We Don’t Know Whether Luther Repented

It is rumored that Luther asked for the last rites but was refused them, and that he said, “It is easier to live as a Protestant, but it is better to die as a Catholic.” However, neither assertion has been substantiated by reliable sources.

The best evidence supports that Luther died with a prayer on his lips, but unfortunately not one of repentance. He may have even taken a shot at the Catholic Church at the end. In any event, in this year of the quincentennial of the Reformation, let us pray for the repose of Luther’s soul and the restoration of unity among all Christians in Christ’s one Catholic Church.