The Reluctant Whore

The New York Times reports that the Catholic Church is still selling indulgences in New York City. Isn’t that great? Along with a mysterious beast story, there’s nothing I like more than a good story about how fucking ludicrous the Catholic Church can be. Well, any religion really, I mean they’re all about as insane and arbitrary when it comes to the specific rituals and political positions they take and it all resembles big business but the Catholics tend to put on a good show.

The last time I remember the Catholic Church coming out with a perfectly absurd proclamation was when they decided to abolish the notion of Limbo, the place where unbaptized stillborn children. It hadn’t really been used that much of late so they just abolished it. Actually, World Youth Day in Sydney while I was there last year was a pretty astonishing experience. They carted a dead body around the world to show it off and banned the presence of condoms from within a certain radius of the Pope. What does that imply? That he barebacks? Also, World Youth Day was actually several days long. So, the entire tissue of confusion begins with the freaking name. It wasn't actually one DAY. Gosh, the lies...

Here we have churches selling absolution from wrongdoing.
The Times reports:

According to church teaching, even after sinners are absolved in the confessional and say their Our Fathers or Hail Marys as penance, they still face punishment after death, in Purgatory before they can enter heaven. In exchange for certain prayers, devotions or pilgrimages in special years, a Catholic can receive an indulgence, which reduces or erases that punishment instantly, with no formal ceremony or sacrament.

Another great quote in the Times piece is:

“Why are we bringing it back?” asked Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of Brooklyn, who has embraced the move. “Because there is sin in the world.”

Ah, yes – and because it will also pay for whatever personal indulgences the clergy are into. Finally, they can say yes to that Italian marble for the spa in the vestry.

I think sometimes when it becomes possible to write about something as ludicrous as this I get so overwhelmed I basically just shut down and can’t be bothered. It becomes like a dam with a hole in it and that’s a real commitment to make. [source]