LETTERS TO SANTA

I suppose the following item in Tuesdays Guardian really does not require any further comment.
'In its latest attempt to keep up with the times the Vatican has married one of its oldest traditions to the world of Social media by offering "indulgences"* to followers of pope Francis tweets.'

The belief a) in the existence of an actual place, purgatory, b) that this is a place that you can be condemned to spend time after you die, and c) that through the intercession of the church this time can be shortened, exists at the same level as the belief in Santa Claus. That the Pope believes that there are significant members of his faith for whom the above statements are true, and sadly I suspect his belief to be correct, speaks volumes about Catholicism and the levels of superstition and ignorance that it chooses to foster.

*Indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.
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