Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmidt and this is Ascension Presents.

So as you probably know, we're in the Year of Mercy, the Year that Pope Francis declared

to be the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Now along with that year of mercy, there are attached what we call indulgences.

And they say, wait, wait, indulgences, I know of that word.

That seems like a bad word.

I don't think we believe in indulgences as Catholics anymore.

Is that correct, Father?

And I say, great question.

No, we do still believe in indulgences.

You say, wait, I thought that the indulgences were the reason why the reformation happened

because indulgences are so bad that that's why Martin Luther had to leave the Catholic Church

as kind of thing.

You were selling and buying indulgences and that was the worst thing in the world.

Well, A, indulgences are not bad, they're good.

B, the Church never taught that indulgences were to be bought or sold or gets back to that

at the end of this.

The Church never taught that indulgences were to be bought or sold.

In fact, that's called the sin of simony.

Simony?

Simony?

Where it's buying or selling of spiritual things.

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