Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has said that Catholics “have no reason to celebrate” the beginning of the Reformation. The German cardinal said in a new book-length interview: “We Catholics have no reason to celebrate October 31, 1517, the date that is considered the beginning of the Reformation that would lead to the rupture of Western Christianity.” The date, known as “Reformation Day”, marks Martin Luther’s sending the Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg a document protesting at the sale of indulgences – a text which came to be known as the 95 Theses. Luther did not then propose separating from the Church, but the 95 Theses eventually led to his excommunication in 1521. Cardinal Müller says in the new book: “If we are convinced that divine revelation is preserved whole and unchanged through Scripture and Tradition, in the doctrine of the faith, in the sacraments, in the hierarchical constitution of the Church by divine right, founded on the sacrament of holy orders, we cannot accept that there exist sufficient reasons to separate from the Church.” The remarks come a year before the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Extensive celebrations and commemorations are planned in Germany and elsewhere. Pope Francis will travel to Sweden in October 2017 for an ecumenical ceremony, along with representatives of the Lutheran World Federation and other denominations. Last year, Cardinal Müller said Catholics should “be very vigilant and not forget the lessons of church history”. He said confusion over the sacramental nature of marriage could lead to divisions similar to those of the Reformation.