The Catholic Church responded to Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses primarily with condemnation and formal actions to suppress his teachings. Initially, the Church viewed Luther's theses, which criticized the sale of indulgences and other practices, as a direct challenge to its authority and doctrine. In 1520, Pope Leo X issued the papal bull Exsurge Domine , which condemned 41 propositions from Luther's writings, including some from the Ninety-five Theses, labeling them heretical, scandalous, or false, and warned Catholics against them. Luther was given 60 days to recant his views but refused
. When Luther publicly burned the papal bull, he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in January 1521. The Church also attempted to suppress Luther's ideas through censorship and by discrediting him, but the printing press facilitated the rapid spread of his teachings across Europe
. Despite this opposition, the Church later acknowledged some validity in certain criticisms raised by Luther and other reformers, which contributed to internal reforms, notably through the Council of Trent during the Counter- Reformation
. In summary, the Catholic Church's response was initially defensive and punitive—condemning, excommunicating, and censoring Luther—but eventually led to a recognition of the need for reform within the Church itself.
