The current candidate flap has it that one of the frontrunners received an endorsement from a fundamentalist: John Hagee. This evangelical San Antonio pastor (of a church of 19,000 members) has a TV show (seen and heard weekly in 99 million homes), places an emphasis on prophecy and support of Israel, and has allegedly referred to the Catholic Church as a “false cult system.” (I don't know why I should use the word “allegedly,” you can watch it on YouTube.) Politics is not my gig, but before you decide what category to put the Catholic Church in, consider this.
BBC News reports that the current Pope, Benedict XVI, is giving plenary indulgences to every Catholic that will visit Lourdes (southwest France) from now till December 8. He says it will lessen their time spent in purgatory.
I am not making this up! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7131088.stm You can redeem this coupon in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary “allegedly” appearing to a peasant shepherd girl there (sorry, no YouTube for this one).
Conveniently, the Pope has opened direct air service from Rome to Lourdes. What if you still can't go? The Pope assures us that if you pray at any place of worship dedicated to the Madonna of Lourdes (hey, isn't there a “Lady of Lourdes” Catholic church down by Gregory Blvd?) then you can still have your indulgence. Oh wait! That coupon was only good from Feb. 2-11th. It's already expired! Holy crap.
The Pope will take advantage of his own offer when he visits Lourdes in September—although I didn't think Popes needed indulgences. Hmmm.
The decree was signed by American Cardinal J Francis Stafford, who is head of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Holy crap again! As if purgatory wasn’t enough, they have a Penn run by the apostles!
What is an indulgence? Indulgences were made infamous by Martin Luther because they were being sold (instead of gained the old fashioned way—by being earned). To quote the BBC: A plenary indulgence offers full pardon of the temporal punishment (suffering in this life or the next) due to sins already forgiven in confession.
Wait, I’m confused. Already forgiven, yet still being punished for them. Maybe we should consult the Enchiridion of Indulgences (it’s sort of like the Dungeon Master’s Guide for Dungeons & Dragons; or maybe more like the Monster Manual). I think what it really shows is that like a lot of false cult groups (Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, etc.) they use Christian terminology with unbiblical meanings.
Allow me to illustrate that accusation. According to catholic.org, “forgiveness of a sin is separate from punishment for the sin. Through sacramental confession we obtain forgiveness, but we aren’t let off the hook as far as punishment goes.” Whoa, Batman! I believe the Bible would classify that as holy crap.
How does one get an indulgence? Catholic World News (and they should know) says it is when you participate in a mass (where God is cannibalized) and complete certain usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Communion, prayer for the Pope’s intentions, and the absence of attachment to sin. Holy crap, missed it again!). Sometimes partial indulgences are granted just for praying. The standard prayers for the Pope are one Our Father and one Creed—though you’re free to substitute other prayers (just in case you wanted to know). Even making the Sign of the Cross has a partial indulgence attached to it. Don’t ask me what percentage a partial indulgence is, or how much longer you will have to suffer in purgatory if you don’t take the full one or I will send you to the apostle’s prison.
Actually, some pious acts and holy prayer recitations did carry an indication of time like “300 days,” “two years,” “a day after doomsday.” Just kidding on that last one. (This is only on really old prayer cards and books, because they changed the Enchiridion in 1967, since Protestants were calling it a cult system.) So a good Catholic will now only tell you your temporal punishment will be reduced as God sees fit. No guarantees that the coupon is actually worth what you are paying in airfare. (If you read the fine print, their web site says, “it's quite possible that even evidently good people, who seek plenary indulgences regularly, never, in their whole lives, obtain one.” Holy crap!)
Who decides what indulgences to give? The Pope. He decrees them.
What is purgatory then? You're asking good questions. Purgatory is a kind of spiritual waiting room for people who are not good enough to go directly to heaven, but not bad enough to go to hell after they die. Since they have not earned their way in by accumulating enough merit during this life, they must suffer more in order to purify their soul of residual sin.
I know. Fulton Sheen and the Knights of Columbus tell you it’s a doctrine full of comfort for the believing Catholic. Cultic and false? Certainly holy crap.
BBC News reports that the current Pope, Benedict XVI, is giving plenary indulgences to every Catholic that will visit Lourdes (southwest France) from now till December 8. He says it will lessen their time spent in purgatory.
I am not making this up! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7131088.stm You can redeem this coupon in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary “allegedly” appearing to a peasant shepherd girl there (sorry, no YouTube for this one).
Conveniently, the Pope has opened direct air service from Rome to Lourdes. What if you still can't go? The Pope assures us that if you pray at any place of worship dedicated to the Madonna of Lourdes (hey, isn't there a “Lady of Lourdes” Catholic church down by Gregory Blvd?) then you can still have your indulgence. Oh wait! That coupon was only good from Feb. 2-11th. It's already expired! Holy crap.
The Pope will take advantage of his own offer when he visits Lourdes in September—although I didn't think Popes needed indulgences. Hmmm.
The decree was signed by American Cardinal J Francis Stafford, who is head of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Holy crap again! As if purgatory wasn’t enough, they have a Penn run by the apostles!
What is an indulgence? Indulgences were made infamous by Martin Luther because they were being sold (instead of gained the old fashioned way—by being earned). To quote the BBC: A plenary indulgence offers full pardon of the temporal punishment (suffering in this life or the next) due to sins already forgiven in confession.
Wait, I’m confused. Already forgiven, yet still being punished for them. Maybe we should consult the Enchiridion of Indulgences (it’s sort of like the Dungeon Master’s Guide for Dungeons & Dragons; or maybe more like the Monster Manual). I think what it really shows is that like a lot of false cult groups (Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, etc.) they use Christian terminology with unbiblical meanings.
Allow me to illustrate that accusation. According to catholic.org, “forgiveness of a sin is separate from punishment for the sin. Through sacramental confession we obtain forgiveness, but we aren’t let off the hook as far as punishment goes.” Whoa, Batman! I believe the Bible would classify that as holy crap.
How does one get an indulgence? Catholic World News (and they should know) says it is when you participate in a mass (where God is cannibalized) and complete certain usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Communion, prayer for the Pope’s intentions, and the absence of attachment to sin. Holy crap, missed it again!). Sometimes partial indulgences are granted just for praying. The standard prayers for the Pope are one Our Father and one Creed—though you’re free to substitute other prayers (just in case you wanted to know). Even making the Sign of the Cross has a partial indulgence attached to it. Don’t ask me what percentage a partial indulgence is, or how much longer you will have to suffer in purgatory if you don’t take the full one or I will send you to the apostle’s prison.
Actually, some pious acts and holy prayer recitations did carry an indication of time like “300 days,” “two years,” “a day after doomsday.” Just kidding on that last one. (This is only on really old prayer cards and books, because they changed the Enchiridion in 1967, since Protestants were calling it a cult system.) So a good Catholic will now only tell you your temporal punishment will be reduced as God sees fit. No guarantees that the coupon is actually worth what you are paying in airfare. (If you read the fine print, their web site says, “it's quite possible that even evidently good people, who seek plenary indulgences regularly, never, in their whole lives, obtain one.” Holy crap!)
Who decides what indulgences to give? The Pope. He decrees them.
What is purgatory then? You're asking good questions. Purgatory is a kind of spiritual waiting room for people who are not good enough to go directly to heaven, but not bad enough to go to hell after they die. Since they have not earned their way in by accumulating enough merit during this life, they must suffer more in order to purify their soul of residual sin.
I know. Fulton Sheen and the Knights of Columbus tell you it’s a doctrine full of comfort for the believing Catholic. Cultic and false? Certainly holy crap.
