Dear Pope,

[neci]

am i on my way to sainthood as well?

John Paul II used belt to whip himself

probably not, but for some reason this article really made me smile.

 

[sb2009]

ROFL Last night my wierdo husband was demonstrating his mad flogging skillz and the flogger was hitting his back. I told him he was very holy.

 

[chy_girl]

And here I thought flogging was only for fun...

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

*googles whether "Saintmaker" is a real job*

 

[CutieMouse]

Actually, there have been self-flagellants throughout Church history.

The most common flogger used is referred to as a "Discipline" - essentially a ring of metal wide enough to grip with the fist, with multiple falls tied to the opposite end of the ring. The user would hold the Disciple in his (or her) right hand, beating the chest (right about where the heart is), causing the falls to fly over the shoulder and strike the back.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

The most common flogger used is referred to as a "Discipline" - essentially a ring of metal wide enough to grip with the fist, with multiple falls tied to the opposite end of the ring. The user would hold the Disciple in his (or her) right hand, beating the chest (right about where the heart is), causing the falls to fly over the shoulder and strike the back.

Interesting....did a "Discipline" make an appearance in the DaVinci Code (book or movie) or did I just invent that?

 

[CutieMouse]

Interesting....did a "Discipline" make an appearance in the DaVinci Code (book or movie) or did I just invent that?

No clue as I've never read the book or seen the movie... there's a whole branch of early Catholicism that focused on Ecstatic Servitude; I can't remember which brotherhood. (I'm going off memory here)

There are theories that followers would flog themselves (fast, wander barefoot, give up all worldly possessions, etc) in penance for their sins but also to reach a closer union with God - some believe the physical acts (hair shirts, Disciplines, physical suffering, etc) became similar to the "runner's high" or "subspace" modern masochists experience.

 

[chy_girl]

Interesting....did a "Discipline" make an appearance in the DaVinci Code (book or movie) or did I just invent that?

Don't know about the movie, but it was in the book.

 

[Kajira Callista]

One of the top ten catholic teachings is suffering brings us closer to God.
It's about understanding and feeling the pain (in more than one way) that Jesus endured throughout his life for us.
Through the understanding we become closer to who/what he was and that is what we are supposed to do as catholics... be like Jesus. *shrug*

 

[sterculius]

If he messed up the bed so that no one would know that he slept on the floor, then how did the person reporting it find out?

 

[sb2009]

there was an interesting doc on the flaggelants in midieval europe a few months ago. They have a mixed rep - some were quite pious, others were kinda like thugs. They went town to town pointing out how holy they were and they gathered quite a following during times of social upheaval.

 

[AngelicAssassin]

Interesting....did a "Discipline" make an appearance in the DaVinci Code (book or movie) or did I just invent that?

You're thinking Cilice, she's speaking of something more like this. i'm more partial to this form.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

You're thinking Cilice, she's speaking of something more like this. i'm more partial to this form.

Thanks for the religious hardware tips!