Read this

I want to begin by noting a particular issue with the presentation of the opinions on the revivial of indulgences. The editors chose to place first an author who calls a later author radical. Then it presents two articles which support the first author's view that the revivial of indulgences are a good thing. Then it ends with an article by the author who is radical which rejects the revival of indulgences. One would hope for a more balanced presentation of views on such issues in general, but especially in a blog titled "Room for Debate."

It seems these days that each move Pope Benedict XVI makes leads to some really odd results. What I mean is that, surely someone in the Vatican should have thought of the responses to re-instating a bishop that denies the holocaust or to re-instating indulgences. We are living in a world with global communication, a large educated public, and new coverage. Here's what I think someone should have thougt:

Oh, let's see. Many people know about indulgences because the Church sold them in the Middle Ages to fill the coffers or make money for individual priests, bishops, popes. The Church in America is currently suffering a financial crisis because people are not giving for a number of reasons -- the downturn in the market is one, but a significant one is that the faithful think the Church is using the money to pay for sex abuse scandals. Catholic schools and Catholic churches are closing for lack of money, and again, people blame this on paying law suits. So if re-institute indulgences, the likely idea will be that the Church is trying to raise money through questionable means to make up for losses that go to paying for law suits.

Of course, the Roman Catholic Church is more than an American phenomenon. It is global, and the Vatican has to consider that when making decisions. But surely someone in the Vatican was smart enough to see the writing on the wall here. It was a poor call here, regardless of what legitimacy there is to indulgences.

To wit: the defense for the return of indulgences is to remind the faithful, and the world at large, that sin is real and that people must make recompense for their sins. Indulgences are a way for the living to work off the sins of the dead. This is a wonderful thought, that the living can help the dead who exist in Purgatory, not clean enough to enter heaven yet. It might even be true that the world needs to be reminded that sin is real. But anyone can read the newspapers and see the reality of sin in the mass bombings, the wars, the devastation of the planet, the financial crisis brought about by the negiligence of industrial, marketing, and government leaders. It seems to me that indulgences serve as a red herring.

Let's point out the sin in the world and call it what it is. Let's do it in a compassionate fashion that draws people toward redemption and forgiveness. This may be the intent behind the revival of indulgences, but without clearly worded explication, the intent will be lost in the mumbling of a thousand voices. Let's turn instead to calling people to care for their brothers and sisters who are out of work, to renewing the environment by using less gas or buying energy efficient cars, to committing outselves to learn more about ourselves by spending time in quiet away from the television and the radio. Let's ask each other to reach inside and call out the best of ourselves so that we might grow closer to God and live His kingdom here and now. For Christ has already died for our sins and risen for our life.

Tags: Indulgences