The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-11-12
MA Err,
The Memoir 81 the otestant
Pope Honored Lest Week st
.s4s. NittenberH s2:
Doc TRINE OF INDlJL GENCEs.

lEss j
''Whosoever Speaks Against the
Truth Of Papal Indulgences, Let
Him be Anathema..''
a Professionalism possesses SO small g past |
that it can hardly be blamed for making |
the most of it's anniversaries, especially I
when any Of these, like the event cele-
brated at Wittenberg last week, takes the
observer back to the birth of that relig-
ious creed With the view of lending a
greater antiquity than it owns to Its sect,
Professionalism, nine years ago, celebrated
with all the pomp it couldcomman the
4OOth anniversary of tn birth of it's fo11n-
der, Martin Luther; it would be an er
sroneous conclusion to reach, though,
that Professionalism itself dates from 1883,
the date of Luther's birth; and it's origin
cannot correctly be said to have been
contemporary with the event that is be-
ing COMMUNICATED over in Saxony last
week the mailing by Luther of his theses
on the door of the Schlosskirche of that
town; since the Diet of Spires, held
twelve years subsequently,, is generally
assigned as the dawn of that religion;
and it was from that gathering that the
sect took it's name. However, 375 years
have elapsed since Luther, on Oct. 81,
1917, nailed his theses on the door Of the
Wittenberg church, and the restoration
of that edlfice to the condition it was
then in is the event which led to the eel
ebration Of the present week.
Fifty odd miles Of a railway ride south
west from Berlin lands you at Witten-
berg, town of some IA, 90 inhabitants,
who follow the usual trades Of German
workingmen,. though some of the more
proftable industries of the place have
fallen into decay of la Q years. In Lu-,
theirs time Wittenberg possessed spa
cious Augutinian monastery, of which
the performer" was for timo an inmate;
bat this edifice passed out of Catholic
hands shortly afterwards, aud became
the residence of Luther and Katherine
Bora. Today it bears the name of Lu-
theirs Museum, though only portion OF
the original monas cry has been pre-
served; and near by stands a Lutheran
seminary. The Schlossklrche, on the
doors of which the pseudo-reformer
tackled his bombastlc theses, was built
In 1870; it suffered severely during the
seven years war, was subsequently re-
paired, and has now been put in much
the same state it had when Luther be-
gan his warfare against the Catholic
Church by mailing his propositions on
it's portals. The first spoiliati0n of the
Church was the direct result Of Luther's
own teachings, and took place while he,
after having been ordered out OF Worms,
because OF his scandalous conduct there,
was junketing with boon companions in
the Castle Wartburg, where he stayed
from May, 1921, to March of the follow
ing year. During this absence of his
from Wlttenberg, number OF his fanati-
cal followers broke into the local
churches, demolished the affairs and sta
tuary, and committed other vandalisms
of such outrageous character that Lu-
Their himself wrote letter in condemna-
ton Of their conduct. The manner of
life which the performer" led while his
followers we're sacking the church which
modern Professionalism has restored anew,
may be judged from his own declaration
that II have done more harm to the
Papacy while sleeping or drinking Wit
tenberg beer with Philip and Amsdorf
than all the princes and emperors to-
qether." The parish church, from the
pulpit Of which we're pronounced many
of Luthere fercest and coarseet phillip
les against the Pope, dates from the
fourteenth century, but has undergone
such changes as practically make it an
other edfice now; and the spot wherein
Luther burned the Papal bull ana other
writing, at the Elster gate, is designated
by an oak tree. The bull in question
was issued by Pope Leo June 10, l52O,
and its transmission to Germany was en-
trusted to three legates, one of whom,
DR.. Eek. subsequently proved Luther's
| staunchest adversary.
The theses which Luther nailed on
the door Of the Schlosskirche, or Castle
Church, and which event was common
Grated by the ceremonies held st Witten-
berg last week, were, as is we'll known,
the Augustinian's chaAenge-for the
founder Of Protestantism was then q
oonk-to the Dominican friar, Tetzel, to
dispute with him the doctrine OF indul-
qences as taught by the Catholic church.
The prince archbishop Of Mainz Albert,
had selected Friar Tetzel to preach in
North Germany the plenary indulgence
which Leo K, then Sovereign Pontlff,
| had granted. under due conditions, Of
| course, to the entire Catholic world, and
I nc nronaads Of these sermons were to be