All Saints Even

Luther's 95 Theses

Aside from Halloween and All Saints Eve, today, in 1517 Martin Luther uncorked the bottle so to speak.

I'm reminded of this for a couple of reasons.  Back in a music history class at Michigan State, Professor Klausli, on this day, had us read aloud the 95 Theses that Luther tacked to the church door.  The other thing was the German Bishop who just remodeled his living quarters to the tune of $40 million.  I'm all for living well but there is a particular part of the 95 Theses that dealt with this.

On All Hallows' Eve, 31 October 1517, Luther wrote to Albert of Mainz, protesting against the sale of indulgences. He enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The Ninety-Five Theses.  Thesis 86 asks: "Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of Saint Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?"

Thought for the day.