Diet of Worms

Diet of Worms, meeting of the diet (legislature) of the Holy Roman Empire at Worms in Germany in 1521, before which the religious reformer Martin Luther defended his opinions. The pope, Leo X, had rejected and condemned Luther’s 41 propositions for a reform of the Roman Catholic Church in June 1520, but this had not prevented Luther from writing and publishing works that fiercely criticized the state of the papacy. On January 1, 1521, Leo X issued a papal bull excommunicating Luther, but this took many weeks to reach Germany (see Excommunication). Even when the document did arrive, Frederick the Wise of Saxony, Luther’s sovereign, refused to act against the renegade monk. Frederick then negotiated with Emperor Charles V for a “safe conduct” enabling Luther to appear before the imperial diet.

Asked by the diet to repudiate his books, Luther refused to do so unless he could be convinced that he was wrong “by scripture or by reason,” his conscience being bound by the word of God. His refusal led to a near riot between his supporters and detractors, which forced the emperor to dismiss the diet for the rest of the day. Luther subsequently left Worms and spent the next nine months in concealment at Wartburg Castle, Eisenach. In May 1521 the diet issued the Edict of Worms, outlawing Luther and banning all his books as those of a heretic (see Heresy). Though this edict was never fully enforced, it did prevent Luther, a hero in Germany, from traveling. It also obliged him to remain under the protection of the Elector of Saxony for the remainder of his life. See also Reformation; Counter Reformation; Protestantism.