Indulgences, Again??

[Dinner]

Didn't this German Pope study his own country's history? Inexcusable given he used to be a Nazi.

Trips to Lourdes to cut time spent in purgatory

Pope Benedict XVI is offering relief from purgatory to Roman Catholics who travel to Lourdes over the next year, the Vatican said yesterday.

Pilgrims to the shrine in south-west France will receive "plenary indulgences" from the Pontiff, which the Church says reduce the time spent being "washed" of sin after death. The indulgences will be available from this weekend until Dec 8, 2008.

The Church teaches that people who do not go directly to heaven must spend time in purgatory, where they can be purified of residual sin.

It is the latest initiative to get more pilgrims to the shrine, famous for the reported healing properties of its water. In August the Vatican opened an airline service offering pilgrims direct flights from Rome to Lourdes.

And I don't suppose that last part influenced this at all. Right.

[Vesayen]

Somewhere, I hear a parchment being nailed to a door.

Wait, that was just someones car backfiring.

NM.

[Grandpa Troll]

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Why quote the article if you're going to leave out the best paragraph?

In related news, the Dalai Lama announced today that all tourists visiting Lhasa in 2008 would receive a "reincarnation upgrade," regardless of how they have lived their present lives. "I feel confident that we can guarantee, at the very least, returning as a large mammal or other beast at or near the top of the food chain," His Holiness announced in his first-ever infomercial. "And for tourists who choose to stay in one of our more exclusive accomodations, we even have an arrangement to return as a child to be adopted by Angelina Jolie; of course, that offer requires leaving this life fairly soon after your visit, so we're also throwing in a lovely complimentary fruit basket."

[Saras]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly

Dali Llama