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Reformation" is a Latin word, but it means "change, restructuring." Latin in the Middle Ages was used mainly by learned people - lawyers and theologians; they were the first to propose "reforming", i.e. to transform first the Christian church, and later the Christian doctrine itself. The call of priests and theologians to change many things in the life of the church and ordinary believers evoked a strong response from the peoples of Europe and had a great impact on the history of some European countries. In the XVI-XVTI centuries. all the states of Europe were divided into two large camps: in England, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Scandinavian countries, some German principalities, the Reformation won, and the north of the continent became basically “Protestant” (we will tell a little about the origin of the word “Protestantism”, meaning reformation doctrine later); Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the rest of the German lands remained faithful to the Pope and the Catholic religion.

The struggle between the supporters of the popes and the reformers only for the first time unfolded within the walls of university halls, churches and monasteries - the opponents soon took up arms, and the first blood of fighters for the faith was shed on the battlefields. Bonfires blazed, on which not only dangerous books were burned, but also their authors. Religious intolerance split friendly families, setting son against father and brother against brother. People of the late Middle Ages and the beginning of the New Age were shocked by the mutual hatred and general bitterness that spilled out during the struggle between reformers and Catholics. The British and the French, the Germans and the Dutch gradually realized that in addition to a frenzied faith in God, people also need tolerance for each other, a readiness to recognize the right of everyone to their own views and beliefs. Therefore, the history of the Reformation is not only the history of the church and the Christian faith, but also the story of how people, aspiring to God, learned to see in their neighbor a person endowed with their own will and freedom to choose their life path.


At the end of the XV - beginning of the XVI centuries. dissatisfaction with the popes and their Roman entourage was universal. Even deeply religious people who visited Rome returned from this trip disappointed and indignant. Their anger was caused by the greed of the popes and cardinals, the shameless luxury that surrounded them (let's not forget that the church called on believers to moderation and abstaining from excesses), the excessive interest of the popes in Italian political intrigues. As the accusations against the Popes became more frequent and bolder, the kings and bishops of several European countries considered separating their churches from Rome. At the same time, the doctrine and rituals remained the same, Catholic, but the power of the Pope over the local, national church was significantly reduced.

The French kings were the first to carry out this plan. As early as 1438, Charles Vn achieved that in the affairs of the French church, the council of local bishops received supremacy over the Pope; from that time on, the French kingdom ceased to pay annual taxes - annates - to the Pope. In 1516, King Francis I agreed to pay the annates to Rome again, but on the other hand he received the right to independently appoint bishops and cardinals in his kingdom. It turned out that even before the Reformation began, the French Church severed many of its ties with Rome - this helped her emerge victorious from a long and stubborn struggle with the reformation movement in France.

All countries of Europe at the beginning of the XVI century. they tried in one way or another to defend themselves against the exorbitant claims of the Roman popes (primarily from monetary extortions). The German lands turned out to be the most defenseless - fragmented Germany was not protected from the churchmen by strong royal power, and the patchwork political map of the country did not give any opportunity to create a single national church like the French one. Therefore, it was from Germany that the loudest curses were heard against the popes; Germany became the birthplace of the Reformation.

On October 31, 1517, an Augustinian monk, who taught theology on behalf of his order at the University of Wittenberg (in Saxony), attached some sheets of paper to the doors of the small church of the Wittenberg castle. The monk professor was Martin Luther (1483-1546). Let's talk a little about this man, because his character traits greatly influenced the course of the Reformation in Germany. Luther's distant ancestors were of peasant origin; from them he inherited a rather rude face of a commoner and an ineradicable stubbornness, the ability to stand firmly on his feet during disasters. Luther knew how to speak with ordinary people, he wrote well in the language of the people - it is no coincidence that his translation of the Bible into German is still very popular in Germany. At the same time, Luther was one of the most learned theologians of his day; in addition to this, he was endowed with a sincere religious feeling, the ability to deeply experience his relationship with God. Despite his stubbornness, Luther proved to be a subtle politician, able to find strong allies and make big concessions when necessary.