Posted on 07/18/2013 5:57:50 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
The Vatican is taking a modern approach to one of its oldest traditions, by offering indulgences to Twitter followers of the Pontifex's social media account.
Aware that some Catholics may not be able afford to travel to Brazil, where World Youth Day is being held from July 23-28, and perhaps also in an effort to modernize himself, Pope Francis is making this first-time offer to the faithful who follow the events in Rio de Janeiro online.
Under Catholic belief, after confessing and being absolved of sin, the indulgences granted reduce the amount of time one spends in purgatory....
(Excerpt) Read more at m.cbsnews.com ...
“That’s Vatican speak for Terms and Conditions Apply, Your Results May Vary.”
“How soon they forget — from 1517 to 2013 —about 500 years have passed since the popes got carried away with selling indulgences to support their holy wars and basilica building. Volunteering to join the Crusades and kill some infidels, or to fund a crusader, could remit punishment for some serious sinning. It strikes me as curious that indulgences, which depend upon a kind of ‘spiritual bank account’ that runs a surplus, would resurface today when the Vatican Bank is under investigation for its dodgy financial dealings.”
I am sure you mean well and are attempting to be zealous but your reaction seems very strongly against my Church, which I hold to be the Body of Christ on earth. I have personally experienced the forgiveness of Jesus Christ for my sins and His merciful healing. Because of that, I would not allow myself to be divided from other Christians...most especially at this important time in history. I fully believe that Jesus wants us to be ONE as He and the Father are ONE.
Please consider this.
” [Esplora il significato del termine: It was Fr Padrini who coordinated the soon-to-be-launched Pope2You-Corriere.it project which will enable users of the Corriere della Sera’s website to obtain images and original contributions from Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. Fr Padrini says: “Imagine your computer is a well-laden table where you can find tweets from Pope Francis, videos on YouTube, clips on Corriere.it and Facebook postings from your friend in Brazil. That is the dinner that will nourish your spirit. Sharing, acting in unison, despite the obstacle of distance. But it will still be real participation and that is why you will obtain the indulgence. Above all because your click will have come from the heart”.] It was Fr Padrini who coordinated the soon-to-be-launched Pope2You-Corriere.it project which will enable users of the Corriere della Sera’s website to obtain images and original contributions from Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. Fr Padrini says: “Imagine your computer is a well-laden table where you can find tweets from Pope Francis, videos on YouTube, clips on Corriere.it and Facebook postings from your friend in Brazil. That is the dinner that will nourish your spirit. Sharing, acting in unison, despite the obstacle of distance. But it will still be real participation and that is why you will obtain the indulgence. Above all because your click will have come from the heart”.”
I am VERY strongly against your Church and they way it has covered up Child Abuse ALL OVER THE WORLD IN HUGE NUMBERS
Don’t really care if you believe in Mary or Purgatory or Popes who can sell indulgences or Heaven or Hell or the ways to get around Hell or Purgatory.
What matters to me is the systematic cover up from the VERY HIGHEST OFFICE.
BTW, I actually like Pope Francis..but may change my mind depending on how he deals with the Child Molesters.
You are quite mistaken.
You should practice what you preach.
Yet you express no contempt for public education or a multitude of protestants, Jews, et al.
Let us both pray then that the Truthful One (per John 8) will reign.
May the peace of Christ be with you.
;-)
DECREE
The Plenary Indulgence is granted on the occasion of the 28th World Youth Day to be celebrated in Rio de Janeiro during the Year of Faith.
The Holy Father Francis, desiring that young people, in union with the spiritual aims of the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, might obtain the hoped-for fruits of holiness from the 28th World Youth Day to be celebrated from 22 to 29 of the coming month of July in Rio de Janeiro, whose theme is: “Go and make disciples of all nations (cf. Mt 28:19)”, at the Audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Major Penitentiary on 3 June, expressing the maternal heart of the Church, from the Treasury of the rewards of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the Saints, has permitted that the youth and all the faithful who are properly prepared may receive the gift of the Indulgences as follows:
a) — the Plenary Indulgence, obtainable once a day is granted on the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the Supreme Pontiff’s intentions). It may also be applied by way of suffrage for the souls of deceased faithful and for faithful who are truly repentant and contrite who will devoutly participate in the sacred rites and exercises of devotion that will take place in Rio de Janeiro.
Those faithful who are legitimately prevented may obtain the Plenary Indulgence as long as, having fulfilled the usual conditions — spiritual, sacramental and of prayer — with the intention of filial submission to the Roman Pontiff, they participate in spirit in the sacred functions on the specific days, and as long as they follow these same rites and devotional practices via television and radio or, always with the proper devotion, through the new means of social communication;
b) — the Partial Indulgence is granted to those faithful, wherever they may be during the above-mentioned meeting, every time, at least with a contrite heart, that they raise fervent prayers to God, concluding with the official World Youth Day Prayer, and devout invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Brazil, under her title of “Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao Aparecida”, as well as to the other Patrons and Intercessors of this same meeting so that they encourage the young people to be strengthened in the faith and to lead a holy life.
Then in order that the faithful may more easily share in these heavenly gifts, the priests legitimately approved for hearing sacramental confession, should receive these faithful with a ready and generous heart, and suggest to them public prayers for the success of the World Youth Day itself.
The present Decree is valid for this event. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary.
Given in Rome, at the Seat of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 24 June, in the Year of the Lord 2013, on the Solemnity of St John the Baptist.
Theologians have been working on the " very complicated theology of the plenary indulgence" for 2 thousand years you say? It appears they still are. Making it complicated...
Yes, for many long years they have corrupted the word of God by their traditions. Perhaps too many of them, did not well enough understand? Or those whom did, were shunted aside by those whom with the powers of their own minds and imaginations, created lens of reasoning and temporal law (even "tradition") through which revelation was to be viewed. Interestingly enough, they went so far as to kill, to murder those whom disagreed with the idea of themselves having actual and true spiritual "authority" with scarcely any limit --- over all others upon the earth. Just ask Jan Huss, or any of the other persons murdered by papists in the name of the RCC.
The truth is -- we can receive forgiveness of our sins. Yet the results of sin, the "fruit" of them, can have it's effects, in this world.
All the "doing penance" in the world, cannot stop it, any more than a bullet once fired can be unfired.
Penance itself is an unfortunate corruption of what was actually taught from the beginning. Did John the Baptist say "do penance"? Or did he say more simply, "repent"? Did Jesus ever say that one must "do penance", or did He say "repent".
There are differing connotative meanings to those two concepts, but unfortunately, they have become, with the help of the "theologians" you speak of, horribly mixed up.
This --- could have been written by any number of "protestant" pastors. Go ahead, tell me it's a "catholic" idea. I will agree to that, in the small case "c".
This other stuff, all the complications of various levels of "indulgence", is distraction from the simplicity of the Gospel message.
You seem to otherwise be able to pick up on the hoped for results. Yet the leadership of the RCC apparently wishes to continue having things both ways --- to continue in the prideful error of holding themselves forth as sole gate-keepers to Christ, not only encouraging dependency upon themselves, but retaining the packaging that sells the idea that grace itself flows through their offices. It may well (but not only there) and for many who can find it and be blessed by it, then all is well enough, perhaps. I do not wish to discourage anyone from Christ.
Yet as I have pointed out many times before --- Newman miscounted the "acorns". (there was no singular "pope" from the beginning!)
By which I also mean, the RCC priesthood does not and did not have granted to itself some sort of monopoly, some sole charter. Just ask the Orthodox (whom in past times, they too have been declared "heretics", and schismatics, with anathema poured upon their heads).
From the very beginnings, there were seven buds, seven lamps. Not "one". Don't believe me? Read Exodus again. Study the layout and furniture of the Tabernacle. All was there, each principle, each truth. To that, should be added no thing, nor anything taken away, ignored.
The Lord revealed truth to them, holding nothing back -- even as it was presented to them (the Jews) from behind a veil.
Ezekiel added no thing "new" which was not there also from the very beginning (just as Christ was in the heart of the Father, from the beginning), yet he was shown...this;
47 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits[a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations...
The RCC cult is nothing more than a Mystery Babylon religion hiding behind a facade of Christianity.
Have you formulated a defense to utter during your particular judgment? If not you had better get started.
Hmm Typical Free Republic anticatholicism
Most uninteresting and ignorant
I can see Martin Luther saying...”I told you so.”
There is no punishment for sin either here and now or after death for those redeemed by Christ. His redemptive work on the cross took care of it all. We are spotless and sinless in the eyes of God, so what could He punish us for?
So instead of spending 200 years in Purgatory, I will have to follow the Pope on Twitter for 200 years?
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