Roland Francis wrote: There was the age of the Indian boarding school (in this case a Jesuit one) where meat was served on Fridays. Catholics were in those days mandated to abstain from meat on Fridays all year. So this school would ask the student ten rupees for an impressive-looking certificated copy of a papal bull allowing the holder to eat meat on Fridays.
In those days too, there was this 'Papal Blessing' beautifully done framed certificate that a newly wedded couple could buy for a not insignificant sum of money from the Matunga Don Bosco church. I myself was presented one by an in-law relative. --------------------------------- Roland Francis, Pope Francis made it easy to understand the above. To keep it simple, he said, "Money has to serve, not to rule." I agree with him. Those who are able to pay for indulgences, should be inspired to do so. Mervyn On Wed, Apr 13, 2016 at 4:14 PM, Roland <[email protected]> wrote: > It is not my intention to showcase the eccentricities (that's a kind word) > of the Catholic Church unnecessarily. As 'Devak Argham' has pointed out, > the Church has done much good (and also bad, I say) in its existence. > > But there are instances where their sublime has often turned into their > ridiculous. > > There was the age of the Indian boarding school (in this case a Jesuit > one) where meat was served on Fridays. Catholics were in those days > mandated to abstain from meat on Fridays all year. So this school would ask > the student ten rupees for an impressive-looking certificated copy of a > papal bull allowing the holder to eat meat on Fridays. > > In those days too, there was this 'Papal Blessing' beautifully done framed > certificate that a newly wedded couple could buy for a not insignificant > sum of money from the Matunga Don Bosco church. I myself was presented one > by an in-law relative. > > The Papal blessing has at least resulted for me in the privilege of being > buried in a classless cemetery in the age I live in, since the Assagao > cemetery once had first, second and third class graves. > > Thank God a Pope in 1962 issued an encyclical after Vatican ll allowing > cremation and not making provision for urns of the same three classes. > > Roland Francis > Toronto
