Pope again peddling indulgences!

[Lenny]

A Special Offer from the Pope (http://1catholicnewsstories.blogspot.com/2007/12/special-offer-from-pope.html)

The Dec 21 Pittsburgh Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reported in an article titled, "Pope OKs Lourdes Indulgence:"

"To mark the 150th anniversary of Mary's appearance to St. Bernadette Soubirous near Lourdes, France, Pope Benedict XVI authorized a special indulgence to encourage renewed holiness. Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence for taking part in any public or private devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes..."

A "plenary indulgence" (which can only be granted by The Pope) is the complete remission of all temporal punishment (both in this life and in purgatory) due to sin up until the time of the indulgence. However, it does nothing for any punishment due to sins committed by a Catholic after the indulgence is granted!

Just look at some of the Pope-created rules Catholics will have to abide by to obtain the release from punishment this special indulgence is granting:

To start with - A "pilgrimage" to the Lourdes shrine in France has to take place between Dec 8, 2007 – Dec 8, 2008. As of Dec 9, 2008, the god of Rome will no longer have this special offer available.

AND – For the god of Rome to grant this indulgence, "pilgrims" must visit the following sites, preferably in this order:

1. The parish where St Bernadette was baptized. 2. The Soubirous family home. 3. The grotto (where Bernadette saw "Mary"). 4. The chapel where Bernadette received her first communion.

ALSO – "At each location the faithful should end their meditation by praying the Lord’s Prayer, the creed and the special jubilee prayer or a prayer to Mary."

Now......for those who don't have the money to go to France, they can get this indulgence by visiting any "holy place dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in another part of the world Feb. 2-11 (and) pray the Lord's Prayer, the creed and the special jubilee prayer or a prayer to Mary."

The pope made it easier for rich people – he gives them a full year to get this indulgence (with a trip to France thrown in!), while poor people only have from Feb 2-11 to get to the nearest Lourdes shrine and go through these antics!

I wonder if the pope consulted with the French Board of Tourism before making this pronouncement?

Thankfully, the God of the Christian religion is not at all the god presented by the Catholic Church. May the Spirit of God show many Catholics the sheer lunacy of the Roman Church and its man-made, zany rules! May God grant Catholics repentance from Rome and faith ALONE in Jesus Christ for the full and free forgiveness of sins – no popish indulgences needed!

http://catholicnewsstories.blogspot.com (http://1catholicnewsstories.blogspot.com)

[Eric Cartman]

You don't believe in the existance of purgatory, so what the hell do you care?

Irrelevant hatred for all things holy oozes out of your diseased little brain with a vile stench Lenny. Nothing good can come of this.

[gmork]

Lenny, the Catholic Church never stopped "giving indulgences," they simply curbed the abuses related to selling them.

And here's a thread you'll enjoy...

http://stumbleinn.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2348

I was depressed you weren't around when I put it up back in December. I was looking forward to some of your amusing bon mots.

[Lenny]

You don't believe in the existance of purgatory, so what the hell do you care?Because this is another crooked money-making and power-grabbing scheme by the crooked Roman Catholic Church, wherein fools are offered the opportunity to buy their own salvation...via generous monetary payments to the Roman Church, of course! All this while parading around claiming the title of Christianity. It is insulting and needs to be stopped.

Lenny, the Catholic Church never stopped "giving indulgences," they simply curbed the abuses related to selling them.Their existance is an abuse.

That other thread you linked is a classic example of Catholic antiwhite propaganda.

[Lenny]

"Pope Benedict is said to hold indulgences in high regard, as did his predecessor John Paul II and, before that, Tetzel and his sponsor Pope Leo X, whose indulgences precipitated Luther’s glorious break with Rome.

When the last Pope visited the shrine in 2004, some 3,000 security officers and 60 mounted police were needed to help Mary ensure his safety."

http://ianpaisley.org/new_details.asp?ID=513

[PvtTitus]

Not a troll really but I forgot about this. Thanks for the reminder.

Now......for those who don't have the money to go to France, they can get this indulgence by visiting any "holy place dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in another part of the world Feb. 2-11 (and) pray the Lord's Prayer, the creed and the special jubilee prayer or a prayer to Mary."

JC's Mom pwns Satan :rockout:

[Lenny]

JC'sWhatever happened to that guy?

[PvtTitus]

Whatever happened to that guy?

I know. That is my beef with Catholics. What has JC been doing for 2000 years? What is His day to day intinerary?

JC: "Lets take a look at the ole human ant farm Earth...

:nono: Clinton starves 500,000 Iraqi children with sanctions.

Sigh. Mommmmm!? You busy? Could you pop down to some obscure RikkiTikkiTavi Land country again and tell them Dad's gonna roast them if they don't behave? Again."

:weird:

Would it really upset the cosmic cart if He rode down on an asteroid to DC, broiled Booshes brain with red laser beams from His eyes, sky write in every language "Stop being jerks, I am not going to tell you again." ???

[Lenny]

Indulgences are boosting Lourdes

British travel agents are predicting a substantial increase in pilgrims to Lourdes in 2008. Attendance at Lourdes has been declining, but on 5 December the Pope authorised a special plenary indulgence for those who visit Lourdes this year, to encourage “renewed holiness”. (BCN 7 Dec.)

“I’ve heard what the Pope has to say and can only welcome anything that boosts tourism,” said Adrian Cohen, managing director of International Travel Services in Manchester. A spokesperson for Tangney Tours in Kent said, “We expect a bumper year to Lourdes in 2008”. But, another travel manager said, “It sounds like a statement from the Middle Ages and not the 21st Century.”

A plenary indulgence is the remission of all purgatorial punishment. As Tetzel, who sold indulgences in the 16th century, put it, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, The soul from Purgatory springs.”

Since 1858 when the Virgin Mary was reported to have appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, more than 200 million people have visited Lourdes, but Rome has officially recognised less than one hundred cures. [ENI]

http://ianpaisley.org/new_details.asp?ID=518