Here I Stand: Martin Luther at Worms

On 18 April 1521, Martin Luther stood before Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms and refused to take back a single word of his writings. The Church had already excommunicated him. The Emperor could declare him an outlaw — which would mean anyone could kill him without legal consequence. Luther had been warned. He came anyway. When pressed for a simple yes-or-no answer, he delivered one of the most consequential speeches in European history: 'My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me.' The phrase 'Here I stand' may have been added by a scribe, but the refusal was real, documented, and witnessed by the most powerful assembly in Europe. Luther was spirited away to Wartburg Castle by a sympathetic prince. From there, he translated the Bible into German — and the Protestant Reformation began. A monk's refusal to say sorry changed the map of the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.