One of my hopes for World Youth Day is that the Pope will clearly teach true Roman Catholicism. Many who call themselves Catholic do not fully understand that which they profess, even if they have been professing it for decades, because the pulpit is filled with empty platitudes. May we see Catholic doctrine in its true colours this week.
Like the doctrine of indulgences, for example.
As reported by the SMH last week:
The Vatican yesterday granted full plenary indulgences to the participants in World Youth Day. Remittances of punishment for sins were also granted when World Youth Day was held in Cologne in 2005 for all young Catholics who took part in Confession and Communion…
Full indulgences have been granted “to the faithful who will devotedly participate at some sacred function or pious exercise taking place” at World Youth Day.
A partial indulgence will be given to “all those who, wherever they are, will pray for the spiritual goals of this meeting and for its happy outcome”.
What are indulgences? This SMH article explains them well:
Catholic teaching holds that sins require purification in this life or the next. Purification in this life takes place through prayer, acts of charity and the patient bearing of trials and sufferings – or via dispensation of indulgences. The belief is that indulgences draw on the storehouse of merit acquired by Jesus’ sacrifice. An indulgence may be used either for yourself or for souls who have died and gone to purgatory, a state of purification before heaven.
I wanted to vomit when I first read that. God is withholding something from us? Rubbish! “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?“
(One Catholic I know thinks this is simply misreporting. Try the Catechism of the Catholic Church‘s entry on indulgences.)
I pray that many will see this disgusting doctrine as it is. John 3:36 says “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” Believe in the Son – end of story.
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Yeah. Again, it’s the Roman Catholic idea of meriting the merit of Christ (through good works, or indulgences or whatever) rather than receiving it all simply by depending on Christ’s mercy. As such, justification isn’t a once and for all event, but a process in which we get more and more of what we need as we do more and more good things to “deserve” it.
). It wasn’t so much what *was* said (excepting the fact that they gave praise to, “God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost and Mary our Mother”) but what *wasn’t* said. It’s a tricky thing, because they use much of the same nomenclature but with totally different meanings. For example, they sang Amazing Grace (John Newton would roll in his grave…), but I know from my experiences talking to members of this particular parish that they don’t believe a word of it.
I actually went to a WYD event on Friday night. (All my friends thought I had gone mad…but I consider it eating with tax collectors and sinners
haha – careful… if you ate with them they were also eating with a sinner
I think it’s a bit much for you to call it disgusting Hayes
If that makes you vomit you should read the news a bit more often.
Why’s that, Healy? Is there something I believe which you find disgusting?
No I mean, it’s pretty much a different interpretation of your religion.
You’ve gotta ask, though, is there a interpretation of something such that it loses its defining element – at which point, the interpretation becomes disgusting.
Jesus died that we may freely have eternal life, because we can’t earn it. His sacrifice bought us that life – it’s paid for! It’s blasphemous to say we need to earn anything!
Their ‘interpretation’ has interpreted out the defining element of Christianity, turning it from being about relationship (“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” John 17:3) ) to being about religiosity.
Hey Healy.
I reckon you can say it’s disgusting only if you believe that the Bible’s representation of Christianity is of extreme value. If you see something as extremely valuable.. then a belief system that twists that valuable thing could be called disgusting.
Very helpful, thanks Dan
I’ve been incredibly frustrated by all the ecumenucally-minded protestant churches jumping on the WYD bandwagon.
What the heck was the Reformation about?
What were so many countless reformed Christians insulted, beaten, and martyred for? Were they just fools? Dying for no reason? It saddens me that we’ve forgotten so much of our history. People died to reclaim the truth of the Gospel; the grace-alone, faith-alone, Christ-alone, scripture-alone, God-glorifying gospel; and yet here we are not 500 years later talking of unity!
err, that’s s’posed to be ‘ecumenically minded’
Amen, sister.