Luther's break with the Catholic Church centered on which issue?

• A. The infallibility of the pope and church councils.
• B. The authority of the church to ordain priests.
• C. The validity of the sacraments of baptism and communion.
• D. The interpretation of the New Testament Gospels.

Answer: (A)

At the heart of Luther's break with the Catholic Church is who holds final religious authority. Luther argued that ultimate authority rests in the Bible, not in the pope or in church councils, and he challenged the idea that the pope—or ecumenical councils—are infallible or free from error in matters of faith. This rejection of papal and council supremacy undercuts the established medieval hierarchy and sets the stage for reform based on Scripture alone. The other themes—priestly ordination, the perceived validity of sacraments, or how the Gospels should be interpreted—are important to the broader movement, but they don’t pinpoint the decisive moment of separation as clearly as the contention over who has supreme doctrinal authority.