Edict of Worms

The Edict of Worms was the decree issued on May 25, 1521 at the Diet of Worms by the Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor Charles V, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw and a heretic and banning his literature. It also made it a crime for anyone in Germany to give Luther food or shelter.The Papal nuncio at the Diet, Girolamo Aleandro, drew up and proposed the fierce denunciations of Luther that were embodied in the Edict of Worms, promulgated on May 25. These declared Luther to be an outlaw and banned the reading or possession of his writings. It permitted anyone to kill Luther without legal consequence. The Edict was a divisive move that distressed more moderate men, in particular Desiderius Erasmus.
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