THE RENAISSANCE INSPIRES CHANGES IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH KNOWN AS THE REFORMATION!

Today’s Target Act out significant events in the Reformation including The Great Schism The sale of indulgences The Posting of the 95 Theses The Edict of Worms The Counter Reformation You will be given a scene and a general description. Please act it up. Practice, rehearse, make props if possible. Be prepared to be filmed. You will have about 10 minutes to prepare.

Scene 1: The Great Schism

Characters: Pope Urban 6 th, Pope Clermont 3, 1-2 confused Christians, 1 cardinal in Rome, and one in Avignon, France. Scene Description: The scene opens in 1378 in Rome. An Italian named Pope Urban 6 th has just been elected by the cardinals in Rome, Italy (shown by a desk that is south of France desks). The French cardinals in France (in nearby land shown by a desk) refuse to accept him, declare his election void and elect Clermont the 3 rd as pope. Pope Clermont moves to Avignon in France and rules from there. Christians all over Europe (everywhere around desks) don’t know who to follow and question and joke about what is going on. Some follow Urban, some follow Clermont. The spectacle of two popes is seen as a joke and significantly injures the papacy.

Scene 2: The sale of indulgences

Characters: Two priests with papers that say “indulgences”, five sinners each with money and a list of sins that they have committed. Scene Description: The scene opens while two Catholic priests sit outside the local cathedral at a table. Waiting to talk to the priests is a long line of sinners. One by one, the penitents talk to the priests and admit their sins and ask for forgiveness. Some seem really sorry but others sound like they’re just buying forgiveness and probably will sin again cause they’re so rich. The priests talk to one another to decide upon monitary contributions needed to take away the sins of the confessors. Sinners then pay the priests, promise to sin no more, and the priests hand the sinner an “indulgence” paper which cancels their sins. Later the priest(s) talk about what lavish ways they could spend the money they’ve earned to make the church or themselves look fancy and rich. Scene 2: The selling of indulgences

Scene 3: Martin Luther posts 95 Theses

Scene 3: Martin Luther’s 95 Theses Characters: A German named Martin Luther, a sinner, 2-3 people near the church, Pope Leo X, Johann Gutenberg Scene Description: The scene begins days earlier. A priest named Martin Luther talks to a Christian who is holding an indulgence (paper scroll that says “indulgence”) he bought from another priest. Martin Luther listens carefully as this man brags about how he bought his pardon from sins from a Catholic priest and no longer has to be sorry about what he has done. Later, alone in his room, Martin Luther begins to question this practice. He wonders out loud “How can a man buy his forgiveness from God? If he is truly sorry, only God will really know.” Martin picks up a quill and begins to write his 95 Theses in which he criticizes the selling of indulgences and other practices of the Roman Catholic church. The next day, Luther posts them on the doors of a Church in Wittenberg. A local prince takes the page to Johann Gutenberg has it copied many times with the printing press. People from all over read the document and start criticizing the church. A few months later in 1521 the Pope Leo X hears about this and formally excommunicates Martin Luther from the Catholic Church

Scene 4: The Edict of Worms

Characters: The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Martin Luther, Prince Frederick of Wittenberg. A few other princes Scene Description: Martin Luther is hiding out in the castle of Prince Frederick of Wittenberg who also opposes the Catholic Church. Martin Luther tells the Prince he is working on translating a copy of the Bible from Latin into German so that true Christians can interpret the Bible for themselves instead of relying on corrupt church clergy. Suddenly, a friend of the Prince’s tells the two to come listen – that the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, who is the leader of the area has an edict, or rule to share with everyone in his kingdom and that they should go to the palace and secretly listen to this edict without being seen. At the castle of Charles the V they hide and watch him issue the Edict of Worms. He reads from a scroll that reads “Martin Luther is an outlaw and heretic and must be captured. Anyone who kills him will not face penalty.” Prince Frederick wisks Luther away. A number of other local princes denouce the edict and follow Luther’s ideas. Because of their protests they are called Protestants and declare their allegiance to God and not the Holy Roman Emperor.

Scene 5: The Counter Reformation

Scene 5: The Counter-Reformation Characters: 3-4 leaders of the Catholic Church who realize they need to make some changes, one missionary, and some new recruit(s) to the Church. Scene: In 1545, leaders in the Catholic Church call for an emergency meeting in Northern Italian city of Trent. Members meet together to respond to the criticisms brought about against the Church as a result of the Protestant Reformation. “We must decided how to bring back followers to the Catholic Church. So many Christians are leaving the Catholic Church and joining the new Protestant denominations. First, they discussed how to reform the corruption and then how to save important traditions. They also decided to discontinue the selling of indulgences and the practice of simony (selling of church jobs). Additionally, worship was standardized, new education was introduced for clergy, and much corruption within the leaders were eliminated. In the final scene you see these leaders sending missionaries out to recruit new members or people abroad to the newly improved Catholic Church.