Papal Indulgencies: the road to Protestantism's birth
Protestantism was born and presented as a religion to the world 16 whole centuries anno domini, on the 19th of April 1529. It was born in Auguste, and there as an infant gave its first cry. There in Auguste it was born and nourished, not by the Apostles (in order for it to be Apostolic Church), but under Lutherans and Calvinists, in order to exist as and be called Lutheran and Calvinistic parasynagogue.
When was it born? Who are its father and mother? Its father was the selfishness and love for profit of the Pope and its mother was the Papal church.
Martin Luther protested against the Pope for the following reason: Pope Leo X , being niggardly, was thinking day and night how to find ways to collect money. And this he achieved via the following cunning (satanic) plan. He would publish absolution-of-sins documents (indulgencies) on which he would write that he has power to forgive sins to both the living and the deceased and even to those in "purgatory" (for the Roman Catholic Church teaches the existence of purgatory). He pretended that the money collected thus would be used to help the armies fighting in the east. Via these indulgencies, Leo informed the people that whoever would give the expenses of a whole year for one soldier, would have absolution for all sins he/she would commit within a time period of five years; those that would give more money than this would have a bigger right in order to sin for more years!!!
These papal indulgencies were sent everywhere in Europe by the Pope's men, and these people preached and spread the knowledge for the need for such papers everywhere. In fact, there was this habit, that whenever such circulars were published by the Pope, to be handed to the 'battalion' of preachers, and they would preach about them, and sell them to the nations of the West.
The Pope had a sister to whom he gave 200,000 piastres worth of indulgencies, in order to give or share them around in any way she wanted. She sent these to Germany, but, in order to earn more, being niggardly herself, did not give these to the Battalion of the Preachers as it was common, in which battalion Luther was a leader, but sold these to the Fransescan Friars and at a price higher than the one set by the Pope. Seeing, thus, that this profitable job slipped out of his hands, and that others got what belonged rightfully to his battalion, Luther started preaching against the indulgencies, proving, that these do not aid people at all, that the Pope has no such jurisdiction, and that all these devices are the result of the Pope's love for profit. This preaching of Luther's was liked by many, especially the revelation of the Pope's greed and for this they accepted it.
This is the reason for the protest of Luther; his personal loss in the profits related to the selling of indulgencies, not love for the truth. Something that Luther himself would admit openly; e.g. in a speech he gave at the court of the Duke of Saxony he explicitly said: "Neither was this case started by God, nor will it be finished by God".
We can thus see that even in those times the Protestant congregations were neither One (within a few years Protestantism had already been divided into an equal number of heresies and subdivisions), nor Holy (as Luther himself admitted), nor Catholic (it was not even One, how could it be upholder of the whole Truth?) nor Apostolic (as it did not stem directly in a continuous line from the Apostles).
Protestants have always been fighting the Church .... In the first Christian Church we have many people that protested against the One Church: Vigilantius (against the respect to the holy icons and relics), Arius (against the prayers for the deceased brothers and memorial services), the Iconoclasts (against the holy icons), the Paulicians (against Traditions). All of the above were found by the holy Oecumenical Synods of the Church as heretical groups.
So if you think that the Protestants that showed up after 1500 AD are "new reformers" think again. History repeats itself. These heresies were always present in one form or another throughout the Church's history - albeit not as "bad" as any of the Protestant groups are who are usually a combination of 10 up to even 100 of the ancient heresies! - but of course the Church was not abolished as our Lord promised us in His prophecy: "and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it". The gates of Hades are the mouths of the heretics.
Yes, dear reader! This is the sad reality of the situation. This is why you must flee from these congregations. You must flee from the deceived and deceivers. Yes, it is true that there are millions of Protestants who are simply deceived and living in a situation of inability to reach the Truth, due to the lies and deception the Devil has brought to the heresiarchs who consciously or unconsciously have led and continue to lead innocent lives to destruction. And it is true that the Roman Catholic Church's terrible deviations led to a terror-stricken scattering of the Western flock. But that is no reason for you to continue to stay in these deceptions.
To this very day these poor people live in pain and inability to find the Truth, living in a sea of rationalism, lies, confusion, even demonic situations (for many will often seek miracles independent of the faith, not having one but thousands of faiths; and miracles can often be from the devil, like the "Toronto blessings").
In the same way the holy God-inspired Synods would decide which books would be included in the New Testament as God-inspired and which should be excluded as not God-inspired, similarly heresies such as the ones above were pinpointed and kept away from the purity of the Church. For the Holy Spirit ensured always that the One Church would not become apostate, even if individual groups of people fell into apostasy. So that, as we confess in the original Creed, we could have One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
This is where you belong to, dear reader. The sad reality of historical errors of men, a result of their pomp and pride, is not your personal individual fault. Come to the One Body of Christ. Christ is waiting for you. And then with your prayers, with your proper life in Christ within His mystical Body, asking also the help of His Saints, who are our brothers and sisters, you can bring some help to your other friends or family who are deceived and who want to see more than words, they want to see actions: they want to see a "bright lamp" in the spiritual darkness of our society, and not just a "good person".
This way we can all ecclesialise the world and bring Christ's wish for unity to fullilment.
May Christ grant this sooner.
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The following text is a copy that was found in the library of the Lazarists in Rome and was translated in old Greek from the original text in Latin: this epistle was sent to the then Emperor from Publius Leontulus, who was Governor of Judea at the time, the one before Pontius Pilate, and regards our Lord Jesus Christ. Note that the facial description of Christ given below and the fact that His mother was the most beautiful woman of all times, are things kept in our Holy Tradition; this as an answer to those Protestants that claim that our Lord does not look the way we depict Him in our Holy Icons and that what we claim about Panagia being a most beautiful woman are just stories. (However note that the depicting of holy figures through icons has a much broader purpose; c.f. Icons).
<< Your Majesty
>> I heard, o Caesar, that you wish to learn about what I am writing to you now, regarding a man, i.e. the virtuous man, called Jesus Christ, whom the people consider a Prophet and his disciples say that he is son of God of the One that made heavens and Earth and everything that is situated and exists within them.
>> To tell you the truth, o Caesar, everyday we hear wonderful things about this man. He raises the dead and heals the sick with one word. Man of medium height, good-looking and surrounded by a greatness, especially in everything regarding his face, so that all that see him are forced to love and respect him.
>> His hair is chestnut-coloured down to the level of his ears, and the colour of earth from there down to his shoulders, but rather shiny; also, it splits in the upper middle according to the way of the Nazarenes. His forehead is smooth and peaceful, his face is without wrinkles or spots. His nose and lips are very regular. His beard is dense and the same colour as his hair, and it is not long and is split in the middle. The look on his face is serious and inspiring respect, and he has the power of the solar ray. Nobody can look him straight in the eye. When he reprimands he inspires respect, and when he does this, he cries. He is lovable, and talks gracefully but with seriousness. They say, that he was never seen laughing, but many a time crying.
>> He has very handsome hands and wrists. During conversation, he tries to please all and he rarely appears in public, but when he does he behaves with modesty and has the world's most beautiful demeanour.
>> He is handsome like his mother, who is the most beautiful woman like none were ever seen in these parts.
>> If though your Majesty, o Caesar, wishes to see him, like you wrote to me in the past (regarding this), make it known to me, so I can send him to you immediately. Even though he never studied anything, he is however knowledgable of every science. He walks barefoot and without a cover on his head. Many laugh at him, but when they stand in front of him they shiver and admire him. They say, that never has a man, like him, appeared in this area. The truth is, as the Jews tell me, never before has such advice been given, never before has such teaching been preached, like the teaching of his, and many of the Jews believe him to be God. Others tell me, that he is an enemy of your majesty, o Caesar; many a time do these wicked Jews harass me. It is said, that he never displeased someone, but on the contrary he did good. All that know him say that they were benefited by him. Nevertheless, o Caesar, I am willing to obey Your Majesty and whatever you command shall be executed.
In Jerusalem Indiction's 7
Moon 11
PUBLIUS LEONTULUS
Governor of Judea
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