This is a difficult questions to answer due to a lack of any stated reason by Frederick for supporting Luther. Frederick did not show any indication that he wanted to become pope. There is also no indication that he did not believe in Christianity. Furthermore, theres is no statement on Frederick's part that he wished to donate further funds to the church. Some historians do believe that Frederick's support of Luther stemmed from a desire to challenge the rules and authority of the Holy Roman Empire, though.
