'Sola Scriptura'

Rodrigo de Borja was elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492. He died in 1503, and 14 years after his death, Martin Luther composed his Ninety-five Theses, launching the Protestant Reformation. Alexander VI was a member of one of the most powerful families in Spain. His uncle had been pope before him, and he used his authority as pope to increase his family’s power. His papacy is often marked by corruption and is considered a low point in the history of the Roman Catholic Church; much of this corruption contributed to the movement that later split the Church. The corruption continued after Alexander, and by 1517, when Luther had finally had enough, a pope from another powerful family was using the office to increase his personal wealth and his family’s influence. How did these popes make the Reformation necessary, and why was the Church so reluctant to reform? Join the conversation and get answers to this question and more on According2Sam episode #404.