Luther Page #2

Yet two lines earlier,

in verse 16,

we find the very foundation

of our faith...

"You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God."

Surely the more universal

we make these great words,

the nearer we come

to the mind of Christ.

You question the authority

of the church council, sir?

Not at all.

Though in 1215,

the Fourth Lateran Council

allowed that Cyprian

could be wrong

and salvation

could exist outside the church...

though not outside Christ.

Thomas! Thomas!

Why would he do such a thing?

If only we knew

what was in his head.

What does God say, Father,

for suicide?

I never... Never said

I had the answers.

I defy you, devil! You...

I know your handiwork!

You and your stinking lies!

Shaming... shaming...

shaming a mother,

telling her

to hide her broken child,

telling her boy to kill himself!

Brother Martin, the boy's damned!

I'm not allowed to do this!

The others won't rest

with him in here!

This is holy ground!

He's a suicide!

Tell Otto to bring his son!

Tell him!

Some people say that

according to God's justice,

this boy is damned

because he took his life.

I say it was overcome

by the devil.

Is this child

any more to blame

for the despair that overtook him

than an innocent man who is

murdered by a robber in the woods?

God must be mercy.

God is mercy.

He is yours. Save him.

Terrible. Unforgiving.

That's how I saw God.

Punishing us in this life,

committing us to Purgatory

after death,

sentencing sinners to burn in hell

for all eternity.

But I was wrong.

Those who see God as angry...

do not see Him rightly...

but look upon a curtain

as if a dark storm cloud

has been drawn across His face.

If we truly believe

that Christ is our Savior...

then we have a God of love,

and to see God in faith

is to look upon

His friendly heart.

So when the devil throws

your sins in your face

and declares that you deserve

death and hell, tell him this...

"I admit that I deserve

death and hell. What of it?

"For I know One who suffered

and made satisfaction in my behalf.

"His name is Jesus Christ,

Son of God.

Where He is,

there I shall be also."

Prince Frederick wants him silenced.

You should have stopped him,

Carlstadt. Forbidden him.

Forbidden him, Spalatin?

To teach theology?

He undermines the prince.

Come on, there is no

clear teaching on relics.

When I became a monk,

I believed the monk's cowl

would make me holy.

Was I an arrogant fool?

Now they have made me

a doctor of divinity,

and I'm tempted to believe

that this scholar's robe

will make me wise.

Well, God once spoke

through the mouth of an ass.

Perhaps he's about to

do so again.

But I'll tell you straight

what I think.

Who here has been to Rome?

Did you buy an indulgence?

No.

I did.

For a silver florin, I freed

my grandfather from Purgatory.

For twice that, I could have sprung

grandma and Uncle Marcus too,

but I didn't have the funds,

so they had to stay in the hot place.

As for myself,

the priests assured me

that by gazing at sacred relics,

I could cut down

my time in Purgatory.

Luckily for me, Rome had

enough nails from the Holy Cross

to shoe every horse in Saxony.

But there are relics

elsewhere in Christendom.

Eighteen out of twelve apostles

are buried in Spain.

And yet here in Wittenberg,

we have the pick of the crop...

bread from the Last Supper,

milk from the Virgin's breast,

a thorn that pierced

Christ's brow on Calvary,

and 19,000 other bits

of sacred bone,

all authenticated sacred relics.

Even John Tetzel himself...

Inquisitor of Poland and Saxony,

seller of indulgences

extraordinary,

connoisseur of relics,

envies our collection!

To possess them

for a single night,

he would willingly surrender

five years of his earthly life!

Or 500 years in Purgatory.

And now, good citizens

of Wittenberg,

Prince Frederick of Saxony

invites you here to his courtyard

to witness a mystery play

on that ever most popular

of subjects...

the Day of Judgment.

Just like old times, Martin.

Excellency.

Secretary.

Prince's secretary.

Such secretaries have a habit

of becoming Excellencies.

Even when we were law students,

I had you marked for great things.

I was hoping you may be

of some help in that regard.

Prince Frederick is

exceedingly proud of his relics.

Then I'm sorry

he didn't hear my lecture.

Perhaps I could have swayed him.

He spent 20 years

and a large fortune

building his collection,

that in a week's time,

on All Saints' Day,

thousands of faithful Christians

are coming to see.

Paying to see.

Contributions are

customary for indulgences,

along with confession

and true penitence.

Ah, yes.

The right prayers,

the right coins,

and 1,900,202 years

and 27 days less in Purgatory.

Do not bite the hand

that feeds you, Martin.

Our prince pays

for your chair in this university.

His relics pay for your chair.

And he who pays the piper...

calls the tune.

Do not embarrass him.

No one is more delighted

with your popularity here.

He'd prefer you stay.

Master Kranauer,

is Luther open to persuasion?

Not likely, my prince.

He's as bitable as...

As a donkey,

you were going to say?

Indeed, indeed.

I am conscious of the great honor

you do me, Cardinal Cajetan,

in recommending me

to His Holiness.

I doubt you'll think it an honor

20 years from now, Aleander.

My first master

was Pope Alexander MI.

Three mistresses,

five children,

and a most fervent devotion

to bullfighting.

Pope Julius ll...

a month ago, he was

spiritual leader of the whole world.

Quite dignified-looking, isn't he?

But it's not

what Julius wanted.

He wanted to be

remembered as a warrior,

sitting on his horse,

sword in hand,

besieging the Venetians.

What is it you seek, Aleander?

To serve God.

To serve him with all my heart.

And that is

how you will be tempted.

Pope Leo X,

sovereign bishop of Rome,

successor to Saint Peter

and holy head

of the Roman Catholic church.

I've been longing for

someone to save Christendom.

Let us pray he's come.

Your reputation

precedes you, Aleander.

Then I am fearful.

Cardinal Cajetan says

you're a brilliant scholar,

yet possess

a fervent desire to serve.

I have need of such gifts.

Excellency.

Albert of Brandenburg wants

to be Archbishop of Mainz.

He's already archbishop

of two German territories.

Correct.

Then canon law disqualifies him

from holding a third.

Moreover, wasn't he underage

when granted his first post?

Just so.

Even as I myself was.

Doubtless Cajetan has informed you

that I was made cardinal

at the age of 13.

Albert's ambition

could still serve God's glory.

The Turks at the gates of Vienna.

The French are

yapping at my heels,

and Rome itself has

become an open sewer

filled with wild dogs

and cats by day

and brigands

and fornicators by night.

And this new

Basilica of Saint Peter's,

it's not just a building,

Aleander,

it's a symbol of my intent

to restore Christ's church.

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