What Forgiveness for Sale?!

It may already be past October but this is still relevant for a continuing Reformation.  First let us define the indulgence.  The Vatican II council calls them as this:

"The doctrine of indulgences and their practice have been in force for many centuries in the Catholic Church.  They would appear to be solidly founded on divine revelation (Matthew 28:18) handed down from the Apostles." 

"These truths have been taught by the bishops, who are the successors of the apostles and the Roman Pontiffs, who as successors of St. Peter, are first and foremost among the bishops."

"The truth has been divinely revealed that sins are followed by punishment.  God's holiness and justice inflict them.  Sins must be expiated (paid for through suffering).  This may be done on this Earth through the sorrows, miseries and trials of this life and above all through death.  Otherwise the expatiation must be made in the next life through the fire and torments of purifying punishments."

"The doctrine of purgatory clearly demonstrates that even when the guilt of sin has been taken away, punishment for it or the consequences of it remains to be expiated or cleansed.  In fact in Purgatory the souls of tho who died it the charity (love) of God and truly repentant but who had not made their satisfaction with adequate penance for sins and omissions, are cleansed after death with punishments designed to purge away their debt."

"The Treasury of the church is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted which Christ's merits have before God... This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  These are truly immense... In the treasury, too, are the prayers and the good works of all the saints..."

Here's the dirty downside of indulgences, once again connected to Purgatory.  It really does the following:

• First, it denies that Hebrews 9:27 says that as it is appointed unto man once to die but AFTER THIS the judgment.  Some Catholic apologists say that Purgatory doesn't deny that.  However by action, it does.  I just thought of these examples, Pastor Ruben Lumagbas Jr. has even mentioned it in one of his sermons saying that a person has been dead for 92 YEARS and yet there was still the "Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul." for that person.  Seriously, if they believe in Hebrews 9:27 why such foolishness?  
• It really is forgiveness for sale as much as the priests want to deny it.  Aside from just the masses that seem not to end, payment also happens.  So much for the accusation of us born again Christians of being profiteering and all and that the Roman Catholic Church is "poor".  The "vows to poverty" have been only good in paper for the higher members of the clergy thanks to the sales of indulgences.  Pastor Anthony Pezzotta also had mentioned in 1993 of visiting the Vatican but now as a believer, he saw the same crazy stuff of indulgences being sold once again.  The indulgences were sold for $20.00 or 30,000 lires each.  In current Filipino currency, it would be PHP 810.00 each!   Woah!  Now that's something.  So that means if a person had masses said for the soul of a dead loved one from one cathedral to another, let's just say from the six churches, multiply PHP 810.00 with six, we get PHP 4,860.00.  Or what if there were at least six loved ones and had masses in 17 different cathedrals or more, it'd be a lot of money to draw out!  What it does is that it really restricts the poor from forgiveness and devours widows' houses (Matthew 23:14).  I remembered reading "The Big Betrayal" the testimony of Charles Chiniquey that really had the painful scenario of the priest taking away even their family cow to pay for the masses.
• Anthony Pezzotta said, "Unlike the Middle Ages, most indulgences appropriated today are not bought or sold directly.  But many do involve monetary exchanges such as the purchase of images or prayer beads that are used for prayer and penance.  The most blatant form of selling indulgences still being practiced today is the stipend received by the "church" to secure a mass for the living or for the dead.  No priest is allowed to celebrate the sacrifice of the mass unless an intention/stipend has been given."  I seriously would use this as an evidence of such stupidity!
• Anthony Pezzotta also said, "I have observed that wealthy Roman Catholics have many masses said for them in several different cathedrals after they die.  I have observed that the poor do not.  They simply cannot afford it!  Do you think that a holy God would endorse such a scheme?  How does such a practice reflect on the justice of God?"  
• While the Roman Catholic institution supposedly condemns simony in their catechisms, can they please explain why supposedly sacred objects are for sale, each one promising forgiveness or the gift of God?!  It's no better than when you go to a Taoist or any pagan gift shop and they have the typical "selling their gods" each for just a mere hundred PHP 100.00 or something, cheapening the value of the living God.  While Peter himself who they claim was the first Pope condemned Simon for thinking they can buy God's gift with money, it should also be very absurd for any person to be paying MONEY for the forgiveness of sins, confirmation, baptism, etc.  Rome is guilty of simony herself.  What double standard!
• Also, salvation is always a free gift from God.  Yes there is the costly side of salvation believers will consider but it does not involve WORKING FOR IT even if salvation is not given through an easy message- that is without telling people about sin and what it may cost them.  Salvation may cost you your wealth, family and friends BUT it does not cost you in the sense you have to work for it to enter Heaven even if the road to life is narrow- the Door is open and all you need to do is enter yet the love for money (and that's where indulgences come in again!) and the world prevents such people from entering the Door because they know when they enter, they leave their excess luggage of sin and self-righteousness behind all because of PRIDE.  There is a cost of being a disciple of persecution by people one least expects it but working to maintain one's salvation is not part of it.  As said in Ephesians 2:8-10 that salvation is definitely not by works but by grace through faith, it is a gift of God so nobody can boast.