What is Reformation Day? To answer that question, let's ask another question. When is Reformation

Day? Reformation Day is October 31st. Now, the first Reformation Day was October 31st, 1517. And on that day,

Martin Luther, a monk in the city of Wittenberg, nailed his 95 theses to the church door.

Now, why would Luther do that?

In order to understand why Luther was doing that, we need to introduce a few more characters into the scene.

One of those characters was Albert of Brandenburg. Now, Albert of

Brandenburg was not old enough to be a bishop. Yet, in 1517, he was already bishop over two cities,

which was against church law. And on top of that, he wanted to be the Archbishop of Mons.

Well, to hold these three offices was also against

church law, and that meant that Albert needed a papal dispensation. So now we enter another

character into the story, and this character is Leo the 10th. Leo the 10th of the Medici family

of Florence, like that family, was a patron of the arts. It was Leo the 10th,

who brought Michelangelo in to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling there in St. Peter's Basilica.

And so Albert, needing a papal dispensation, Leo the 10th was in a position to give him one.

The two met, and like good businessmen,men they struck a deal and for 10,000

Dukets Albert could have his three bishoprics. But there was an issue for Albert. His money

was largely in land and not in cash and so he needed to raise the money to fund this. And so we

enter yet another character and this is the enterprising monk Tetzel.

Tetzel devised a jingle to sell indulgences.

These were supplied by the Pope, and these indulgences allowed not only for your past sins to be forgiven, but for your future sins to be forgiven.

And these indulgences also allowed you to get your relatives out of purgatory.

And so Tetzel began selling these indulgences.

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