Salvation for Sale - Analysis of the play Everyman

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Salvation for Sale? Historically, the Catholic Church has been criticized for accepting donations in exchange for forgiveness. What does the Catholic Church really teach regarding salvation, charity and forgiveness? Casual readers often find the morality play Everyman problematic because eternal salvation appears too simple and convenient to obtain. A careful examination of the Catholic doctrine in relation to Everyman reveals how well the allegory demonstrates the keys to salvation, according to Catholicism, and the importance of monetary good deeds in securing eternal salvation. Good Deeds is one of the central characters in the play Everyman, and her descent into the grave is important to Everyman’s salvation for several reasons. First, it is important to point out that Good Deeds and the word charity can be used interchangeably. The main character Everyman is meant to represent all men, and most men at some point in their lives commit a grave sin. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a grave sin separates man from communion with God and causes eternal punishment, and therefore prevents salvation. If one gives to charity with an eager heart, following penance, he/she is then cleansed of eternal punishment, and therefore reconnected with God. Furthermore, Catholics believe that purification can happen on earth or in purgatory (370). This would explain why Good Deeds can go beyond the grave. In the play donating to charity is given as a way of releasing the sinner from the grasp of Satan; this idea is consistent with the bible teaching that greed/wealth prevents man from entering heaven (Mar 10:25). Everyman is careful to clarify in lines 756-59 that accepting money in exchange for the sacraments is strictly prohibited within the Church. In Everyman, the first thing Everyman does to prepare for his reckoning is to visit the “river of
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