In 1513, the Medici Pope Leo X was facing the likely possibility of a bankrupt Roman Catholic Church. The magnific building projects to bolster the church’s image were begun with no foresight to their long-term economic consequences, and the crusades into the Holy Land and other foreign proselytizing campaigns had drained the papal treasury. Christendom, as any centralized power is wont to do, had become indebted to her constituents and the world.

In order to combat the Holy Deficit, the Pope began to issue indulgences to the lowly sinners of the congregation in order to forgive them—not of their past transgressions, but of their future sins. Of course, this was not an act of spiritual altruism; forgiveness came at a tangible price, which was imposed on a progressive scale determined by one’s wealth and the atrocity of their sin. The Catholic Church had become so dogmatic and authoritative that unsuspecting and fearful Catholics bought into this scheme without question—to oppose this plan could have meant the eternal damnation of one’s earthly soul.

History, despite her eternal struggle for progress, has been ordained once again to repeat her orbit around the selfish desires of man. (more…)