World Youth Day

I was just reflecting on some feeling I've come across about World Youth Day held recently in sydney on July 20th. A number of folk were inspired by the united witness of the 220,000 young people who attended and the focus on Jesus and the cross and so on.
Frankly I found the whole thing depressing.

When I talk about the person and work of Christ and salvation I don't mean the same things as were being spoken during this festival even if some of the terms were the same. This was particularly borne out as I learned with interest of the granting of a 'plenary indulgence' for the complete removal of punishment by penance in this life or purgatory after it either for an individual or their loved one. This indulgence was granted as the WYD cross will tour through all Australia and beyond. I quote...

'For the newly granted WYD indulgence to be received, people should:
devotedly take part in a sacred ceremony carried out publicly in honour of WYD Cross, be solemnly exposed or at least be attentive in the presence of this cross by means of access in a public place either in a large crowd or alone;
celebrate Sacrament of Penance (10 days before or after);
receive Holy Communion (10 days before or after);
pray for the Pope's intentions;
recitation of Our Father, the Creed and prayerful invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (one Hail Mary).

All of this in the appropriate spirit of repentance. You can read more here.

It is striking, and worrying, that faithfulness to Christ and the testimony of all those martyrs of the reformation might be so easily sacrificed on the altar of 'being united as Christian's'. Of course we should long for unity but that unity can never be at the expense of the gospel.

'...Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God' (1 Peter 3v18)