Editing Pope Leo X (section)

===Protestant Reformation===
{{Main|History of Lutheranism#The start of the Reformation}}
Leo was disturbed throughout his pontificate by schism, especially the [[Reformation]] sparked by [[Martin Luther]].<ref name=Chisholm1911/>

[[File:Bulla-contra-errores.jpg|thumb|250px|Bulla ''Contra errores Martini Lutheri'' of 1521]]
In response to concerns about misconduct from some [[indulgence]] preachers, in 1517 [[Martin Luther]] wrote his ''[[Ninety-five Theses]]'' on the topic of indulgences. The resulting pamphlet spread Luther's ideas throughout Germany and Europe. Leo failed to fully comprehend the importance of the movement, and in February 1518 he directed the vicar-general of the [[Augustinians]] to impose silence on his [[monk]]s.<ref name=Chisholm1911/>

On 24 May, Luther sent an explanation of his theses to the pope; on 7 August he was summoned to appear at Rome. An arrangement was effected, however, whereby that summons was cancelled, and Luther went instead to [[Augsburg]] in October 1518 to meet the papal legate, [[Cardinal Cajetan]]; but neither the arguments of the cardinal, nor Leo's dogmatic papal bull of 9 November requiring all Christians to believe in the pope's power to grant indulgences, moved Luther to retract. A year of fruitless negotiations followed, during which the controversy took popular root across the German states.<ref name=Chisholm1911/>

A further papal bull of 15 June 1520, ''[[Exsurge Domine]]'' or ''Arise, O Lord'', condemned forty-one propositions extracted from Luther's teachings, and was taken to Germany by [[Johann Eck]] in his capacity as apostolic [[nuncio]]. Leo followed by formally excommunicating Luther by the bull ''[[Decet Romanum Pontificem]]'' or ''It Befits the Roman Pontiff'', on 3 January 1521. In a brief, the Pope also directed [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]] to take energetic measures against heresy.<ref name=Chisholm1911/>

Leo was pope during the [[Lutheranism#Spread into northern Europe|spread of Lutheranism into Scandinavia]]. The pope had repeatedly used the rich northern benefices to reward members of the Roman curia, and towards the close of the year 1516, he sent the impolitic [[Giovanni Angelo Arcimboldi]] as papal [[nuncio]] to [[Denmark]] to collect money for St Peter's. This led to the [[Reformation in Denmark-Norway and Holstein#Reformation in Denmark|Reformation in Denmark]]. King [[Christian II of Denmark|Christian II]] took advantage of the growing dissatisfaction of the native clergy toward the papal government, and of Arcimboldi's interference in the Swedish revolt, to expel the nuncio and summon Lutheran theologians to [[Copenhagen]] in 1520. Christian approved a plan by which a formal state church should be established in Denmark, all appeals to Rome should be abolished, and the king and diet should have final jurisdiction in ecclesiastical causes. Leo sent a new nuncio to Copenhagen (1521) in the person of the Minorite Francesco de Potentia, who readily absolved the king and received the [[Diocese of Skara|bishopric of Skara]]. The pope or his legate, however, took no steps to correct abuses or otherwise discipline the Scandinavian churches.<ref name=Chisholm1911/>
[[File:Ara Coeli (12).JPG|thumb|left|Statue of Leo X in the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Rome]]