Indulgences
‘Indulgence’
started off as a term to describe “a piece of paper that promised that God
would forgo any earthly punishment for the buyer's sins” (from Gerald Posner’s book, God's Bankers). It is
famous for being the trigger for Martin Luther’s protestant movement.
But indulgences
weren’t always available in return for money. They started off being given instead of cash by the Church to anyone
willing to fight the first crusades! Successive popes then realized this was an
easy way to make money; and so the ease with which they could be bought
increased over the centuries. The initial requirement that a pilgrimage to Rome
be made to get an indulgence was soon done away.
Then Sextus IV
expanded indulgences to apply to souls stuck in Purgatory. Or as Posner wrote:
“Any Catholic could pay so that souls
trapped in Purgatory could get on a fast track to Heaven.”
This
“innovation” opened the floodgates and funded the construction of the Sistine
Chapel. And pretty soon:
“Tax revenues from the Papal States paid
most of the day-to-day bills, while indulgences paid for everything else.”
The popes chose
to look the other way at the inevitable widespread corruption associated with
such sales.
With demand so
high, you’d think that the anti-popes would be able to sell indulgences too.
Surprisingly no:
“Although some antipopes raised their own
armies and had popular backing, they never mustered the moral authority to
issue indulgences.”
And the lack of
that revenue channel made all that difference:
“When the Pope's armies were called upon
to sometimes crush an antipope, it was usually the flood of cash from
indulgences that paid for the war.”
Even as some
began to protest the abuse of indulgences, Pope Leo X came up with a new twist
to expand it even further:
“He pressed ahead with a futures market
by which diminution was available for sins not yet committed.”
Ironically, when
the Reformation movement split Christianity, the Catholic Church got monopoly
rights on indulgences:
“Since Protestants condemned indulgences,
the Holy See remained unopposed when it came to selling forgiveness to
believers in Christ.”
This book you are referring to (Gerald Posner’s book, God's Bankers) is being read by me too, thanks to your buying and we sharing it on 'kindle' as family members permitted to download in more than one device. Good to see you sharing the detail on "indulgences" in you blog.
ReplyDeleteIngrained in universal values and principles, guided instinctively through my firm faith in Eastern mysticism I was shocked when I realized what these indulgences of the Catholic church means. Let me give my illustration (proceeding from the hint found in the book). A prostitute (for example) buys indulgence at the end of her work spending 20 to 25% of her earnings. Instantly, she is absolved of all sin that she is compelled to believe she has accrued due to religious morality imposed on her by, who else, the church! She is rendered pure and pristine for the next day's prostitution! For the church, it is a lovely business proposition. Money pours in just like that, because sinners are available in abundance, and there are methods to liquidate any sin too, thanks to faith! No pain all gain for the church!
Religion/Spirituality? Church asks us, "What are you talking about? And who are you to talk about Religion/Spirituality? It is one hundred per cent the Church's prerogative, handed over by God in person!"
Indulgences is just one example. I find that the number of un-Godly acts and thoughts supported by the Church establishment is staggering. Some acts done or endorsed by the Church are chilling. Some others are are absolutely mean, inhuman and self-centered actions.
I for one admires Jesus Christ and accepts him as an enlightened soul, a prophet too. (I am no Christian.) I am reminded of this funny anecdote coined to illustrate the situation I am talking about. The story goes like this.
One day, a devout Catholic (layperson not a priest) comes out of the church after the Sunday prayers. He finds a poor, old man sitting outside and he looks sad. Our man feels sympathetic and asks him who he was and why didn't he come in for the prayers; he could have come in couldn't he? The poor sad man replies, "I am Jesus. I came to see what is the state all that I taught and shared for the benefit of the people." Our man eagerly asks him, "What did you find?" Jesus says with tears rolling down, "They have thrown God out of the Church. And, I find my entry is barred here! too!"