January 3rd

== Information==

What:
Martin Luther is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Leopold X

Where:
Rome

Year:
1521

Information and Signifigance
On January 3rd, 1521, Pope Leopold X issued a document stating that Martin Luther was officially excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church as a result of his accusation of the Church.

His accusations were the ninety-five point thesis, which the former church official criticizing the church's sale of indulgences. Indulgences were official documents stating that a person had earned the right that they never had any chance of going to purgatory. Normally these were only submitted to people whom had shown true courage or selflessness. However, in order to fund the Pope's construction project, a new, huge cathedral, indulgences were being sold in the streets.

As a result of this criticism, Martin Luther was excommunicated. Excommunicated meant that Luther was no longer a member of the Catholic Church, could not enter a Catholic Church, was to be shunned by all other Catholics and supposedly was to be sent to Hell. He was also banished from the Holy Roman Empire. However, as a result of his teachings a movement known as the Reformation spread, which later broke off into the man denominations of Christanity we know today such as Calvinists, Lutherans and Baptists