Speeding Sainthood Along
Well, there are all those finagling power-hungry preachers on television enthusing about their direct line to God, whose Sunday sermons fuel fervent watchers to re-embrace their lapsed faith. There is that ardent spokesperson for God Almighty claiming the ear of God. And he promises to speak to God on behalf of those who rush to send in donations. For the devotional work of God comes with a price, perforce.Just think of the riches amassed by all these foxy preachers who speak with passion of their calling, their very personal collision with the Holy Spirit. At a time in their failed lives when they contemplated ending their passage through the vale of life, a heavenly encounter with the Holy One claimed them to a life devoted to spreading His word. And the tired, overworked, under-privileged, poverty-ridden hordes who faithfully tune in, rush to send in their hard-earned dollars.
But then the more polished among the population, the aware, the sophisticated, recognize these sad, tired old ploys for what they are; the actions, however successfully realized, of religious charlatans whose only purpose is to line their own pockets. The world is full of individuals whose purpose in life is to deprive others of as much of their disposable income as conceivably possible.
We're familiar with the hypocritical work of the Tammys, the Johns, the folksy, just-like-us people with the special callings, exhibiting all their human frailties, but swearing fealty only to God, and in the process promising to heal the souls and failings of their followers. But this is something else again. We're talking Vatican here, the Roman Catholic Church.
Encouraging the faithful to log onto their Web site (forget televangelists...) and offer their credit card (prayers are nice, too) to speed things along in the rush to sainthood of Pope John Paul. After all, the good Pope, he of late lamented memory, went out of his pious way to speed sainthood on Mother Teresa of Calcutta fame. And during his 26-year papacy, oversaw no fewer than 500 canonizations.
What had previously taken four hundred years to accomplish, this great compassionate pope accomplished in a mere quarter-century. Is he then not worthy of the swiftest sainthood in the history of the Catholic Church? And who says money can't buy everything?
Labels: Religion
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, September 23, 2007
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