From Michael Jackson to indulgences, Dr. Peters is the man!

I was Googling about and came across an article from today's issue of The Chicago Tribune titled, "Catholics hope to cleanse indulgences of their bad reputation." I rolled my eyes and prepared to read the usual stuff. And, sure enough, I read this, "Now five centuries later, the proverbial pardons from purgatory have made a comeback. Pope Benedict XVI has authorized bishops to offer plenary indulgences at least nine times during his papacy."

This "comeback," of course, one of several over the past few decades, following Pope Paul VI's 1968 "Apostolic Constitution On Indulgences", the clear references to indulgences in the 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the many instances of indulgences making prominent appearances during the pontificate of John Paul II, especially during the Year of the Jubilee. But, fine, I understand: indulgences haven't been getting a lot of positive attention, even (especially?) among Catholics for quite some time. Fair enough.

But, lo and behold, the next paragraph contained a pleasant surprise:

"It is one of a number of ways that Pope Benedict is helping Catholics rediscover some practices that have been neglected over the last few decades," said Edward Peters, author of "A Practical Guide to Indulgences."

And, later:

Edward Peters, a canon law professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, said Pope Paul VI laid the groundwork for a revival of indulgences when he simplified the rules in 1968, creating more ordinary conditions by which to seek them. Peters said acts of charity also can qualify Catholics for indulgences.

"Catholics who engage in works of charity with a sense of sorrow for their own sins can gain indulgences thereby," he said. "It's another incentive or way of helping people form the habits of charity."

Dr. Peters, who also operates the "In the Light of the Law" blog, has written some popular works, but also translated and annotated the 1917 Pio Benedictine Code Of Canon Law, which was published by Ignatius Press. His book on indulgences is actually titled, A Modern Guide to Indulgences: Rediscovering This Often Misinterpreted Teaching, and is published by Hillenbrand Books.

Within seconds of reading the Tribune piece, I received an update from Dr. Peters about a new post on his blog; the subject is L'Osservatore Romano and ... Michael Jackson. The opening is classic Peters:

For most of my life L'Osservatore Romano has been a sleepy Roman rag that arrived weeks after its publication date, printed in cheap ink that soiled the fingers of those who felt the need to read page after page of boilerplate remarks on the latest ambassador from anywhere shown in his tuxedo presenting diplomatic credentials. Aside, I suppose, from an occasionally interesting book review, L'OR has for decades carried nothing of serious interest that could not be found much more quickly in a half-dozen other venues, ones, moreover, that didn't compel readers to wash their hands before handling anything beige or white.

But lately, L'OR has decided to become relevant. God help us.

Read the rest, which is very critical of the adulatory and imbalanced coverage of Michael Jackson's death in the "sleepy Roman rag."

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Comments

[anonymous]

I wonder about this whole indulgence thing in the media... it would be interesting to look back to news sources from '68 and see if there was the same sort of hubbub about Paul VI's constitution. That is, I wonder whether news sources are guilty of missing recent practice as a whole, or whether they did report on it during Paul VI and they're guilty of the usual short attention span that finds it "new" again four decades later.

[Evan]

...sorry to have made that anonymous-- that was me, Evan.

[SegoLily]

The MJ piece in L'O is truly pathetic, sad and embarrassing. It's a total disconnect from anything Christian, Catholic or reasonable. As stated, it sounds like a junior "tween" gushing toward a favorite "boy-toy". Yeech. Talk about eating from the dumpster.

[Marcel LeJeune]

Carl - be careful, we need to promote some humility for our favorite canonist.

[Carl E. Olson]

Good question, Evan. If I had to guess (not being able to do the research), Pius VI's constitution probably got little attention, or not sensationalized, hyperbolic attention.

[Jackson]

I remember an interview you posted a while back with Cardinal Pell. He spoke of the neopagan emptiness behind the global warming craze. This deification of Michael Jackson seems to spring from the same emptiness.