Read theses 81 and 82 in Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses. Explain thesis 82 in your own words. Use the Internet to research any rele

During Luther's era, indulgences were widely sold in Germany to raise funds for the church's construction in Rome. In thesis 82, Luther highlights how this practice of selling indulgences undermines the church's integrity and diminishes the honor of the pope’s position. Ordinary people were questioning why the pope granted forgiveness for money (a power that those selling indulgences claimed the pope possessed) but failed to use his abilities to liberate those souls suffering in Purgatory (a difficult state of purification needed before entering heaven).

<span>The content:
81) The rampant selling of indulgences complicates matters even for educated individuals trying to defend the pope's honor against slander or insightful inquiries from the general populace.  82) For instance: ``Why doesn't the pope release souls from purgatory out of genuine love and necessity since he redeems countless souls for the sake of pitiful money to construct a church?'' The former would be a completely justifiable reason, unlike the latter which is trivial.

Martin Luther argues that the motivation of grace is far more appropriate for saving souls from purgatory than monetary payment, and claiming otherwise contradicts fundamental Christian beliefs, which regard money as perilous and corruptive, while grace and compassion are seen as the virtues everyone should aspire towards, exemplifying Christ.</span><span />