Thursday, July 18, 2013

Our Father Who Art on Twitter


Pope Francis has just announced that he is granting plenary indulgences via Twitter to all Catholics who follow him on the social media service and who ask for such a boon. Plenary indulgences lessen the punishment one receives for sin both in this world and in Purgatory. I am a Twitter follower of the Pope, and I was going to request an indulgence, but it turns out you also have to be Catholic. Drat.

Not exactly sure what I was missing out on, I looked up indulgence in the Code of Canon Law: "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sins the guilt of which has already been forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain and definite conditions with the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints".

Talk about “being under the Law”! This sounds more complicated than the software contracts I agree to when I update my computer programs. But if you are Catholic and you have sinned and confessed, you might as well Tweet the Holy Father and get the perks that only The Church can provide. I know I would. "Better safe than sorry" is my motto. Especially when it comes to Purgatory.

8 comments:

Mordechai Ben Nathan said...

This Pope appears to be a humble and caring man. He worked hard to mend relations between Jews and Roman Catholics. He is concerned with poverty and social justice.

Don't you ever have any thing good to say beyond your perrennial kvetch?

Mordechai Ben Nathan said...

And by the way where is the faux torah scholar (right to write) pontificating officiously about ona'as devorim when it comes to your comments about the Pope.

I would expect faux torah scholar to express your disagreements privately by email to the Pope.

Methinks perhaps he is a bit sychophantic. Ah yes or is it the ona'as devorim relates only as to Jew and Jew as opposed to Jew and goyim.

Erick Reynolds said...

Rabbi, I perceive that much of what you write is intentionally controversial to see the dust it kicks ups. MBN is clearly the dustiest, like Pigpen in the Peanuts cartoon. Reading his comments is like having your crabby grandpa at your high school graduation party. Real buzz kill.

Erick Reynolds said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mordechai Ben Nathan said...

Perhaps what i write is intentionally controversial to see the dust it kicks up. So perhaps you are like pigpen or a crabby granpa. I guess it depends on your perspective or whose ox is being gored.

It is a funny thing about people who are "controvresial" or "irreverent". They never imagine that perhaps they may be subject to the same ridicule and controversy that they initially generate.

Though religious orthodoxy in all its forms is a great target for Rami his views are nothing but another kind of orthodoxy.

Erick Reynolds said...

Dust was a metaphor for "angry antagonist".
Rabbi Rami has repeatedly spoke that everyone should seek, learn, create or believe in their own version of God. He only pokes fun at people who preach they know THE true God and challenge those who believe them.
You seem obsessed to win an argument you can't win, because your protestations only support his view.

Mordechai Ben Nathan said...

"Your protestations support his view"

Funny i have stated no catechism, no doctrine, I have not expressed my own view of G-d, I have never said Christians are wrong or Moslems are incorrect.

Aside from mocking Rami and critiquing him I have attacked no religion or belief. But yes i do have a belief and that is TURNAROUND IS FAIR PLAY.

I think you are making wild assumptions about my personal beliefs based upon my views about abortion.

By the way atheists may be prolife on moral and humanistic grounds. I assume you are stereotyping me based on my prolife beliefs.

The so-called progressive thinkers are often the greatest bigots and the smallest minds.



Fraser said...

Mordechai must have found a new brand of wheaties. His posts about the 'evil' boy were prolific and made me laugh out loud and these are as good.
I'm with Rami on this though Mordechai. I think Jesus did away with that controlling mediation by institution. The Romans took it right back which is why so much catholicism, and protestantism for that matter, is soaked in guilt. Imagine having to tweet the pope to get an earthly break....
baloney! Nice work on the relations though.