The Cause of the Protestant Reformation In 1500 the Roman Catholic Church was omnipotent in Europe as no legal alternative existed at the time. The Church jealously guarded its position so strongly that if anyone went against the teachings and customs of the church they were burned at the stake and labeled a pagan. Some of the causes of the Protestant Reformation were corruption within the Catholic Church because during the time of the Black Death as soon as people knew they had the plague they knew they would die within a 3 day period after developing the symptoms of the Black Death. plaque, then those affected would pay indulgences to their local Catholic ministers and be guaranteed to enter heaven and not go to hell or purgatory. Martin Luther expounded this particular practice in 1517 through the 95 Theses, as he was appalled that Catholic people and ministers could force God to overlook people's sins simply by being corrupted through indulgences. The Purpose of the Protestant Reformation The purpose of the Protestant Reformation was to expose the corrupt...