Question

Who is being addressed by Martin Luther in the following speech: "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason ... my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

A) Pope Paul III
B) Emperor Charles V
C) King Henry VIII
D) John Calvin

Answer 1

Martin Luther's speech was addressed to Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521, where he refused to recant his challenges to the Catholic Church.

Step-by-step explanation:

Martin Luther addressed his speech to Emperor Charles V during the Diet of Worms in 1521. Luther was summoned because of his Ninety-five Theses and other writings, in which he had challenged the Catholic Church's practices, such as the sale of indulgences, and asserted that salvation is achieved through faith alone, not by purchasing indulgences or performing good works. His refusal to recant led to his excommunication and intensified the Protestant Reformation, a movement aiming to reform the Catholic Church's practices and doctrines. The two Habsburg dynasties remained allied until the extinction of the Spanish line in 1700. In 1557, Charles retired to the Monastery of Yuste in Extremadura and died there a year later.