Page 26 - All About History - Issue 53-17

REFORMATION

Hall of Fame

KEY REFORMERS AND THEIR OPPONENTS

The Reformation of the 16th century changed the religious, political and cultural

landscape of Europe forever. Meet the fearless leaders that made it happen and

the opponents that tried to stand in their way
Martin
MARTIN LUTHER writings changed the Luther was
.Martin Luther’s
GERMAN 1483-1546 course of religious the first person to
By the time Martin Luther had become a monk, translate the entire Bible
corruption was widespread in the Roman Catholic into German, making
Church. The selling of ‘indulgences’ – promised it accessible for the
remission from punishments for sin – was being
abused by the clergy, helping them to become general public to
wealthy and powerful. Luther was appalled by this read
practice, believing that the Bible should be the only
religious authority, and that Christians could only be saved
by their faith and not their deeds. His thoughts weren’t entirely new, but he was able to publicise them across
Europe thanks to the invention of the printing press. His ‘95 Theses’ later became the foundation of the
Protestant Reformation and inspired the Peasant’s War.
“Whatever your heart clings to and confides

in, that is really your God” Martin Luther

Many blame Pope
POPE CLEMENT VII ITALIAN 1478-1534 Clement VII for causing
When King Henry VIII decided he wanted to divorce England’s break from
the Catholic Church
Catherine of Aragon, he needed the consent of Pope
Clement VII. Having had papal dispensation before,
he thought there would be no problem in getting Henry VIII’s divorce
it again, but there was one major complication: HENRY VIII .kick-started the
Catherine was the aunt of Holy Roman Emperor English Reformation
Charles V, who Clement was at the mercy of since ENGLISH 1491-1547
his alliance with France led to the sack of Rome. King Henry VIII had no problem supporting
Charles wasn’t pleased about his relative being the Roman Catholic Church when it let him
cast aside, and so Clement had to refuse the King’s get his way, such as when he was granted
request. As a result, Henry broke away from the papal dispensation to marry his brother’s
Catholic Church to form the Church of England. widow, Catherine of Aragon. However, when
it refused to let him divorce Catherine
Despite on the grounds that she had not
JOHN WYCLIFFE the produced a son, he was not
so happy with its powers.
ENGLISH 1320S-1384 Reformation, He decided that the Pope’s
The Oxford scholar John Wycliffe was one Henry VIII was never jurisdiction was illegal,
of the first to launch an attack on the beliefs Protestant and passed and so declared himself
and practices of the Church. To discredit its Supreme Head of a new
authority, he began translating the Bible into the Six Articles, ruling church, the Church of
English for the first time, making it possible for that the Church of England. His new powers
everyone to read the law of God for themselves. allowed him to marry and
His preaching gained him many followers — England remain divorce whoever he liked
the Lollards — and is regarded by many as the Catholic and close down hundreds of
John Wycliffe believed that the church
precursor to the Protestant Reformation. monasteries throughout England.
should give up its possessions
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