this time?
When I was younger I tried my very best to please God, but I only ended up becoming more aware of my faults and feeling like a personal failure. I became increasingly aware that I was unworhty of entering Gods Kingdom after death. For some time I was living in fear, scared that God would not forgive my trespasses. I was incredibly interested in philosophy and found myself thinking excessivly whilst at the monastery. My superior and friend Johann Staupitz, was understanding of my troubles so he sent me to Wittenberg University to persue an academic career. Doing Theology and studying the scriptures only made my uncertainty about the current beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church more severe.
TOT= Obviously you have a very deep understanding of Gods power of forgiveness Mr Luther. How did your ideas on God change as you studied the Letters of St Paul?
I studied the letters of Saint Paul very deeply, memorising every detail; I came across the phrase that prompted me to challenge the Church, "The just man lives by faith." I was convinced that God was not at all judgemental and harsh towards sinners. I realised that God did not require pennance to forgive us, but rather "sola fides" - faith alone. In my mind, God went from being a figure of fear, to a loving forgiving figure.
TOT= There wouldnt be a need for a Reformation if you didnt oppose any of the Churches practices and values. What exactly did you disagree about?
The main practice in the Church that I opposed was the selling of indulgences. At this time I knew that faith alone is what was needed to be saved, but still Johann Tetzel continued to sell "forgiveness" to people who had barely enough money to feed themselves to fundraise to rebuild St peters Basillica. In the 86th thesis I made the point that the Pope was the wealthiest man on the Earth, why couldnt he give some of his fortune to the rebuilding of this project rather than take money from the poor believers. If it was true that God would forgive your sins by buying an indulgence, I would have had no problem with it. But God forgives by faith alone, so in total; the selling of indulgences was a fraud and bogus practice.
TOT= What do you feel was the most important thing you did that caused the Catholic Reformation to take place?
I feel the major key event that sparked the Reformation was when I nailed the theses onto the Church door. I was only hoping to get my ideas discussed and maybe a rule change, but this event yeilt a lot more than I expected it to. My theses were examined the the Pope and I was declared a heretic, I was subsequently excommunicated. My ideas spread around many villiages and I gained support from many other dissatisfied Catholics.
TOT= What a result! This wasnt your initial plan though was it Mr Luther? What did you personally envision as the outcome of this outcry?
At the times of my opposing views, I had no intention of reforming and separating the churches. I was merely a disappointed Catholic expressing my concerns on the current practices of the Church. When I nailed the theses to the door of the Church, I did not evision such outcry, all I planned to do was to get my ideas known for discussion. I hoped that, when discussed, my ideas would get recognition and some of the opposed values and practises, for example; the selling of indulgences, could be removed from the Church.
TOT= You certainly have made a significant impact on the Catholic Church today Mr Luther, Thankyou very much for coming into the offices today and providing us with such a spectacular interview and I hope we meet again.