[Dr. Eckleburg]

You're over four hundred years behind the times. The selling of indulgences was explicitly condemned by the Council of Trent.

Someone should tell that to the RC faithful who still cough up a large chunk of cash to buy their dead relatives out of some phantasmic fantasyland.

Trent merely acknowledged things had gotten a tad out of hand. But throughout Trent and up to this very day, the sale of Indulgences is still alive and kicking through the RC coffers.

The Great Jubilee (2000):
Reaffirming the Spiritual Power of Indulgences
(by JPII)

"...Pope John Paul II places the gaining of a Jubilee Indulgence in the context of entering into the spiritual communion of the Body of Christ, knowing that in the spiritual realm, people do not live for themselves alone, each indulgence gained becoming a gift of grace for the whole Church.

Knowing this, obtaining an indulgence can never be a selfish act, indeed it can be made completely unselfish by offering it up for a Holy Soul in Purgatory. Since the Pope himself desires that abundant use be made of indulgences, the challenge for each one of us is to obtain as many of them as possible, particularly in the time of Jubilee left to us. It is a pity that many have fulfilled the conditions for one indulgence for themselves only to stop there..."

[1000 silverlings]

to buy their dead relatives out of some phantasmic fantasyland Masses for the dead. I guess it relieves the guilt of the living

[GCC Catholic]

Yes, indulgences can be obtained. That said, a vast majority are gained through prayers or simple acts of penance which cost absolutely nothing. The poorest of the poor can obtain indulgences. An extensive (but perhaps not exhaustive) list of these can be found here: http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/indulge/index.html.

In that list, one is conspicuously missing: The indulgence granted for the giving of alms. This was the one that was twisted into the "buying of indulgences" by Tetzel, and that was so scandalous to so many that it was finally revoked through the Authority of the Keys granted to the Pope.

You can say many things now, but you can no longer claim that you have not been informed of this. If you don't like the doctrine, I can deal with that, but please do not continue to misconstrue what Catholics believe concerning them.

[ArrogantBustard]

But throughout Trent and up to this very day, the sale of Indulgences is still alive and kicking through the RC coffers.

Your link says nothing of the "Sale" of indulgences.

Whether indulgences are or are not real, and whether or not the Catholic Church teaches a correct doctrine of indulgences, your link, in fact, supports only the idea that, whatever indulgences may be THEY ARE NOT FOR SALE.

You have seriously misrepresented the content of the article at your link. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.