Pope Leo X sold the diocese of Mainz, Germany, to Albrecht upon the condition of payment of a large sum of money.
To pay this, Albrecht secured as his share half the proceeds in his district of the indulgences that the papacy had been issuing since 1506, which was for the building of the new basilica of Saint Peter’s Cathedral.
Johan Tetzel was commissioned to sell these indulgences. Tetzel has been described as an unscrupulous supersalesman of indulgences.
Luther influenced Frederick III to not allow Tetzel to enter Saxony. Tetzel replied at once to Luther and stirred up others to his defense.
One of the most formidable opponents of Luther was Johann Maier of Eck, a professor of theology in the University of Ingolstadt, who branded Luther as a heretic.
By the beginning of 1518, complaints against Luther had been issued at Rome, and the Augustinian Vicar-General was ordered to end the dispute, Luther, however, argued with such skill that he won new friends to his cause. He was ordered to appear in Rome in 1518 but wisely refused.
Johann influenced the pope to issue a bull (a formal papal document) of condemnation, which was published on June 15, 1520. Luther’s reply was to publicly burn the papal bull in the presence of the students and townspeople of Wittenberg.
Luther was requested to the city of Worms and would be protected under the protection of a safe guide. He was well received in every city as he journeyed from Wittenberg to Worms, and he was a hero to those opposing paying for indulgences.
He appeared before the Emperor on April 17, 1521, and was asked to recant; he replied with his famous statement:
“that unless shown the unscripturalness of his arguments he could not recant. Here, I stand, God help me, Amen.”
Elector Frederick had him seized as he was leaving Worms to return to Wittenberg, but by friends, he was spirited away to Wartburg Castle, near Eisenach, and they were credited with saving his life of him.
For months Luther remained in hiding there.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg Saxony, now Germany. Which sparked the Reformation.
The main accusation of the thesis was the sale of indulgences. He was excommunicated from the Catholic church. Luther further preached on the abuse of indulgences.
Having a huge following, history has noted that he was liked by a vast number of people.