The document provides background on the Protestant Reformation that began in the 16th century. It discusses several factors that weakened the authority of the Catholic Church and paved the way for Martin Luther to post his 95 Theses criticizing the sale of indulgences in 1517. This sparked the wider Reformation movement in Germany and other parts of Europe. King Henry VIII later broke England away from the Catholic Church to allow for his divorce and establish himself as the head of the Church of England. The Reformation had political as well as religious impacts across Europe.