Easter time is “Urbi et Orbi” time again. The plenary indulgence by the Pontiff in his “great grace”. The Protestant churches live up to their name and raise their voices loudly to put a stop to the pagan activities. Or maybe not?
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An Urbi et Orbi, if it “thought”
With Easter Sunday, the Catholic world crowds either on site in St. Peter’s Square in Rome or in front of the television sets in order to be able to experience the blessing proclaimed by the Pope “Urbi et Orbi” (“the city and the world”). This only occurs on three occasions in the Church of Rome. Easter, Christmas and the beginning of a new pontificate. There are also “special orbis” if the Pope deems this appropriate.
Such an exception is the coming first day of the so-called “Holy Year 2025”. If the pontiff ever has a delighted moment, like in March 2020, immediately after the declaration of a pandemic, and his beloved “Mother of God” stands aside in the form of the icon “Salus Populi Romani”, then it can also be an “Orbi ” from the “eternal Urbi”. (Source).
Before indulgence, ritual is necessary
Now you could save this verbal ritual as an mp3 and listen to it at any time like the favorite passage from a well-known comedian. But in the Catholic world, these words celebrated by the pontiff are far more important than a thigh patter from the regulars’ table or an evening aid to falling asleep. After all, believing Catholics, at least according to the stories, have the possibility of a plenary indulgence. Not the forgiveness of sins, because according to the Catholic concept, an indulgence can only be granted after a priest has previously given absolution.
Even absolution is not only to be had by looking submissively and remorsefully at the priest, like a dog that has just done something wrong, but has first gone through the required procedure. To do this, an inner renunciation of sin must have been made, “Holy Communion” must have been taken and the Pope’s needs must have been prayed for.
Apparently this mystical magic that had been performed for many centuries was no longer enough. A few years ago, thanks to its “divine authority”, the Vatican issued a decree that, using modern media technology, this indulgence could not only be obtained up to eight days after the “Urbi et Orbi”, which corresponds to the keyword “sustainability”, but also , and you’ll be amazed, even up to eight days in advance.
No comedy, just seriousness
Pope Benedict XVI has already proven that the Church of Rome is actually serious about such rituals by simply abolishing limbo for unbaptized and deceased children. According to Catholic ideas, souls who were excluded from heaven through no fault of their own(!) went there. This idea was already decided in 418 at the Synod of Carthage. Since then, it has been believed that unbaptized infants go to hell. This has been alleviated somewhat with the limbus.
One only has to remember that the Roman Catholic Church was responsible for the murder of countless people in its past, when it still had full political power. This church persecuted, tortured and murdered people because they wanted to follow the gospel rather than the paganism of Rome.
The easy-to-understand connection between “Hell for unbaptized infants” and later Limbo shows that the Roman Catholic Church proclaims the “exact opposite” of the Gospel on this topic, as Jesus Christ said in Matthew 19:14:
“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.“
Indulgence – limbo – original sin
Very early on, the “fathers” of this Roman institution, also known as “man of sin, son of perdition, mother of all whores, abomination of the earth,” introduced the idea of “original sin.” Accordingly, humans inherited the sins of Adam and Eve and, according to Catholic teaching, are sinners at birth and therefore condemned to death. “Original sin” and quasi-compulsory baptism in infancy go hand in hand with the threat of infant hell.
First the forgiveness of sins, then the indulgence. While the Gospel teaches that God no longer remembers a sin that He (!) has forgiven, the Church of Rome does not say “forgive and forget” by a long shot. Rather, the Catholic who has already been cleansed of sin by the priest – according to the Catholic understanding – must still suffer the “just” punishment. The punishment is again a matter of the priest’s discretion. A dozen “rosary beads” with five crawls up a “holy staircase”, a donation, or whatever. Righteousness through deeds, i.e. righteousness by works. Everything that was not “punished” during one’s lifetime is made up for in purgatory.
A business model
For this purpose, the Church of Rome developed the concept of selling indulgences. An indulgence in exchange for money. First managed by the local priest. As a result, he became too rich too quickly and was subsequently controlled by the responsible bishop. But he became richer even more quickly until the Pope centralized this indulgence trade in Rome. After all, it is the pontiff who has the “inexhaustible treasure of good deeds” of Mary and the saints with which he can feed the letters of indulgence.
The plenary indulgence through “urbi et orbi” is therefore only possible after the believer has completed the complete central package of paganism with maximum mockery of Jesus Christ. This package consists of the presumption of the Catholic priesthood to be able to forgive sins committed against God, the homage to a fictitious “Sun God” by holding up and worshiping the wafer (“Host”), the associated renewed sacrifice of Jesus (Eucharistie – Info) and the prayer for the earthly representative of the great adversary of God (Info).
Unmistakable protest from evangelicals?
And the protests of the evangelical churches can be heard at full volume during every “Urbi et Orbi”. Ultimately, the indulgence was the final straw that forced Martin Luther to post the 95 theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. Or not?
Not a hint of protest. Yes, not even a mention or question. Even when Pope John Paul II set up a record mass indulgence, nothing was heard from the ranks of the Protestant churches. Benedict XVI increased the record and Francis even went one better.
If you look around in the evangelical media, you will hear something about a victorious lamb (“Agnus Dei”), which in this form has its origins in the church of Rome. Old images of Jesus with a sun disk behind his head are shown and connections are made to the myths of an underworld according to ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. In Christianity Today, a media outlet founded in 1556 by Billy Graham, a Baptist theology professor sets out to explain the reason why Jesus Christ died burdened with sin but did not go to hell.
The evangelical churches are aware of the pagan background of many Easter traditions (Info). But you can certainly enjoy it. Everything is “not so tragic” and quite acceptable.
Pseudo-existence of the EV churches
The former Protestant, evangelical churches are now just the last, semi-controlled twitch for the illusion of apparent liveliness. These churches have long since openly represented the positions of their Catholic mother church (Info).
The evidence for this is the agreements in the “Charta Oecumenica” (Info) and the fervent wish of the former Protestant bishop, Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, to finally be able to celebrate the Eucharist together with the Catholic Church (Info).
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Revelation 18:2
Bible verses from King James Version
