Think You'll Need Some Extra Help in Heaven?

Devout followers pay heed: The Catholic Church is offering indulgences for those who take the righteous step of following Pope Francis on Twitter.

The granting of indulgences, a centuries-old practice, is believed to reduce the time that one must spend in purgatory. Traditional means of obtaining indulgences include, among other things, making confession or visiting one of the patriarchal basilicas in Rome.

To be fair, the Vatican has not out and said, "following Francis on Twitter is good for indulgences." However, a June decree stated that "anyone attending the Rio World Youth Day [in Brazil] would obtain a plenary indulgence." That nugget is followed by a passage that says, "the faithful who are legitimately impeded [from going to Brazil] can obtain the plenary indulgence if ... they follow these same rites and pious exercises ... by the new means of social communication."

This, according to a source cited in The Guardian, includes following the Pope on Twitter and tracking the events live.

For anyone looking for a free pass to the pearly gates, there are some churchy asterisks to this deal: Confessing is a prerequisite, as is being "truly penitent and contrite."

By David Vranicar
TechNewsWorld 
07/17/13 8:48 AM PT