History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 1MacCaffrey, James
Religion
History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 1
MacCaffrey, James
Catholic Church -- History -- Modern period, 1500-
At Rome the trouble in Germany was one of the main subjects that
engaged the attention of the Curia. It was felt that the time had come
when decisive measures must be taken. After long and anxious
deliberations Leo X. published the Bull, /Exsurge Domine/ (June 1520),
in which forty propositions taken from Luther's writings were
condemned, his works were ordered to be burned, the full penalties of
excommunication were proclaimed against him unless he withdrew his
errors and made his submission within sixty days, while his aiders and
abettors were besought in the most touching terms to abandon the
dangerous path into which they had been betrayed. Had such a
pronouncement been issued at the beginning of the movement it might
have done much to restore peace to the Church, but, coming as it did
at a time when Luther's movement, backed by all the revolutionary
forces of Germany, had already acquired considerable dimensions, it
failed to put an end to the tumult. Besides, the papal decision was
deprived of much of its force by the fact that Eck, Caraccioli, and
Aleandro were appointed as a commission to superintend its execution.
The appointment of Eck was a great tactical blunder, as it afforded
Luther and his friends an opportunity of proclaiming that the sentence
of excommunication was procured by the intrigues and
misrepresentations of their personal enemies; while the fact that the
German bishops were disregarded in the execution of the Bull as if
they were not above suspicion themselves, was looked upon by many as
a studied insult to the entire German hierarchy. Even though Luther
had entertained any thoughts of submission, the triumph of Eck would
have created very serious obstacles; but, knowing as he did, that even
at the worst he could reckon upon the support of a certain number of
the discontented nobles who had pledged themselves to put their swords
at his disposal, he had no intention of making his submission.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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