The Vatican issued a decree granting indulgences to those who follow the World Youth Day (WYD), including through the Internet, as long as it is live and “with due devotion”. I thought this was a joke (because something like this can only turn into a joke!) with the following headline: “By attending WYD you will obtain automatic forgiveness of your sins” and below, the comment: “You mean I can kill, steal, and covet my neighbor’s wife until Monday? Cool!” Easy, right? To put this in simple terms, those who follow this Journey online “with due devotion” are ensured impunity… Murderers, liars, adulterers and pedophiles should be very happy with this news. But I’m sorry to disappoint them… they are being deceived.

In the Catholic tradition (without any biblical foundation), the “merits” of the saints can be distributed by the Pope through indulgences, so that people can be saved by the merits of others. A confession eliminates the guilt, but only an indulgence can eliminate the punishment for a sin committed. Even when someone has repented and been forgiven, he could still go to “purgatory” or even to hell because his guilt was forgiven, but he still has to pay the consequence, whether its here on Earth or in the afterlife!

That was the way Pope Leo X found to convince the faithful to contribute financially to build St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in 1517. After all, who doesn’t want a shortcut to heaven? The wide path, without much effort… half a dozen religious rituals and a contribution to the treasury of the Vatican were sufficient to attain salvation. During that time, the professionals of the church, who were responsible for “forgiving” immortalized a revolting phrase: “As a coin tinkles in the collection-box, a soul straightway flies out of purgatory”.

This practice led Luther to start the Protestant Reformation, then, the practice of selling indulgences was banned. But now its back, with a new look, tuned in with modern times! In a world where having followers on Twitter and being among the trending topics is important for any business or event, the new currency has gained much popularity. Companies invest heavily on this, they have promotions and everything they are able to offer in exchange for followers, retweets and audience.

More publicity means more participation and more people talking about it! This way, swapping salvation tickets fast for participating in the WYD online, the Catholic Church guarantees that the event will have the success the media advertisements promise. It’s the kind of promise that cannot be disputed in Procon (Brazilian Bureau of Consumer Protection) because the person will only be aware of the false advertising after they die and find out there is no purgatory and the indulgences did not guarantee heaven. Then it will be too late.

How can a man or an institution give me the right to commit any injustice that I want to commit and relinquish me from the consequences because I follow an event? Maybe that’s why pedophile priests are not usually punished by the church (they are only transferred to other parishes, where they can make new victims). Now it’s even easier, they can follow the event online and receive a free indulgence!

I know I’m going against the grain of this world by positioning myself against this tradition, but I can’t remain quiet. No church has the power to forgive sins or negotiate a spot in heaven. The funny thing is that they accused us of doing this for the past 36 years: “selling a place in heaven” (are they judging us based on what they do?). I have been a member of the Universal Church for thirteen years and have never seen anyone selling salvation or forgiveness of sins. Much on the contrary, it has always been made very clear that salvation depends solely on a person’s total surrender to the Lord Jesus, because He is the only One that can forgive sins.

But this is how religion is, it distorts the truth, invents rules that are convenient for them… if the indulgence is only valid with a confession and to confess the person must go to church, wouldn’t this be a way to bring back those who haven’t been attending mass? It is important that they are sincere be warned: there is only one way to avoid eternal death:

“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” Ezekiel 18.31-32.

One might argue that religious freedom guarantees the Catholic Church the right to say any antibiblical lies they want to their followers. However, in this case, as a Brazilian citizen I feel 100% authorized to issue an opinion about this, after all, WYD is being funded with public money! That’s right! With my money, without my consent and against my interest. In a state that considers itself secular, more than three hundred million Reals will be spent on the event.

Recently, people took to the streets to protest against the misuse of public money and the Vatican sees no problem in letting the Brazil bear with most of the travel costs of the pope… after all, the Vatican is so poor…

The Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro tried to stop the City of Rio from spending R$ 7,840,636.54 (which would only be used for the medical assistance of the event), which would force the organizers of WYD to bear the costs. Their attempt failed, and the taxpayer money, which could have been invested in public health, will actually only benefit the event of the pope.

The spokesman of the Vatican didn’t want anything to do with this. He said that the decision to use public money belonged to the organizers and the government (as if the Vatican couldn’t offer to pay the expenses, knowing Brazil’s situation!)… According to him, the coming of a pope to any country is “always very important and pleasant for most of the population” (for me, it is not important or pleasant, if he wants to know). As far as I know, the government should not be working for a “great” part of the people, but for everyone. They should not favor one religious group (he is coming as a religious leader, but even if he came as the head of State… 320 million for a visit?). Imagine if the government funded the coming of a pastor to Brazil? Everyone would be outraged! (Including me.)

A warning from God to those who really want to get close to Him: there is no point in participating in religious rituals or solemn feasts, whether it’s in person or via the Internet. There is no point in making many prayers or confessions, or expect any man or institution to forgive you or guarantee an entry into heaven. This is not what purifies us. This message is for all the religious people:

“When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord.  Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Isaiah 1.12-19

Allowing money to be taken from public treasuries in a country with so many problems, like Brazil, is answering to justice? Is this defending the rights of the orphans? Is this how you should plead for the widows? One of the requirements for obtaining such indulgence is making certain “prayers” in favor of the Pope… and I wonder: if the Pope really had power to forgive my sins, why would he need my prayers?