It was in 1522 that Ulrich Zwingli made an audacious act of challenging the Catholic Church authority by open negation of the church's ordinance on fasting. The church ordained rules for fasting during certain months, but according to Zwingli, those were Scripturally unsupported. His decision to disregard the fasting mandate was a clear statement that religious traditions should be measured against the teachings of the Bible, not upheld simply due to church authority. This public stance caused significant controversy and marked a pivotal moment in Zwingli’s Reformation efforts.

Later in the same year, Zwingli made another significant break with church tradition when he married Anna Reinhart, a widow. As a Catholic priest, Zwingli was required to be celibate, but he believed that celibacy was not required in the Bible. Although the marriage was initially conducted secretly, Zwingli eventually openly confessed to being wedded. This recognition enraged the church officials and conservatives, even more fueling the broadening conflict between the church and Zwingli. With these audacious actions, Zwingli made known his intention to reform the church's doctrine and also its ancient traditions that were not Scriptural, which he believed had been developed in the church for too long. These activities made his stand firmer and cemented his role as a leader in the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.