Luther
There is a crucial scene in Luther, a film about a major catalyst of the Reformation, in which the primary conflict of the film and its characters are laid as plainly as possible. By the time this scene arrives, Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes) has nailed to the door of All Saints’ Church his “95 Theses” which outline what he feels are the Roman Catholic Church’s abuses. He is brought to Rome and told by Girolamo Aleander (Jonathan Firth), the Cardinal’s aide, “you have one word to say [to Cardinal Jacob Cajetan (Mathieu Carrière)] and one word only: Revoco—I recant.”
We next find Luther lying, servilely, before the Cardinal. When he arises as instructed, he asks, “Which of my teachings is offensive to Rome?” The Cardinal explains that, “Pope Clement’s decree, Unigenitus, clearly states that the merits of Christ are a treasure of indulgences.” To this, Luther replies, “I think you’ll find it says, ‘The merits of Christ acquire the treasure of indulgences.’” When the Cardinal asserts that it is the Pope who interprets scripture, Luther reminds him that, while “he may interpret…he is not above it.” Read the rest of this entry »