Every time I read about indulgences, I become a Lutheran for at least an hour. You have to give Catholic hierarchs some credit I suppose for never, ever admitting they’re wrong, even if it means turning their religion into a neverending Onion article:
Salvation – or at least a shorter stay in Purgatory – might now be only a tweet away with news that Pope Francis is to offer “indulgences” – remissions for temporary punishment – to the faithful who follow him on the social media site [Twitter].
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As it was in the Onion, is now and ever shall be…
Now this is unfair.
Let’s say one hates the idea that the mercy of God might be quantized and precisely dispensed, regards the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum as an embarrassing medieval relic, and considers the hierarchy in general to be crabbed, cruel, and indifferent to the concerns of the faithful. Nevertheless those aspects of the Church are not really on display here.
The (quite predictable) media summary of the whole business has been “pope offers indulgences for following him on twitter.” But in truth it should be described as “Vatican acknowledges that virtual participation in World Youth Day can be as spiritually efficacious as being there in person.” This isn’t going to assuage your Lutheran impulses, but granting that the institution of indulgences is not going to be abolished, it seems like a good move to me.
Stop me if I’m wrong, but I thought that Luther had and issue with the sale of indulgences, not indulgences themselves, at least to begin with.
Also, the way it is phrases in that paragraph makes it sound as if 1 follow=less time in purgatory, which, if you read further in the article you linked in your post, doesn’t seem to be the case:
“The Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican court that rules on the forgiveness of sins, has said that indulgences may be given to those who follow the “rites and pious exercises” of the event on television, radio and through social media.”
Luther’s words: “est in arbitrio dei solius.” Pardon is in the power of God alone. Ultimately, he’s right. He did say that the church hierarchs could absolve people of burdens such as penances the hierarchs themselves had imposed. But that’s it. I think he’s right too.
I agree completely. I think that the issue we’re coming to is a problem that took me years to understand about both confession as the sacrament and indulgences. Both of them are really in between the individual and God: the priest is there as an intermediary. Also I think it’s important to note what actually goes into a plenary indulgence (as opposed to a partial one). I’m sure you are aware of what the penitent’s role is, but just in case someone reading this is not sure, here’s a pretty full explanation.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm