Sometimes I don’t know whether to smile or wince over the huckstering spirit of many American Christians. I used to think it was a mainly Evangelical thing, but I’ve had second thoughts lately. Exhibit A: The John Paul II Intercession Package. Yours today for the low, low price donation of $29.95 (not counting shipping and handling or applicable sales tax, no doubt):
"Financial needs, Health needs, Family needs … let us invoke Pope John Paul the Great!
"Claims of JP II"s interecession have poured in. As an article on www.Spiritdaily[.com] noted: ‘From lost son to cancer to headaches … claims of JP II’s intercession keep pouring in!’
"We can not ignore JP II as a POWERFUL intecessor for our needs!
"We believe he will prove to be one of the most powerful intercessors of this century!
"Let us INVOKE him to intercede for our needs … no matter if they be big or small! Financial needs, Health needs, Family needs … We all have something in our lives that we could use a little help with! I know I do!"
It looks like the vendors of the John Paul II Intercession Package "could use a little help with" rounding up some exclamation marks. They seem to have used up their supply in this ad. Perhaps JPII will put in a good word for them for that need.
What exactly do you get in your Intercession Pack? Let’s see. Among other things there’s a "New, Exclusive John Paul II Intercession Prayercloth"; a "Special St. Peter (the first Pope!) oxidized silver medal from Italy"; and "Exclusive ‘Pope John Paul II Intercession Chaplet Beads’ with Special OFFICIAL Prayer for His Intercession!" And much, much more!
As someone with a special devotion to John Paul the Great — in part because of his providential passing on the same day as my natural dad — this kind of crass exploitation of a saintly man’s intercession annoys me. Although American Evangelicals are no slouches when it comes to turning a buck on the gospel message, this is just the kind of thing that raises specters in non-Catholic minds of Johann Tetzel‘s "peddling" of indulgences.
Somewhere in Bad Catholics Guide to Good Living (I do not have a copy with me right now) there is a part that says something to the effect that you know a holy place by the cheap plastic goods sold there.
As far as the Catholic huskstering goes, at least it will keep us humble…
Can I order this thru Catholic Answers?
You mean it doesn’t come with a little blister packet of holy water from the Vatican?
Don’t let the street vendors in Jerusalem hear about this one. Four dolla! four dolla! I give you five for four dolla!
“Don’t let the street vendors in Jerusalem hear about this one. Four dolla! four dolla! I give you five for four dolla!”
“Four dolla!”??? When I was in Israel in 2000 the price for tourist kitsch was “One dolla! One dolla!” Ah, memories….
To be fair to the people marketing this intercession package – they will send you a whole set of thoroughly orthodox daily articles (about 2 months worth) for NOTHING. They also are careful to state on their site that no sin of simony is involved – medals, etc. are not being hawked as pre-blessed and hence more valuable. Nor do they suggest that John Paul II, Mary, or Jesus is magically COMPELLED to grant your request.
As long as they don’t cross that line, they are just offering you material that you may find psychologically useful. Or not.
Yours in Christ, Rex
Rex–
Actually, it’s not quite the case that they’re not hawking pre-blessed materials. In the ad they offer oil and salt “that we will have blessed as our gift before we mail it to you.” That’s not all that much different than from eBayers selling reliquaries and then offering the relic inside as a “free gift.”
I think that a Magic Formula is what their customers will be looking for.
I see nothing wrong with what this apostolate is doing. It might be helpful to go to their web site and read “a bit about us”. Seems to me they are good people doing good work. I also note that “Catholic Online” published an article about them.
I received their 60 days of email, and they seem to be reasonable people. They are a bit overbearing on the asking for funds. I never gave them any, partly because if they would just form a nonprofit there would be some accountability. We have no idea how much they are taking in.
I do not consider it huckstering, but I bought a small rosary on e-bay from someone at the Vatican. It had been blessed by Pope John Paul II before his death but not all of them were distrubuted before his death. The price I paid (including shipping)was much less than I would pay for the same un-blessed rosary at my local Catholic book store. AND.. it arrived postmarked at Vatican City post with stamp.
I also discovered the official website of the cause for the canonization of John Paul the Great and receive their monthly magazine from Rome called “Totus Tuus”. Visit the site at:
http://www.vicariatusurbis.org/Beatificazione/HomePageen.asp
t.i.m. 🙂
I kind of wonder why articles need to be blessed before they are mailed. I mean, is it that hard to find a priest to bless items for you after mass?
John Paul II always prayed for free. Still does, I’ll bet. And why would anyone pay $29.95 for something they can’t sit in?? (Sorry — from New England.. we’re rather frugal.)
Yohann Tetzel, the corrupt televangelist of the 16th century.
And it was -Roman Catholics-* who finally threw him in prison.
*as opposed to the Evangelical Catholics.
Sounds like something from our separated brethren at TBN.
Nor do they suggest that John Paul II, Mary, or Jesus is magically COMPELLED to grant your request.
Sorry, Rex, but what else is anybody (let alone me) supposed to think when they read…
“Claims of JP II”s interecession have poured in. As an article on http://www.Spiritdaily[.com] noted: ‘From lost son to cancer to headaches … claims of JP II’s intercession keep pouring in!’
“We can not ignore JP II as a POWERFUL intecessor for our needs!
“We believe he will prove to be one of the most powerful intercessors of this century!
“Let us INVOKE him to intercede for our needs … no matter if they be big or small! Financial needs, Health needs, Family needs … We all have something in our lives that we could use a little help with! I know I do!”
Ha! I can get all SORTS of saints to pray for me! I INVOKE their intercession at least once a day! And all for NO MONEY DOWN and NO C.O.D.!
For just ZERO DOLLARS, I cannot ignore the LITANY OF SAINTS as a powerful intercession for my needs!
(Using all caps and exclamation points is rather fun.)