Not only did the Medici riba banking family of Florence create financial instruments that circumvented usury laws deemed immoral by Christianity, but they also managed to elevate multiple members of their family to the papacy at different times. One of these Medici popes, Pope Leo X (Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici), fell into debt due to his extravagant lifestyle. To raise money, he expanded the sale of indulgences (documents that promised a reduction of time in purgatory) for those who purchased them. To many Christians who saw the Catholic Church and the Pope as the representative of God on earth, these indulgences held immense spiritual significance. However, Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, viewed this practice as corrupt and exploitative. In 1517, he responded by publishing his Ninety-Five Theses, challenging the Church’s authority and its financial practices. His opposition to the Catholic Church sparked the Protestant Reformation, which ultimately led to the fragmentation of Christianity and a series of religious wars across Europe, including the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648).