Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Protestant Reformation was a movement in Europe that began with Martin Luther's activities in 1517 and concluded with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.[1] The movement began as an attempt to reform the Catholic Church and led to the fracturing of Christendom. Many western Christians were troubled by what they saw as false doctrines and malpractices within the Church, particularly involving the teaching and sale of indulgences. Another major contention was the rampant Simony and the tremendous corruption found at the time within the Church's hierarchy. This corruption was systemic at the time, often reaching all the way up to the Bishop of Rome himself, the Pope. On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses On the Power of Indulgences to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, which served as a pin board for university-related announcements. These were points for debate that criticised the Church and the Pope. The most controversial points centred on the practice of selling indulgences and the Church's policy on purgatory. Luther's spiritual predecessors were men such as John Wycliffe and Jan Hus. Other reformers, such as Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, soon followed Luther's lead. Church beliefs and practices under attack by Protestant reformers included purgatory, particular judgement, devotion to Mary, the intercession of the saints, most of the sacraments, and the authority of the Pope. The most important Protestant groups to emerge directly from the reformation were the Lutherans, the Reformed/Calvinists/Presbyterians, the Anabaptists, and the Anglicans. Subsequent Protestant denominations generally trace their roots back to the initial Reformation traditions. It also accelerated the Catholic or Counter Reformation within the Roman Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation is also referred to as the "Protestant Revolution", "Protestant Revolt", and, in Germany, the "Lutheran Reformation."
Charles V faced a double revolt by the Lutheran Princes and the free cities of the Smalkalde league (1531-1547), and the massive invasion of south east Europe by the Turks. At the end of fierce fighting between Catholics and Protestants the peace of Hapsburg, signed in 1555, consecrated the failure of the religious unification wished by Charles V: Lutheranism was recognised as the official religious in most of the Dukedoms and cities of northern Germany while southern Germany stayed mainly Catholic.
The most prevalent religions in Germany are the Protestant and Catholic Churches with respectively around 28 million members. Muslims make up the next largest group with around 3 million members. The vast majority of Muslims are Sunni. Shiites and Alevites form a much smaller group. Jews make up the third largest religious community in Germany. Other faiths found in Germany are Orthodox Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Baha’i. There are more than 160 different religious communities in Germany. The holy days of Muslim, Jewish and other minority religious groups, such as the Islamic Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha, or the Jewish Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are not public holidays in Germany.
The north and centre of Germany are today mainly Lutheran. Bavaria and the Rhine valley are traditionally Catholic. The German people suffered from Religious Wars in the 17th century which culminated with the “Thirty Year's War”. East Germany DDR was officially non confessional. Islam is practised by Turkish communities mainly in the Ruhr and in Berlin. (continua) (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/6/2007 - righe 42, parole 565)
