The Vatican has demonstrated why the Protestant Reformation was an act of God.

From MSN.com:

“The Catholic Church on Friday granted forgiveness — under certain conditions — for the sins of the faithful struck by the novel coronavirus. A decree published by the Vatican also covers healthcare workers and those who pray for their well being. Relatives who care for their sick family members may also be forgiven.”

From Vatican News:

“On 20 March, the Apostolic Penitentiary issued a decree granting plenary indulgences to ‘the faithful suffering from the Covid-19 virus, commonly known as coronavirus, as well as to healthcare workers, family members and all those who in any capacity, including through prayer, care for them.'”

Here is more:

The Decree grants a plenary indulgence to coronavirus patients quarantined by health authorities in hospitals and in their homes if, “with a spirit detached from any sin, they unite themselves spiritually through the media to the celebration of the Holy Mass, the recitation of the Holy Rosary, to the pious practice of the Way of the Cross or other forms of devotion.”

The plenary indulgence can also be obtained by the faithful if they at least “recite the creed, the Lord’s Prayer and a pious invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards their brothers and sisters, with the will to fulfill the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy father’s intentions), as soon as possible.”

A plenary indulgence is also granted to healthcare workers, family members and all those who, “exposing themselves to the risk of contagion, care for the sick” under the same conditions stated above.

Also, the faithful who offer a “visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or Eucharistic adoration, or read the Holy Scriptures for half an hour, or recite the Holy Rosary, or the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross, or the recitation of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy” while praying for an end to the pandemic will be granted a plenary indulgence.

Seriously, this proclamation by the Vatican contradicts what the New Testament teaches.

1 John 1:5-9 states this:

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

According to the above-quoted passage, the blood of Jesus – not the Roman Catholic Church – purifies us from all sin, and Jesus – not the Roman Catholic Church – will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

The above-quoted Bible passage teaches that believers in Messiah Jesus have forgiveness upon confessing sins. They aren’t required to say “a certain number of prayers” or follow “important celebrations from a distance” or “read the Bible for at least half an hour”.

As the Apostle Paul states in Romans 8:1, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

If believers in Messiah Jesus want to be members of the Roman Catholic Church, then so be it. However, they do not have to in order to be Christians. They don’t have to in order to have God’s forgiveness.

Thankfully, the universal Church is much bigger than its Roman Catholic branch. So, believers in Messiah Jesus don’t have to depend on that branch for their spiritual health.

David Robertson

The “Wanted” posters say the following about David: “Wanted: A refugee from planet Melmac masquerading as a human. Loves cats. If seen, contact the Alien Task Force.”

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