Aging Capriciously

I have attended over 35 Jesuit retreats at Demontreville Retreat Center.  Every year at the end of each retreat, I have received a Plenary Indulgence bestowed by the Pope on people who complete a retreat.  Unlike in the day of Martin Luther, I do not have to pay for these indulgences.  My understanding is these indulgences will knock some of the time off that I have to spend in purgatory as reparations for my less than mortal sins.  You still cannot get time off for mortal sins without going to confession.

I am not sure how much time will be knocked off and since I am an atheist or sometimes an agnostic, I am not sure whether or not they will be valid.  I once wondered if I could put them up on eBay and maybe get some money from them.  This would be more in line with the uses that were associated with these plenary indulgences in the time of Martin Luther (1483 to 1546).

There are many who would consider Martin Luther the father of the Protestant Reformation.  Growing up Catholic, we regarded Protestants as heretics.  We all knew that the one true religion was Catholic, and Protestants did not know what they really wanted.  What does the name Protestant even mean?  Taking it at face value, it would seem to mean to protest against.  The dictionary defines a Protestant as someone who has broken from the Roman Catholic church.  If you are a Protestant you practice a form of Christianity in protest to the Catholic form.  There are over 200 major Protestant denominations in the USA and over 35,000 independent or non-denominational Christian churches which are ostensibly Protestant.  During the past few decade, we have seen numerous splits in Protestant churches over such issues as gay marriages, gay clergy, women ministers.  Even though I am a non-Catholic myself, I can’t help but be amazed at the dissension and disunity among Protestants.  I wonder what Martin Luther would have thought if he were alive today.

In any case, Luther protested against the selling of Indulgences by the Catholic Church and the Pope.  He published his famous 95 Theses (which were polemics primarily against the monetary abuses of the Church) by nailing the theses on the door of All Saints’ Church and other churches in Wittenberg, Germany.  An extremely dramatic way to advance his opposition.  The theses were quickly reprinted and spread like wildfire throughout Europe.  And thus, began what is known as the Protestant Reformation (1517 – 1648).  It actually started even earlier but Luther’s theses were the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

Martin Luther’s position and actions were quite bold, even audacious.  Luther’s ecclesiastical superiors had him tried for heresy, which culminated in his excommunication in 1521.  This retaliation on the part of the Catholic Church was quite serious.  Luther risked life and limb with his attack on the Church.  The following is a list of people executed for challenging Catholicism during the period from 1500-1600 CE.

• Ipswich Martyrs († 1515–1558)
• Jean Vallière († 1523)
• Jan de Bakker († 1525), 1st martyr in the Northern Netherland
• Wendelmoet Claesdochter († 1527), 1st Dutch woman charged and burned for the accusation of heresy
• Michael Sattler († 1527), Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany
• Patrick Hamilton († 1528), St Andrews, Scotland
• Balthasar Hubmaier (1485–1528), Vienna, Austria
• George Blaurock (1491–1529), Klausen, Tyrol
• Thomas Hitton († 1530), Maidstone, England
• Richard Bayfield († 1531), Smithfield, England
• Thomas Benet († 1531), Exeter, England
• Thomas Bilney († 1531), Norwich, England
• Joan Bocher († 1531), Smithfield, England
• Solomon Molcho († 1532), Mantua
• Thomas Harding († 1532), Chesham, England
• James Bainham († 1532), Smithfield, England
• John Frith (1503–1533), Smithfield, England
• William Tyndale (1490–1536), Belgium
• Jakob Hutter († 1536), Innsbruck, Tyrol
• Aefgen Listincx († 1538), Münster, Germany
• John Forest († 1538), Smithfield, England
• Katarzyna Weiglowa († 1538), Poland
• Francisco de San Roman († 1540), Spain
• Étienne Dolet (1509–1546), Paris, France
• Henry Filmer († 1543), Windsor, England
• Robert Testwood († 1543), Windsor, England
• Anthony Pearson († 1543), Windsor, England
• Maria van Beckum († 1544)
• Ursula van Beckum († 1544)
• Colchester Martyrs († 1545 to 1558), 26 people, Colchester, England
• George Wishart (1513–1546), St Andrews, Scotland
• John Hooper († 1555), Gloucester, England
• John Rogers († 1555), London, England
• Canterbury Martyrs († 1555–1558), c.40 people, Canterbury, England
• Laurence Saunders, (1519–1555), Coventry, England
• Rowland Taylor († 1555), Hadleigh, Suffolk, England
• Cornelius Bongey, († 1555), Coventry, England
• Dirick Carver, († 1555), Lewes, England
• Robert Ferrar († 1555), Carmarthen, Wales
• William Flower († 1555), Westminster, England
• Patrick Pakingham († 1555), Uxbridge, England
• Hugh Latimer (1485–1555), Oxford, England
• Robert Samuel († 1555), Ipswich, England
• Burning of Latimer and Ridley, Oxford, 1555
• Nicholas Ridley (1500–1555), Oxford, England
• John Bradford († 1555), London, England
• John Cardmaker († 1555), Smithfield, London, England
• Robert Glover († 1555), Hertford, England
• Thomas Hawkes († 1555), Coggeshall, England
• Thomas Tomkins († 1555), Smithfield, London, England
• Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556), Oxford, England
• Stratford Martyrs († 1556), 11 men and 2 women, Stratford, London, England
• Guernsey Martyrs († 1556), 3 women, Guernsey, Channel Islands
• Joan Waste († 1556), Derby, England
• Bartlet Green († 1556), Smithfield, London, England
• John Hullier († 1556), Cambridge, England
• John Forman († 1556), East Grinstead, England
• Pomponio Algerio († 1556) Boiled in oil, Rome
• Alexander Gooch and Alice Driver († 1558), Ipswich, England
• Augustino de Cazalla († 1559), Valladolid, Spain
• Carlos de Seso († 1559), Valladolid, Spain
• María de Bohórquez († 1559)
• Pietro Carnesecchi († 1567) Florence, Italy
• Leonor de Cisneros († 1568), Valladolid, Spain
• Dirk Willems († 1569), Netherlands
• Giordano Bruno (1548–1600), Rome, Italy

The famous scientist Galileo was forced to recant his idea that the earth revolved around the sun.  This was widely known among many scientists, but it was opposed by the Catholic Church which held to the view that the sun revolved around the earth.  Thus, in 1521 Galileo was charged with heresy.  After a rather lengthy trial, Galileo retracted his theory preferring to live rather than to be right.  Nevertheless, he spent the rest of his life under house arrest.  Publication of any of his works was forbidden, including any future works.

Martin Luther’s Speech at the Imperial Diet in Worms (18 April 1521)

On 18 April 1521 Luther stood before the presiding officer, Johann von Eck at the ongoing Diet in Worms.  Luther was called before the political authorities rather than before the Pope or a council of the Roman Catholic Church.  Eck acting on behalf of the Catholic Church informed Luther that he was acting like a heretic.  Pope Leo X had demanded that Luther retract 41 sentences included in his original 95 Theses.  Luther had been questioned the day before, but he had requested time to think about his response to the charges.  Thus, began Luther’s short but famous speech.   His life depended on his response.

“I this day appear before you in all humility, according to your command, and I implore your majesty and your august highnesses, by the mercies of God, to listen with favor to the defense of a cause which I am well assured is just and right.  I ask pardon, if by reason of my ignorance, I am wanting in the manners that befit a court; for I have not been brought up in king’s palaces, but in the seclusion of a cloister; and I claim no other merit than that of having spoken and written with the simplicity of mind which regards nothing but the glory of God and the pure instruction of the people of Christ.”

Luther begins his speech with humility and with apologies for any lack of etiquette or procedure, but no apologies for his actions.  He is certain that he is right.

“I have composed, secondly, certain works against the papacy, wherein I have attacked such as by false doctrines, irregular lives, and scandalous examples, afflict the Christian world, and ruin the bodies and souls of men. And is not this confirmed by the grief of all who fear God?  Is it not manifest that the laws and human doctrines of the popes entangle, vex, and distress the consciences of the faithful, while the crying and endless extortions of Rome engulf the property and wealth of Christendom, and more particularly of this illustrious nation? Yet it is a perpetual statute that the laws and doctrines of the pope be held erroneous and reprobate when they are contrary to the Gospel and the opinions of the church fathers.”

Luther’s words could not be stronger here.  He accuses the Pope of offense that are scandalous, immoral, and perhaps even criminal.  He softens his words here not one bit.  He is not on the defense but on the offense.  Here is a man not dissembling or hedging his words.  If he is afraid for his life, his words show no fear or caution.  He is doing no political two step or making effort to appease the Pope.  Perhaps Luther knew that he was in little danger of being executed but the fact that he spent the next nine months of his life in hiding would suggest differently.

“In the third and last place, I have written some books against private individuals, who had undertaken to defend the tyranny of Rome by destroying the faith.  I freely confess that I may have attacked such persons with more violence than was consistent with my profession as an ecclesiastic: I do not think of myself as a saint; but neither can I retract these books.  Because I should, by so doing, sanction the impieties of my opponents, and they would thence take occasion to crush God’s people with still more cruelty.”

Luther does not back down one bit.  He confesses to more passion than might have been required but he will not retract anything he has written.  I am no saint he says but I will not be a hypocrite.  Just think of the people surrounding President Trump and contrast their lies, obfuscations, and baffling oratory with the quite clear words of Martin Luther: “What, then, should I be doing if I were now to retract these writings?”  “What if I said my president was lying?  What if I said my president was engaging in double speak?  What if I admitted that my president actually said the words which he claimed that he did not say?  Would I be subject to trial by fire or would I be burned at the stake?”

What makes someone lie on behalf of someone else?

The ending of Luther’s defense was epic.  Perhaps no more forceful words have ever been spoken in history.

“I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience.  Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise; God help me!  Amen.”

Emperor Charles V passed the Edict of Worms, which banned Luther’s writings and declared him a heretic and an enemy of the state.  Luther fled and although the Edict mandated that Luther should be captured and turned over to the emperor, it was never enforced.  Bear in mind the list of heretics who came after Luther and was executed.

Luther was a German professor of theology a composer and a priest.  He was no warrior or fighter.  In many ways, he was average, except in one especially important way that mattered and would make him a hero for all time.  He was not afraid to stand up to tyranny and to stand up for his beliefs and to speak out on behalf of what he believed.

Imagine if more citizens were courageous enough to stand up for what they believed and to speak out forcefully and not meekly on behalf of these same beliefs.  It has been said that “Evil triumphs when good people do nothing.”  Doing nothing or saying nothing are one of the same cloth.  If you want to allow a dictator, bully, or tyrant to take power, simply stay quiet and bemoan the fact that you can do nothing.  Or you can write, speak, march, protest and organize against injustice wherever it can be found.  Any less makes us guilty of a conspiracy of silence.

“A conspiracy of silence, or culture of silence, describes the behavior of a group of people of some size, as large as an entire national group or profession or as small as a group of colleagues, that by unspoken consensus does not mention, discuss, or acknowledge a given subject.  The practice may be motivated by positive interest in group solidarity or by such negative impulses as fear of political repercussion or social ostracism.”  —  Wikipedia