Describe the purposes of indulgences, and explain why Luther was opposed to them.

What will be an ideal response?

Indulgences were said to reduce the time a sinner spends in purgatory and could be purchased from the Church. A central issue for Luther was the divide between rich and poor, where the rich could buy indulgences but the poor could not, when salvation was supposed to be for all. Also, the money from these sales went to Rome to support the re-building of St. Peter’s, a place the buyers would never see, supported by a pope whose values were suspect.