The Protestant Reformation (more accurately known as the Lutheran Revolt) is the product of enforcing a ridiculous amount of corruption among the highest ranking officials within the Catholic Church. Yet despite its origins, its events, people and publications left a lasting impact on Europe that is still felt today. Martin Luther's words still resonate among many Christians, not only in Europe but throughout the world. His teachings and publications also inspire an extraordinary amount of controversy among modern historians. Regardless of how Martin Luther is perceived, his words, especially his early reformist works, helped shape the future of modern civilization in Europe. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the early 1500s, the Catholic Church was led by a number of extremely corrupt individuals. Pope Alexander was the first of these, said to have corrupted 17 of the 22 cardinal votes that got him elected to public office. In addition to these doubts, he had many mistresses and 12 illegitimate children (almost all used to maintain or obtain political power). Alexander's successor, Julius II, personally led armies in the Italian Wars and the War of the Holy League. However, this corruption was not limited to just the Pope, as many other Church leaders were guilty of similar crimes. Indeed, it was not uncommon for a bishop of the church to hold not only a religious, but also a political office. The story of Martin Luther begins with his services to the Catholic Church. During his time within the organization, he had witnessed these and other heinous forms of corruption. While many of his signatories lived in extreme poverty, Martin Luther observed how his colleges within the church lived a lavish lifestyle comparable to that of royalty. Even worse, the money that fueled these lavish lifestyles was money that officials had received in the form of indulgences, which were given as a means (for postulants) to compensate for their sins. When he expressed his fury at seeing such atrocities, he did so by publishing the 95 Theses, a clearly written document describing his grievances against the Catholic Church. His 27th denunciation directly addressed the ridiculousness of indulgences by stating that "There is no divine authority to preach that the soul flies out of purgatory immediately (after) the money jingles at the bottom of the chest." The writing contains much of what might be considered common sense. Thesis 95 was well received in Luther's intellectual circle. It received near-unanimous support and was published in multiple languages ​​immediately upon its release. It is also worth noting that the mass publication of Luther's work was largely due to the invention of the printing press. For the first time, a huge number of people had access to the published ideas. The works were published throughout Europe. The Catholic Church responded similarly, although not immediately. The 95 Theses were published in 1517, while Luther's official excommunication occurred only in 1521, nor was his work banned until then. He was tried and convicted before the famous Diet of Worms, but refused to retract his statements. The Elector of Saxony, Frederick III, later protected him by placing him in solitude in Wartburg Castle. It was during this period that he published “Refutation of Latomus' Argument.” In this writing he insisted that the only way to heaven was through faith alone. Nothing a person could ever do.