No Camel Required: A rich man can now pass into heaven with the aid of rich corporations

[muriel_volestrangler]

as long as they get some nice publicity:

John Paul II canonization sponsored by banks, oil giant

He has railed against the "tyranny" of global capitalism and the "idolatry of money" but even Pope Francis needs a little corporate coin sometimes – as proven by the list of sponsors for Sunday's canonizations.

An oil and gas giant, several banks and Switzerland-based food megacorp Nestle are among more than a dozen financial backers of the Rome event.

Hundreds of thousands of people are due to come to the Eternal City to see Pope John Paul II, who reigned from 1978 to 2005, and Pope John XXIII, who was pontiff from 1958 to 1963, canonized as saints.

The list of sponsors is dominated by Italian corporations, including energy firms Eni and Enel, banking company Intesa SanPaolo and railway network Ferrovie Italiane.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101616991

[Jackpine Radical]

1. I guess corporate persons are now buying indulgences.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. They must have to worry about an afterlife now

There's always a downside to personhood.

[cbayer]

3. This whole thing is a rather sickening circus.

[skepticscott]

13. Nice of you to disparage people's deeply held beliefs

It seems to be a pattern with you.

[HeiressofBickworth]

4. As much wealth the church has,

Francis could put on one of these shindigs every other week or so and never put a dent in it. It has always chapped my ass that the hierarchy sits in the Vatican on top of huge wealth and still defends demanding tithing from the poorest of the poor members of the church. They should be paying their parishioners instead of asking for money from them.

[rug]

5. A billion viewers are expected. Why do you think this has anything to do with heaven?

Did you know the recent wedding of your future monarch cost three times as much, all paid by British taxpayers?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/apr/28/royal-wedding-monarchy

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/04/23/305850606/2-000-buses-of-visitors-rome-braces-for-canonization-crowds

[cbayer]

7. I found that a rather sickening circus as well.

[cbayer]

8. Oh, I wanted to tell you about something that happened the other day.

We were in a marina in a very small town north of Puerto Vallerta.

At approximately 5:30 am, we were awakened to the sound of an explosion.

This was followed by further explosions every 5 to 10 minutes.

Mind you, these were not subtle. They were rattling.

Between every 5 or so, we heard the church bells toll in some strange, undecipherable manner, but definitely a pattern.

This went on for about an hour.

As is turns out, this is the beginning of a 9 day celebration for the patron saint of the town and they will greet every sunrise and sunset with these cannons and bells.

Despite how jarring and inexplicable this was at the time, I did not find this in any way a bizarre circus, but something deeply imbued with history and meaning.

I though you might enjoy that.

[rug]

10. That's fascinating. Cannons? Do you know who the patron saint was?

[cbayer]

14. I'm in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and the patron saint is La Santa Cruz.

There is a cross in the center of town with a fascinating history as well.

This is a wonderful town and I highly recommend travel to this area if you ever decide to travel. The catholic history here is something you would probably find very interesting. It is a mixture of the catholicism rather forcibly introduced by the spanish and the indigenous populations.

Hence, the shooting off of cannons, which I don't think you will find in the rest of the catholic world.

[rug]

15. It looks like the festival marks, among other things, the patron of laborers.

Sounds like a great time!

[handmade34]

6. hmmmm...

Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther, Augustinian,........

27.There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.....

35.It is not in accordance with Christian doctrines to preach and teach that those who buy off souls, or purchase confessional licenses, have no need to repent of their own sins.....

45.Christians should be taught that he who sees a needy person, but passes him by although he gives money for indulgences, gains no benefit from the pope's pardon, but only incurs the wrath of God.....

51.Christians should be taught that the pope would be willing, as he ought if necessity should arise, to sell the church of St. Peter, and give, too, his own money to many of those from whom the pardon-merchants conjure money....

72.On the other hand, let him be blessed who is on his guard against the wantonness and license of the pardon-merchant's words........

84.Again: Surely this is a new sort of compassion, on the part of God and the pope, when an impious man, an enemy of God, is allowed to pay money to redeem a devout soul, a friend of God; while yet that devout and beloved soul is not allowed to be redeemed without payment, for love's sake, and just because of its need of redemption......

89.What the pope seeks by indulgences is not money, but rather the salvation of souls; why then does he suspend the letters and indulgences formerly conceded, and still as efficacious as ever?.....

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Luther was a horrendous anti-semite, among other things.

Von den Juden und Ihren Lügen

[rug]

11. I doubt these corporations are seeking indulgences. Exposure and revenue are more likely.

They'll be all over the World Cup soon.

[blkmusclmachine]

12. That's what Obama means when he says "Must Look Forward!"

Corrupt.