Indulgence Emphasis a Wise Move by Pope

THE SCOTSMAN, Dec. 6—Readers of The Scotsman were greeted with something unusual on a recent Sunday morning: a vigorous defense of indulgences from their daily newspaper.

Katie Grant begins her defense by quoting Pope John Paul II's Incarnationis Mysterium. Wrote the Pope: “I decree that throughout the entire Jubilee [year 2000], all the faithful, properly prepared, be able to make abundant use of the gift of indulgences.”

Noting that even many Catholics find the mere mention of indulgences grating, she wrote, “take heart, not … fright. Let us look a little deeper. Pope John Paul … introduce[d] the subject of the Jubilee indulgence … because he believes that purification and reinvigoration are of a vital importance to believers ‘weighed down by the weariness which the burden of 2,000 years of history brings’ and that indulgences, properly used, have a part to play.

“Before their hefty abuse in the early Reformation … indulgences were initially granted to those awaiting martyrdom. It was considered right that intercessions could be made on behalf of these men and women to shorten the canonical discipline—in other words, to excuse them any penance which had been decreed by the Church as a proper atonement for their sins. From this developed the idea that through the merits of Christ and the Saints, deficiencies in penance could be rectified.”

She continues, “And so it is today. … For those in despair at their own wickedness, it is a lifeline. What the Pope is offering, for receiving the sacraments or praying at holy places—not, note, for money—is hope and a reminder that this world is not the end of the line. … Like St. Peter, he holds the power of binding and loosing. If you are a believing Catholic, you accept this.” She concluded with a rhetorical smile, writing, “I accept the Jubilee indulgence in the spirit in which it is given and hope not to see you in purgatory.”

Opera Prodigy Sings for the Pope

DAILY MUSIC NEWS INDEX, Dec. 8—A 12-year-old British girl has already won the acclaim of her own country. Now she has the opportunity to sing for the Pope, and to be introduced to the world at large.

In the United Kingdom, Charlotte Church is a best-selling operatic soprano singer. Her album, Voice of an Angel, has sold 300,000 copies.

Pope John Paul II will be among those in attendance when the singer performs in the Vatican Dec. 19.

The international release of her album is planned for Feb. 8. Sony Classical has yet to set a 1999 release date for the album, which includes Pie Jesu and Amazing Grace. Church's rendition of Ave Maria from the album became a top-five single in the United Kingdom, said the report.