“As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” - Tetzel's famous jingle
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| 4. http://freethoughtalmanac.com/?p=1150 The selling of indulgences |
Pope Leo X began selling the indulgences to finance the building of St. Peter's basilica. Theses indulgences stated that the buyer would receive full remission of sins, leaving them as innocent a state as they were when they were baptised. Pope Leo X even found the most experienced and influencial man to sell these indulgences, Dominican Tetzel. Tetzel went from town to town, collecting and preaching about these indulgences with many others from Rome. He had almost everyone convinced that with the purchase of an indulgence, even the worst of sins against God or the Divine Majesty could be forgiven. Basically, if you had enough money, repentence was for sale.
To make sure that these indulgences were sold and that the Church could collect every last quarter, Tetzel used guilt to influence people's conscience. He would say, “Listen to the voices of your dear dead relatives and friends, beseeching you and saying, ‘Pity us, pity us. We are in dire torment from which you can redeem us for a pittance. . . . Will you let us lie here in flames? Will you delay our promised glory?’” (95 Theses Summary)
Tetzel was so good at his job and convincing people to buy indulgences that many people did, believing that this would save them from all their sins or save a loved one from purgatory.
Tetzel was so good at his job and convincing people to buy indulgences that many people did, believing that this would save them from all their sins or save a loved one from purgatory.
