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Name:
Pope Leo X
Born: Giovanni de' Medici
Preceded by: Julius II (1503 - 1513)
Succeeded by: Adrian VI (1522 - 1523)
Roman Catholic Pope #218
Dates:
Born: December 11, 1475
Died: December 1, 1521
Pope: March 11, 1513 - December 1, 1521 (8 years)
Excommunicated Martin Luther: 1521
Biography:
Pope Leo X will forever be known as the pope of the beginning of Protestant
Reformation. It was during his reign that Martin Luther felt forced to react to
certain church excesses - in particular, excesses for which Leo himself was
responsible. Leo engaged is massive construction campaigns, expensive military
campaigns, and huge personal extravagance, all of which led the Church into deep
debt.
As a result, Leo felt forced to find a great deal of new revenue, and he decided to increase the sale of both ecclesiastical offices and of indulgences, both of which were protested by many different reformers throughout Europe. People were growing increasingly tired of the corruption, scandals and excesses of the Church. This, then, was the social and religious context which produced the likes of Martin Luther.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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Who or what is the pope? The title pope stems from the Greek word papas, which simply means "father." Early in Christian history it was used as a formal title expressing affectionate respect for any bishop and sometimes even priests. Today it continues to be used in Eastern Orthodox churches for the patriarch of Alexandria.
