Martin Luther disagreed with the way the church performed its services, and the superiority of the "almighty and wise" Pope Leo X. He followed the leadership of influences such as John Wycliffe to create a reformation to repair the Catholic Church, and stated his thoughts in the 95 theses that began an uproar of debate. Martin Luther opened the eyes of many to the thought of corruption and creating their own personal beliefs. The German monk and church reformer Martin Luther began the process of ending the corruption of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. .
In 1517, "[Martin] began to criticize the power and corruption of the Pope and the Catholic Church". (Roman Catholic Church, 3) The Church was pardoning peoples sins in exchange for the purchase of indulgences, and tithes were collected annually. Tithes were exactly 10% of yearly income and were collected from both the wealthy and the poor. Martin Luther opposed to nuns being unable to get married. Pope Leo X was said to be incapable of error, but "[the Pope] is a man like other men. There have been many popes inclined to errors, vices, and even very strange things". (Luther and the Reformation, 61) Martin's main concern was the Bible being published in only Latin and Greek. Luther wanted everyone to read the Bible for himself or herself to develop their own feelings and beliefs, yet most people in Germany could not read Latin or Greek. Presumably because of the lack of understanding of the language, people were forced to listen to how the priests interpreted the meaning of the Bible they worshipped. .
Martin Luther's upbringing and education greatly influenced his opinion on the Roman Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. Luther was born in 1483 to a small but free family of landholders. His father wished for him to study law, so he did at the University of Erfurt until 1505. In July of 1505, "Luther became frightened during a severe thunderstorm on the road near Strotternheim and promised Saint Anne that he would become a monk if he were spared"(Christianity Through the Centuries, 289) Luther was ordained a priest in 1507.