The Catholic church stopped the sale of indulgences in 1567, I remember learning about all that at school and as it was a subject well taught and interesting to me, I retained something of it. Have also read a fair bit over the years.
Ippy: If you go to YouTube and look up the debate about 'Is the catholic church a force for good in the World', listen to the whole of the debate and pay particular attention to Chris Hitching's contribution where he lists the things the catholic church should be apologising for, I was there, and I can tell you the list is staggering.
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It's a very sad fact that very little surprises or shocks me now with regard to religions, have heard others say the same. It just makes me feel as though all the energy has drained out of me. However I will watch the youtube video, Ippy, probably not all in one go.
When I was a child, maybe eleven/twelve, my mother talked to me about the Society of Friends and their history in which I was interested. She was a Quaker as were her parents and other family members. She told me something which I found unpalatable and I dwelt on it for ages. I asked her about it some time later and she said first of all that when she had learned about it, it had made her feel unhappy, she wanted to give me truth and not skirt around unpleasant details, people are human beings whatever their faith and there is sometimes societal conditioning difficult to shake off.
I took that on board and am glad I know but it really is hard to learn about misdeeds committed by people who have some standing (which they hide behind).
Going back to sexual abuse by clergy, that has never happened to me but I do know someone, a friend, older than me, who confided to me at one time what had happened to her at school when she was a teenager. It concerned a member of the clergy, a mature man. The subject came up because of a documentary we'd both seen and we were good friends, she knew I'd not discuss it with anyone likely to know her & actually this is the first time I've ever mentioned it and my friend died suddenly two years ago. Thankfully she did lead a very good and interesting life and was retired, planning to do a few more things & wasn't ill for a long time, had an accident.
The story was horrible & naturally she wasn't the only girl involved tho' didn't know that at the time. Another girl tried to report him and told head teacher; she was not believed and was expelled! It all came out years later, was even in local papers. He became ill and died, other people he worked with had to pick up the pieces, organise compensation etc.
