Church History · 1515 to 1517

Indulgences and the Building of Saint Peter's

To help pay for the new Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, Pope Leo X approved a special indulgence that was preached in Germany. Johann Tetzel's fundraising pitch so troubled Martin Luther that he wrote the 95 Theses.

Read it in the Bible: Acts 8:18-24 Ephesians 2:8-9 Romans 3:23-24 Hebrews 10:10-14

Between 1515 and 1517, Pope Leo X approved a special indulgence to raise money for rebuilding Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. In Germany it was preached by a Dominican friar named Johann Tetzel, who was very good at getting people to give. The way it was sold made many people think they could buy forgiveness. That is what pushed a young monk named Martin Luther to write his 95 Theses in 1517, and the Reformation began.

What Is an Indulgence in Catholic Teaching?

To be fair, we should start with what the Catholic Church actually teaches. In Catholic belief, when you sin and repent, God forgives the guilt of the sin through Christ. But there can still be temporal punishment, a kind of cleanup or discipline, either in this life or in purgatory after death.

An indulgence is a removal of some or all of that temporal punishment. The church grants it from what it calls the treasury of merit, the goodness of Christ and the saints. To receive one, a person must be sorry for their sins, go to confession and do a set good work, like a prayer, a pilgrimage or a gift to charity. In official teaching, an indulgence never forgave sins and was never a ticket to sin later. The Catholic Church still grants indulgences today, but no money changes hands.

How Did Indulgences Pay for Saint Peter's?

The old Saint Peter's in Rome dated back to Constantine and was falling apart. Pope Julius II started a grand new basilica in 1506, and the bills were enormous. Pope Leo X, a member of the wealthy Medici family of Florence, kept the building going and needed money.

In Germany, a young nobleman named Albrecht of Brandenburg wanted to become Archbishop of Mainz while already holding other church offices. That broke church rules, so he paid Rome a large fee for permission and borrowed the money from the Fugger banking family. Leo X then allowed Albrecht to preach a special indulgence in his lands. Half of the money went to Saint Peter's. The other half helped Albrecht pay back his bankers. Most people buying indulgences had no idea about that part of the deal.

Who Was Johann Tetzel?

Tetzel was a Dominican friar and a skilled preacher. He arrived in towns with a parade, set up a big cross and a money chest, and preached about suffering loved ones in purgatory. A rhyme became linked with his campaign:

As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.

Historians are not certain Tetzel said those exact words himself, but it captured how many people heard his message. Prince Frederick the Wise would not let Tetzel preach in his part of Saxony. So in the spring of 1517 people from Wittenberg crossed the border to Jüterbog to buy them, then showed up at Luther's confession booth expecting to be off the hook.

What Did Luther Object To?

Luther was a priest and teacher of the Bible. He was not trying to start a new church. He was worried that his people were trusting a piece of paper instead of real repentance and faith in Christ. In his 95 Theses he asked why, if the pope could empty purgatory, he did not do it out of love instead of for money to build a church.

May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! Acts 8:20

Peter said that to Simon the sorcerer, who tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit. Selling spiritual things for money is even called simony after him. Luther's deeper point was what Paul wrote to the Ephesians.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8 to 9

Did the Catholic Church Admit the Abuses?

Yes. Many Catholics at the time, including some bishops and scholars, were embarrassed by how indulgences were being sold. The Council of Trent, the great Catholic reform council that met from 1545 to 1563, kept the teaching on indulgences but ordered that all evil money making connected with them be completely stopped. It ended the office of the professional indulgence preachers. In 1567 Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences that involved any fees or money.

Some popular stories go further than the facts. You may have read that Leo X called Christ a profitable fable, or that people could buy permission to sin in the future. Those claims do not hold up. The quote comes from a hostile writer decades later, and official teaching never offered future sins for sale. The real story is bad enough without making things up.

Why It Matters for You Today

It is easy to shake our heads at people in 1517. But every one of us is tempted to think we can earn or buy our way with God, by money, good deeds or being in the right church. The gospel says the price has already been paid, and it was paid in full by Jesus on the cross. Nothing you could add would make it more paid.

Saint Peter's Basilica still stands, and it is beautiful. Its story is a reminder that God's house is built on grace, not on a coin in a box.

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Questions People Ask

What is an indulgence?

In Catholic teaching, an indulgence removes some or all of the temporal punishment still owed for sins that God has already forgiven. It requires repentance, confession and a good work. It was never officially meant to forgive sins or give permission to sin.

Why were indulgences sold to build Saint Peter's?

Rebuilding Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome was extremely expensive. Pope Leo X approved a special indulgence in Germany, and the gifts collected helped pay for construction, with part also going to repay Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz's debts.

Did Johann Tetzel say when the coin in the coffer rings?

The rhyme is closely tied to Tetzel's campaign, and Luther quoted it in the 95 Theses. Historians are not sure Tetzel used those exact words, but it summed up how his preaching was heard.

Does the Catholic Church still sell indulgences?

No. The Council of Trent ordered the money abuses stopped, and in 1567 Pope Pius V canceled indulgence grants that involved fees. The Catholic Church still grants indulgences for prayer and good works, but they cannot be bought.

Sources

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