Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What did the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem do to Martin Luther?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Leo X
Pope Leo X, contemporary medallion; in the coin collection of the Vatican Library.
Issued by Pope Leo X on January 3, 1521, the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem formally excommunicated Martin Luther from the Roman Catholic Church.1
Following Luther’s refusal to recant the teachings challenged in the earlier bull Exsurge Domine, Decet Romanum Pontificem officially declared him a heretic. While individuals condemned as heretics were typically subject to apprehension by secular authorities and execution by burning, this outcome was complicated in Luther's case by political factors, including the requirement for a proper hearing under the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.1