Final answer:
Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses from 1517 aimed to reform the Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences. It was meant to persuade and reform rather than just report facts. Luther's call for change eventually led to the Protestant Reformation and his excommunication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The document in question is Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses, which was written in 1517. Luther, a Catholic priest and Professor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg, wrote the theses to challenge the Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences, which he viewed as morally and theologically incorrect. His primary goal was to prompt a reform within the church by encouraging a discussion about its teachings, particularly regarding salvation and indulgences.
Luther's document was not intended to be a factual account of an event but to persuade and reform the Church's practices. By posting the theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg and distributing printed copies throughout Germany, he sought to spread his ideas widely. He wanted to make scripture more accessible by advocating for the liturgy to be delivered in the vernacular language, among other changes. The challenge posed by his theses led to his excommunication and the subsequent formation of Protestant sects, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.