Reformation

In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 'Theses' to a church door in Wittenberg (it's a good trick if you can manage it!) and ultimately started the Protestant Reformation.

He was protesting, in the main, against the practice of selling indulgences and the Church's policy on purgatory. Some bloke called Johann Tetzel, a papal commissioner for indulgences, had been sent to Germany by the Roman Catholic Church to sell indulgences to raise money to rebuild St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

According to the Roman Catholic Church, sin-reduction is a two-step process. Guilt is absolved through confession and prayer, but punishment, on earth or in purgatory, can be avoided through indulgences. Now I think that Lourdes must be doing badly at the moment because the Pope (of Rome, do they still have one at Avignon?) has given a time limited offer: make a pilgrimage to Lourdes and receive, absolutely free, a papal indulgence.

These, of course, only let you off past sins, so be careful not to commit any more after receiving your indulgence, or you could still end up in purgatory.

There's a big pilgrimage industry to support here, people. Get it quick, the offer expires in December 2008. During the month of February a trip to any Lourdes related shrine is apparently good enough. It's a good job I've set up the Holy Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in the back garden, okay it's only a flowerpot with a plastic hedgehog perched on top of it, but I think it looks the business. Anybody is welcome to come over during February, and for a modest donation all your sins will be washed away.

Honestly, they would have thought that this was too far fetched in "Father Ted".