Meet Thomas Cardinal Cajetan – What Does This Mean?

In the weeks following Luther’s summons to Rome, Elector Frederick played his cards carefully — and well. The German princes and territories were highly irritated with the way Emperor Maximillian and Rome had handled funds sent to them to counter the Turks. Now Pope and Emperor were asking for more funds to raise troops, but the Germans suspected that their cash would not go to the intended purpose. They resonated with Luther’s call to end the abuse of indulgences and their Humanist education and sympathies liked his call to return to the Christian sources — to the Bible. They were in no mood to send a fellow German to Italy.

Pope Leo sent a legate — an ambassador — of the highest integrity, Thomas Cardinal de Vio Cajetan, Archbishop of Palermo. Cajetan was a humanist scholar of the highest caliber, to the imperial diet at Augsburg to calm their fears and assess the health of the emperor. He was a well-respected theologian, an expert on the work of Thomas Aquinas still cited today. He was Master of the Dominican order and thus superior to all of Luther’s early opponents. He was a steadfast guardian of the power of the papacy, yet known to be a very reasonable, even-handed man, and a trustworthy, skilled diplomat. He was initially sympathic to Luther’s concerns, but also determined to convince him to trust the papacy to correct abuses. The pope had chosen well.

Since it was widely suspected that Emperor Maximillian would soon die, Pope Leo wanted Elector Frederick to be on his side. Frederick was the Imperial Vicar and would be the Emperor Regent until a new Emperor was chosen. Maximillian’s grandson Charles was his crown prince, and would rule Netherlands, Spain, Bohemia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, portions of Italy and Spain’s new world holdings. The pope’s anyone-but-Charles campaign favored convincing Elector Frederick to take the crown.

So it was Elector Frederick’s campaign to move the inquiry into Luther’s theology to German soil was successful. Five Hundred years ago this week, Cardinal Cajetan was commissioned to settle the matter at the Diet in the imperial city of Augsburg. The Elector and the Cardinal began negotiations for the interview, soon to be scheduled for early October 1519.