Indulgence Trade System

Timeline

1. 1514–1517The papal court in Rome and various parts of Germany · Papal StatesTo raise the enormous funds for rebuilding St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Pope Leo X in 1514 authorized Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz to sell a special plenary indulgence in the German lands, with proceeds divided proportionally between the papal rebuilding project and Albrecht's repayment of his loan from the Fugger bank. This intertwining of commercial and religious interests seriously damaged the theological seriousness of indulgences.
2. 1516–1517Borderlands of Saxony and Brandenburg · GermanyDominican friar Johann Tetzel actively sold plenary indulgences along the borders of the Saxon electorate, using exaggerated slogans such as "as soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs," claiming buyers could not only have their own sins and punishments remitted but also free deceased relatives from purgatorial suffering. These statements seriously overstepped theological boundaries, provoking strong protest from Wittenberg theology professor Luther and ultimately leading to the publication of the Ninety-five Theses.
3. 1517–1567Europe · EuropeLuther's Ninety-five Theses critiquing the theological basis of indulgences sparked debate across Europe; the Catholic Church re-regulated the doctrine of indulgence and restricted monetary exchange during the Council of Trent (1545–1563); in 1567 Pope Pius V issued a decree formally abolishing the purchase of plenary indulgence with money, ending the indulgence trade system at the level of canon law.