Indulgences for the twitterati

[afleitch]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/16/vatican-indulgences-pope-francis-tweets?CMP=twt_gu

'In its latest attempt to keep up with the times the Vatican has married one of its oldest traditions to the world of social media by offering "indulgences" to followers of Pope Francis' tweets.

The church's granted indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.

The remissions got a bad name in the Middle Ages because unscrupulous churchmen sold them for large sums of money. But now indulgences are being applied to the 21st century.

But a senior Vatican official warned web-surfing Catholics that indulgences still required a dose of old-fashioned faith, and that paradise was not just a few mouse clicks away.'

[Free Speech Enjoyer]

And just today, the Pope announced that he's exchanging his Popemobile during his trip to Brazil for an open-topped car.  He's certainly breaking tradition.

[afleitch]

And just today, the Pope announced that he's exchanging his Popemobile during his trip to Brazil for an open-topped car.  He's certainly breaking tradition.

You may have missed the point of this topic

[Sic Semper Fascistis]

I thought the Church had stopped giving out Indulgences since the XVIth century.

[Free Speech Enjoyer]

And just today, the Pope announced that he's exchanging his Popemobile during his trip to Brazil for an open-topped car.  He's certainly breaking tradition.

You may have missed the point of this topic

No, I got the point.  I'm just pointing out further how different this Pope has been so far.

[afleitch]

And just today, the Pope announced that he's exchanging his Popemobile during his trip to Brazil for an open-topped car.  He's certainly breaking tradition.

You may have missed the point of this topic

No, I got the point.  I'm just pointing out further how different this Pope has been so far.

As was his predecessor in a different sense and his predecessor before him. Popes being 'different' (within set confines) from those that preceded them is not really much of a shocker. It would be like me being stumped by the fact that David Cameron was a different PM than Gordon Brown.

[DemPGH]

I thought the Church had stopped giving out Indulgences since the XVIth century.

Yeah, it was really seriously a hallmark of corruption of the worst kind. Really. And it's a concept for a time when people were not used to being really critical about these matters, IMO.

Which ties in to the OP: the thing I never quite understood, even prior to my current view, is what is the measuring stick for this? I mean, what standard is being used? You know, for ex., if a day is like a thousand years or whatever, and we have the subjectivity of indulgences anyway, how do we know how much time is being reduced? If any? And what about people who died in the past and we still pray for them or what have you? I mean. . . when you apply critical thought, it's amazing how the whole thing starts to erode.

[The Mikado]

I thought the Church had stopped giving out Indulgences since the XVIth century.

The Church stopped selling indulgences in the 16th century.  Giving them out free for fulfilling tasks is different.

[DemPGH]

I thought the Church had stopped giving out Indulgences since the XVIth century.

The Church stopped selling indulgences in the 16th century.  Giving them out free for fulfilling tasks is different.

Not really. A "charitable donation" is a purchase, especially in this context.

[DC Al Fine]

I thought the Church had stopped giving out Indulgences since the XVIth century.

Me: This Pope Francis seems like a swell guy WHAAATTTT?!?!?!?

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

This doesn't strike me as a particularly good or well-considered idea, but I don't find it horrifying or anything, or more than slightly surprising that somebody would think of this.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

James Martin SJ wrote a good piece that clears up some of the press headlines (which are so often misleading when it comes to the pope):

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/17/sorry-you-cant-get-out-of-hell-by-retweeting-the-pope/?sr=sharebar_twitter

[TJ in Oregon]

An indulgence is a remission of temporal punishment, not a license to commit sin and not in itself forgiveness for a sin. An indulgence aimed at a particular sin isn't valid unless it is confessed (in the Sacrament of Reconciliation if it is mortal or it can be in prayer if venial). Indulgences should be thought of in the same context as fasting or almsgiving. Perhaps next year for Lent I should follow the Pope on Twitter?