“I have cast the die. . . . I will not reconcile myself to them [the Roman Catholic Church] for all eternity. . . . Let them condemn and burn all that belongs to me; in return I will do as much for them. . . . Now I no longer fear, and I am publishing a book in the German tongue about Christian reform, directed against the pope, in language as violent as if I were addressing the Antichrist.” —Martin Luther, 1520

What prompted Martin Luther to take the actions described in the quotation?

a. the distribution of the provocative 95 Theses
b. the spread of the printed bible in the vernacular
c. the excommunication of Luther by Pope Leo X
d .Luther’s rejection of papal authority and his refusal to recant

The actual problem triggered when Martin Luther published the provocative 95 Theses on October 1517 in Germany, where he openly disagreed with Catholic church practices relating to the sale of indulgences. Luther held that salvation could only be reached through faith and divine grace.

As expected, the Catholic Church condemned the document since it was opposed to its traditional teachings.

And in July 1520 Pope Leo X issued a public decree that concluded that Luther’s thesis was contrary to church dogma and gave him 120 days to recant it in Rome. Luther firmly refused to do it.

The excerpt makes reference to this period of Luther's life. He knew what the consequences of his decision would be and was already determined to spread the trues of the Christian religion.

The following year, on January 3, 1521, Pope Leo X excommunicated him from the Catholic Church. Afterward, on May 25, an edict against Luther was signed. The edict ordered to burn his writings.

However, Luther later began to translate the New Testament into German, a major project that was finished 10 years later.