St. John Fisher vs Martin Luther: Martin Luther, the Mad Monk (Part 2/4) ~ Michael Davies

About this sermon

In Part 2 of Michael Davies' powerful lecture series on St. John Fisher vs. Martin Luther, the historical backdrop of the Protestant Reformation comes into sharp focus. Before examining Fisher's direct confrontation with Luther, Davies explores the widespread abuses that plagued the Church in the early sixteenth century: financial corruption, absentee bishops, the abuse of benefices, the indulgence controversy, and the failures of Renaissance churchmen. Yet amid this crisis stood one faithful bishop—St. John Fisher—who clearly distinguished between the failures of individual churchmen and the divine institution established by Christ. This lecture examines: • The state of the Church before the Reformation • Corruption within the Renaissance Papacy • The abuse of benefices and absentee clergy • Fisher's reforms at St. John's College, Cambridge • The indulgence controversy and Johann Tetzel • Martin Luther's rise and the 95 Theses • The rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica • Albert of Brandenburg and the indulgence scandal • Fisher's defense of the Papacy and Apostolic Succession • The distinction between the office and the man • Luther's doctrine of justification by faith alone • Henry VIII's Defense of the Seven Sacraments • Fisher's famous sermon against Luther at St. Paul's Cross • Luther's fiery response to Henry VIII • Why Fisher became the Church's greatest defender against Protestantism Michael Davies demonstrates that St. John Fisher neither denied the corruption within the Church nor excused it. Instead, he used the crisis itself as evidence for the divine preservation of the Catholic Church through centuries of human weakness and failure. This lecture is essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand the true origins of the Protestant Reformation and the heroic witness of one of England's greatest saints. 00:00 Introduction: The Church Before the Reformation 00:25 Papal finances and the pursuit of wealth 02:20 Problems in clergy formation and vocation 02:50 Fisher's vision for priestly formation 03:40 St. John's College and Catholic orthodoxy 05:15 Fisher's stand against emerging Protestant errors 06:00 Absentee bishops and benefice abuses 08:20 Why Church reform was neglected 09:20 Corruption in monasteries and commendatory abbots 11:10 The scandals of the Renaissance Papacy 12:40 Pope Leo X and a Church unprepared for crisis 13:20 St. John Fisher emerges as defender of the Faith 14:45 Fisher's first controversial writings 15:00 The debate over Mary Magdalene 17:00 Fisher develops his polemical method 17:30 The rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica 18:00 What indulgences actually are 19:15 Johann Tetzel and indulgence abuses 20:00 Albert of Brandenburg and Church corruption 21:40 The scandal that ignited the Reformation 22:40 Luther as Germany's revolutionary figure 23:40 Fisher's view of corrupt churchmen 24:45 Fisher's first major anti-Lutheran work 26:00 Protestant attacks on the Papacy 27:00 Fisher's defense of the Church despite corruption 28:15 The Mystical Body of Christ explained 29:40 One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church 30:40 Luther's theological revolution 31:30 Faith Alone and the Babylonian Captivity 32:20 Henry VIII's Defense of the Seven Sacraments 33:00 Why English monarchs are called Defender of the Faith 34:25 Luther condemned in England 35:00 St. Paul's Cross and Fisher's sermon against Luther 36:20 The impact of Fisher's defense of Catholic doctrine 37:00 Luther's furious response to Henry VIII 39:00 Luther's attack on Church tradition 42:20 Luther against the Mass and Papacy 44:20 "Upon the Mass is built the whole Papacy" 45:45 Thomas More enters the controversy 46:20 More's warning about the future of Protestantism 46:45 Conclusion For more please visit https://www.keepthefaith.org/ Books on St John Fisher found here https://mediatrixpress.com/?s=john+fisher To help translate St John Fisher's apologetic against Luther please visit https://mediatrixpress.com/?page_id=3467 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.us for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. #StJohnFisher #MartinLuther #MichaelDavies #CatholicHistory #Reformation #ChurchHistory #CatholicApologetics #TraditionalCatholic #DefenderOfTh