Gospel Prism

Some things never change. In 1517 a “short, dumpy, stump preacher” (James Kittleson, Martin Luther: The Reformer, 103) named Johann Tetzel was going around the Germany collecting money for Pope Leo X’s newest project, a renovation of St. Peter’s basilica. Such a project would not come cheap, especially when you had two guys named Michaelangelo and Raphael doing the artwork. So money needed to be raised and Tetzel was the man to bring in the coinage. He would say:

“Do you not hear the voices of your dead relatives and others, crying out to you and saying, ‘Pity is, pity us, for we are in dire punishment and torment from which you can redeem us for a pittance’? And you will not?” He also asked, “Will you not then for a quarter of a florin receive these letters of indulgence through which you are able to lead a divine and immortal soul safely and securely into the homeland of paradise?” And then there was the clincher, “Once the coin into the coffer clings, a soul from purgatory heavenward springs.” (Kittleson, 103-104)

Well, there is no short, dumpy preacher asking for indulgences today. Instead, there is a javascript-enabled preacher that is asking for Catholics to help fund the “cause for beatification and canonization of the Servant of God.” In fact, if you donate, not only will you help JPII become a saint, but you’ll actually get a piece of the former pope’s clothing. Johann Tetzel never offered that in his plea for indulgences.

I have a feeling if Luther were alive today, there would be a new 95 theses posted on a blog ‘door’ somewhere.