Martin Luther’s response to his disagreement was to stand by his writings and refuse to retract them, at least unless proven wrong by Scripture or clear, manifest evidence. He spoke at the Diet of Worms (the Imperial Diet held in 1521) and famously declared, “Here I stand; I can do no other.” This came after being asked to recant his Ninety-Five Theses and other writings opposing papal authority and indulgences. The initial reaction to his stance was highly mixed: many observers, including some rulers and clergy, were shocked or displeased by his boldness, while his supporters—nobles sympathetic to reform and reform-minded clergy—began to rally to his cause. In the immediate moment, the assembly condemned him, and he was declared a heretic and an outlaw by the imperial edict that followed, which forced Luther into hiding for safety while the Reformation gained momentum through his writings and the spread of printed material. These events ultimately catalyzed a broader movement that reshaped Western Christianity and European politics.