Unknown A visit to Rome A visit to Rome One thing that opened Luther’s eyes to see the great errors of the church was his trip to the city of Rome in 1510. The pope lives there at the Vatican, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther expected to find the church very pure, and the priests, bishops, and cardinals to be godly men. He looked forward to having spiritual conversations and receiving guidance from these high-ranking religious leaders. He was, however, greatly disappointed. He found that Rome was one of the most corrupt places he had ever visited. The church was full of all sorts of errors and sin. Most of the priests were self-serving men who did not seem to believe the things they were teaching the people. In a chapel connected with one of the main churches in Rome, there is a flight of white marble steps called the Scala Sancta, which means “holy stairs.” The priests claimed that these stairs were the very same stairs Jesus climbed when He went from Pilate’s judgment hall to Calvary, and that an angel transferred them from Jerusalem to Rome. They also informed the people that whoever went up these stairs on his knees would have all his sins forgiven. Tradition says that Luther went up these steps on his knees, praying and kissing each step. How Luther hoped to find peace for his troubled soul! But his hopes were cruelly dashed. He did not understand why he could not find peace. The Lord had a reason for all of this unrest, however. He was showing Luther his own sin, the wickedness of the church, and the necessity of finding salvation only in Christ. The Lord was graciously leading him, even though Luther believed God was full of wrath and ready to destroy him. When Luther returned to Wittenberg, he continued to teach his students and to preach in the chapel that was part of the castle of Wittenberg. In his room, he continued to study, pray, and fast. In 1512, he attained his doctoral degree. But he still had no rest for his soul. No matter how he studied, prayed, and punished himself, he never felt as though his sins were forgiven.