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{{summary | text=In the 16th century, the practice of buying [[indulgences]] for the [[forgiveness remission of sins]] punisment in purgatory was prominent in the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. (Contrary to popular belief, the Roman Catholic Church does not teach that a monetary gift or donation is acceptable for the forgiveness of sins, though it is quite possible in the pre-reformation era that corrupt clergy misled the faithful.) A number of prominent Christians questioned the teaching of purgatory and indulgences, culminating in 1517 with the German [[Martin Luther]] circulating his [[95 Theses]] disputing indulgences. This marked the start of the Reformation and the Protestant Church. The ideas in Germany were taken up in other northern European countries, England and Switzerland. The [[Protestant Churches]] taught that the [[Bible]] had [[Sola Scriptura|sole absolute authority]], that every believer could come to [[God the Father]] through [[Christ]] without the need for a [[priest]], and that [[justification]] was through faith alone. The [[Roman Catholic]] response to The Protestant Reformation is known as The [[Counter Reformation]].}}