FICTIONAL INTERVIEW TO MARTHIN LUTHER

Today, we are interviewing Marthin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Church. He lived from 1483 to 1546. During that time, he defended the religious freedom. Good morning, Mr. Luther.

-Good morning

1. How was your early and academic life?

Well, I was born in the 10th of November of 1483 in Eisleben, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. I was baptized as a Catholic next morning. In 1484, we moved to Mansfield. My father was very strict and worked as a copper-smelter. He wanted me to study law, but I left and entered the Augustinian order. In 1507, I obtained the priesthood, and in 1508, I entered the University of Wittenberg to study theology.

2. How do you make everyone know your 95 theses?

The 31st of October of 1517, I nailed a paper in which I wrote my 95 theses in the wooden doors of the church of the German town of Wittenberg. The next day, when everyone went to church, they read the theses and, as a consequence, started the Reformation.

3. How did The Church reacted to your theses?

They weren’t happy about my theses. They condemned me as an heretic monk, removed me from priesthood and banned my writings. As a challenge to authority, something, I burned one of the papal bull. This action moved the religious debate on from divine authority imposed from above, and brought into the conversation a sense of protest against that.

4. Are you conscious of the impact of Reformation?

Of course I am. I know that, apart from a social and religious revolution, it also caused a serious damage on religious art. For example, 800 monasteries in England were seized, and lost of books and manuscripts destroyed. However, new and reformatted art was born in Europe.

5. What do you think of the Catholics?

I think they were very blind, as they took their time to see the Protestant movement I was beginning. They had their problems with selling their bulls, as there was corruption in the Church. The Reformation not only made the Church split, but also made the catholics think again about if what they doing was right.

6. Did you ever meet Calvin?

No, but I’ve heard he is one of my followers. His ideas, which are close to mine, were spread in Scotland, France and the Low Countries. He contributed quite well the Reformation, although with another but similar point of view about the one I started. It is said that if it wasn’t because of Calvin, the Protestant movement wouldn’t be as important and revolutionary as it has become nowadays.

7. Have you made up any non-religious riots apart from the Reformation?

It is hard to answer, because in 1524, peasants in Germany, influenced by my Reformation, rise up against feudal lords and other authorities, apart from the ones involved in Religion. However, my prior goal was to face the corruption and control the Catholic Church has, not to fight against nobility. My Reformation movement was just a spark.

8.  What do you think about the Counter-Reformation?

I expected that to happen. The Catholic Church wasn’t happy at all about what I was saying about the religious liberty and the selling of bulls. They had previously removed me from my priesthood, and watching the number of people I was convincing, it was a matter of time that they had to do something about it. However, I never gave up and I didn’t let anyone say what can and can’t do, so we were stronger.

9. How did you organise the Church?

Organising the new Church was not an easy task. For not confusing the people, I avoided extreme changes. I based it on the Saxon Model, and said from the distance to the parish priests of the churches in new territories what were they doing wrong. I also worked closely with the elector John the Streadfast on the break with the Catholic Church.

10. How long it took you to translate the Bible?

Around 14 years. It took me a really long time translating the New Testament from Latin to German, despite the fact that the printing press helped. I published it in 1522, and the complete Bible in 1534. My intention was to make it accessible to more Germans, as not everyone knew Latin. However, most people in the Catholic Church didn’t like it, and burned some copies which were made with the printing press.

11. What do you think about our Pope Francis I?
Well, I think he is a really revolucionary person. He breaks the stablishmets of the Catholic Church. However, his efforts of reconnecting both Churches will be useless. It's impossible to forgive each other and respect each other, although we pray to the same god.


Mr. Luther, thank you so much for your time
Thank you. It is a pleasure.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/29/reformation-luther-pope-francis-catholics