Historical event: Paying for prayers to get into heaven?

Question

I seem to remember back in high school, when studying the Middle Ages (I think) people would pay the priesthood to pray for them, and therefore pay their way into heaven.

Or perhaps it was a situation where people would pay monks to pray for deceased loved ones or their deceased loved ones would be tortured in hell. Does this sound familiar? If so, what was this practice, or time in religious history called? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer 1

Yes. That was one of the things that sparked Martin Luther's protests.

In 1517, Pope Leo X wanted money to rebuild St. Peter's Church in Rome. He sent out monks to sell Indulgences or documents that freed their owners from the punishment they were due to recieve for their sins.

Luther later posted his list of 95 theses on the door of a church. In the list he stated that only God could forgive sins.

I hope that helps

Answer 2

There called "indulgences". In Roman Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due to sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution. Indulgences were a major point of contention when Martin Luther initiated the Reformation.

Basically, a long time ago the Roman Catholic Church would recieve money from people who wanted their sins to be forgiven so they could go to heaven. Even though they were automatically forgiven, the church convinced everyone that only they could ultimatly rid them of their sins- the only way to get to heaven, in turn people basically payed their way into heaven.

Answer 3

This used to be a Roman Catholic practice called the selling of indulgences. You could buy an indulgence for yourself or for a loved one that is either sick or has already died. This was the main practice that Church Reformer Martin Luther, in the 16th Century, posted his 95 theses against. If you ask me, as a Protestant Christian, I would call this time in religious history as a disgrace to all of Christianity and a perversion of its beliefs. Thankfully, as far as I can understand, the Roman Catholic Church, for the most part, has abandoned this practice of selling indulgences. However, this was a practice that prominent in Western Christianity well into the time of the Renaissance.

Answer 4

Definitely happened. The selling of divine favors for money is called simony. This abuse did not spring up fully formed but grew out of the doctrine that prayers and penitential acts could be performed to alleviate the suffering of souls undergoing final cleansing of the "effects" of (forgiven) sin in purgatory. (They would never suggest that they could change the fate of hell-bound souls.) These "indulgences" were categorized and assigned temporal values, ranging from "40 days" to "plenary" (although no one could explain how "time" was calculated there). The indulgences then were made applicable to the same effects of sin among the living, potentially eliminating the trip through purgatory. Then rich nobles realized they could pay OTHER people to pray for them and their dead relatives. Finally, at a time the church needed cash for its Renaissance-driven building campaign, some unscrupulous fundraisers bypassed the middlemen and asked for direct donations to free souls from purgatory. "As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs," was the famous cry.

This torqued a lot of people off, including Martin Luther. Among other issues, the arrogance of presuming to sell grace got him started writing the 95 theses that launched the Protestant Reformation. He was excommunicated for his efforts, but the publicity embarrassed the church and the practice was eventually stopped. The selling of indulgences was formally prohibited by the Council of Trent.

Answer 5

You are referring, I think, to the sale of indulgences, which was a popular way for the church to raise money. If memory serves, Pope Sixtus was interested in several building projects in Rome, and was hard pressed for cash to meet expenses.

He licensed people to travel throughout Europe, collecting money in exchange for a remission of sins and a reduction of time that one would serve in purgatory. Sixtus based this product on the notion that "What you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven,"

This sale of indulgences is discussed in The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer. "The Pardoner" is the character that sells indulgences.

The sale also contributed to the Reformation. Among many of those who objected to the practice was a German monk named Martin Luther.

Answer 6

It was in the middle ages, and I know that there were Pardoners who would sell pardons that was supposed to be like a "get out of Hell free" card. I'm not very sure what a pardon consists of, but i do know that these same pardoners would sell "religious relics", or things they passed off as artifacts of sort. I don't know if the monks and preists would do the same thing. <><

Answer 7

Lets get our facts steight from the Bible shall we, first in Mal.3:8-11 we are told the tithing is God's, but we DO NOT pay God for something in John 14:15 "IF" you love me THEN keep my commandments, so we are returning a tenth to God as it IS HIS, but prayer is to God The Father in The name of The Second member of The Godhead Jesus Christ, the deal of that practice of folks who are tortured in Hell is a lie and has NO scripture to back that up at all and its a satan lie, more info on where that came from then take a free on line bible lessons www.itiswritten.com OR www.amazingfacts.org talk to me also and i will tell you [e-mail] God bless but email NOT messanger.

Answer 8

A very common practice even today, for Televangelists, priests ministers monks nuns churches temples shrines of ALL flavors. It's also common for non religious causes: contribute to a non profit and feel morally superior or even get welcomed into better social circle.

Answer 9

The practice was called indulgences, it was in the midevil period of the Church history, the payment was made to the clerics who in turn would pray for the person to be taken out of purgatory. This was a very commun practice for the rich, they would even pay to be able to commit a sin in advance.
That is the history, it has been long banned in the Catholic Church, but now more seen in the tele-evangelist churches where they ask for your donations to be prayed for.
Considered a condemnation now in the Church, a heresy, but not by those who practice tele evangelism, or even some evangelical churches.
That is Church history 101, thanks for the opportunity to spread the truth, God bless you always.

Answer 10

This was how the Roman Catholic church payed for St. Peters Basilica! Pay for ones sins OR pay to get someone out of purgatory. This was a big reason Martin Luther made a big stink!
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