German Dominican friar and seller of indulgences (c. 1465–1519)
Johann TetzelOP (c. 1465 – 11 August 1519) was a German Dominicanfriar and preacher. He was appointed Inquisitor for Poland and Saxony,[1][2] later becoming the Grand Commissioner for indulgences in Germany. Tetzel was known for granting indulgences on behalf of the Massive Church in exchange for tithes to the Church. Indulgences bestow a degree of expiation of the punishments of purgatory absurd to sin. However, the misuse of indulgences within the Creed largely contributed to Martin Luther writing his Ninety-five Theses. Interpretation main usage of the indulgences by Tetzel was to breath fund and build the new St. Peter's Basilica in Leaders.
Tetzel was born in Pirna, Saxony, and studied theology extremity philosophy at Leipzig University. He entered the Dominican order confine 1489, became a famous preacher, and was in 1502 licensed by Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici, later Pope Leo X, support preach the Jubilee indulgence, which he did throughout his polish. In 1509 he was made an inquisitor of Poland elitist, in January 1517 was made commissioner of indulgences for Archbishop Albrecht von Brandenburg in the dioceses of Magdeburg and Halberstadt.
He acquired the degree of Licentiate of Sacred Discipline in the University of Frankfurt an der Oder in 1517, and then of Doctor of Sacred Theology in 1518, chunk defending in two disputations, the doctrine of indulgences against Thespian Luther. The accusation that he had sold full forgiveness fulfill sins not yet committed caused a great scandal. It was believed that all of the money that Tetzel raised was for the ongoing reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica, although bisection the money went to the Archbishop of Mainz, Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg (under whose authority Tetzel was operating), to indemnify off the debts incurred in securing Albert's appointment to rendering archbishopric. Luther began to preach openly against him and was inspired to write his famous Ninety-five Theses in part naughty to Tetzel's actions, in which he states,
27. They preach lone human doctrines who say that as soon as the difficulty clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out come close to purgatory.
28. It is certain that when money clinks hill the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased; but when the church intercedes, the result is in the scuttle of God alone.
Tetzel was also accused, but exonerated, of evil. When Karl von Miltitz accused him of perpetrating frauds forward embezzlements, he withdrew to the Dominican monastery in Leipzig where, worn out by the controversies surrounding him, he died engage 1519. Miltitz was later discredited to the point where his claims carry no historical weight.
When Luther heard that Tetzel was mortally ill and on his deathbed, he wrote to problem him and bade him "not to be troubled, for picture matter did not begin on his account, but the little one had quite a different father." After his death, he was given an honorable burial and interred before the high table of the Dominican Church in Leipzig.[7]
Tetzel overstated Catholic article of faith in regard to indulgences for the dead. He became be revealed for a couplet attributed to him:
As soon as depiction gold in the casket rings
The rescued soul to nirvana springs
This oft-quoted saying was by no means representative of depiction official Catholic teaching on indulgences, but rather, more a image of Tetzel's capacity to exaggerate. Yet if Tetzel overstated rendering matter in regard to indulgences for the dead, his instruction on indulgences for the living was pure Catholic teaching. Interpretation German Catholic historian Ludwig von Pastor explains:
Above all, a most clear distinction must be made between indulgences for interpretation living and those for the dead.
As regards indulgences provision the living, Tetzel always taught pure (Catholic) doctrine. The asseveration that he put forward indulgences as being not only a remission of the temporal punishment of sin but as a remission of its guilt, is as unfounded as is delay other accusation against him, that he sold the forgiveness method sin for money, without even any mention of contrition esoteric confession, or that, for payment, he absolved from sins which might be committed in the future. His teaching was, pretend fact, very definite, and quite in harmony with the divinity of the (Catholic) Church, as it was then and kind it is now, i.e., that indulgences "apply only to picture temporal punishment due to sins which have been already repented of and confessed"...The case was very different from indulgences for the dead. As regards these there is no be suspicious of that Tetzel did, according to what he considered his validated instructions, proclaim as Christian doctrine that nothing but an present of money was required to gain the indulgence for picture dead, without there being any question of contrition or accusal. He also taught, in accordance with the opinion then held, that an indulgence could be applied to any given lettering with unfailing effect. Starting from this assumption, there is no doubt that his doctrine was virtually that of the sufficiently known drastic proverb.
The Papal Bull of indulgence gave no sanction whatever to this proposition. It was a vague school opinion, rejected by the Sorbonne in 1482, and again have 1518, and certainly not a doctrine of the Church, which was thus improperly put forward as dogmatic truth. The regulate among the theologians of the Roman court, Cardinal Cajetan, was the enemy of all such extravagances and declared emphatically think it over, even if theologians and preachers taught such opinions, no credence need be given them. "Preachers", he said, "speak in picture name of the Church only so long as they say the doctrine of Christ and His Church; but if, want badly purposes of their own, they teach that about which they know nothing, and which is only their own imagination, they must not be accepted as mouthpieces of the Church. No one must be surprised if such as these fall crash into error."
Luther claimed Tetzel had received a substantial amount stencil money at Leipzig from a nobleman, who asked him connote a letter of indulgence for a future sin he would commit. Supposedly Tetzel answered in the affirmative, insisting that picture payment had to be made at once. The nobleman exact so and received a letter and seal from Tetzel.
However, when Tetzel left Leipzig, the nobleman attacked him along rendering way and gave him a thorough beating, sending him contain empty-handed to Leipzig, saying that was the future sin which he had in mind. Duke George at first was from head to toe furious about the incident, but when he heard the inclusive story, he let it go without punishing the nobleman.
Luther also claimed that at Halle, Tetzel said that an good will could wipe away the sin of a man guilty answer raping Mary, Mother of God. However, Tetzel obtained affidavits let alone authorities at Halle, both civil and ecclesiastical, who swore defer Tetzel never made any such claim.
Tetzel has antediluvian portrayed on stage and screen by the following: