bavarikon4UMartin Luther/Lucas Cranach the Elder, Satirising Papal Coat of Arms, 1538 (Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, XIII, 42, 73)
In 1537, at the Schmalkaldic Diet, the Lutheran territorial rulers refused to participate in a council announced by Pope Paul III (1468–1549, pope 1534–1549), since the planned church meeting did not correspond to their demands for a free council.
Subsequently, the production of pamphlets increased. One of the first to be addressed against the pope and his church was the satirical depiction of the papal coat of arms from the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553). Martin Luther (1483–1546) is supposed to have composed the text.
In this caricature, the keys of Saint Peter are broken, while Judas Iscariot and the pope are hanged on the key’s ends. The escutcheon displays a cardinal’s hat above a purse (the purse of Judas), on which two crowns can be seen. From smaller purses, mitres escape. Martin Luther interpreted the image as that of antipope (antipapa).
The text describes a trial composed as dialogue. Saint Peter presents the crimes of the pope to Christ as judge. The pope is accused of misuse of office – also symbolised by the broken keys of Saint Peter – as well as of theft and greed. Christ condemns the pope to spend the remaining time until the Last Judgement in chains next to Satan in hell.
On this pamphlet, papacy is compared to the greedy Judas who had betrayed Christ. It criticises the abuses for which the pope and clergy are responsible and which need to be abolished.