WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Church corruption and the sale of indulgences were widespread and caused conflict. An indulgence was a pardon which released a sinner from performing church penalties. He wrote the 95 Theses stating wrongs of the Catholic church and nailed them to the door of the Church. He also distributed them throughout Europe.

Detailed explanation-2: -The most profitable and controversial of the corrupt practices used to raise money for the Church was the selling of indulgences. At first, an indulgence consisted of a certificate issued by the pope to a person whose sins had been forgiven.

Detailed explanation-3: -One of the biggest things was the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were a piece of paper from the Church that was supposed to lessen a person’s time in purgatory and help them get to heaven faster. Luther disagreed with this, saying that buying indulgences had no impact on whether or not people would go to heaven.

Detailed explanation-4: -Political Conflicts with European Rulers They quarreled with the pope over Church property and the right to make appointments to Church offices. In addition, popes became involved in other political conflicts, which prompted many to question the pope’s authority and also damaged the Church’s reputation.

Detailed explanation-5: -One particularly well-known Catholic method of exploitation in the Middle Ages was the practice of selling indulgences, a monetary payment of penalty which, supposedly, absolved one of past sins and/or released one from purgatory after death.

Detailed explanation-6: -The abusive means of selling indulgences, including lies from priests and the papacy about their efficacy, resulted in an uprising, led by Martin Luther of Germany, and the result was the Reformation and split in the Church.