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First we must
understand what indulgences are so we don't lapse into superstition. To do
this, basic concepts must be understood, but before we get to that, let's
get a basic definition:
"An indulgence
is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins
whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who
is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action
of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies
with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."
(1983 Catechism ¶ 1471)
And here is what
indulgences are not: they are not permission to commit sins in the
future; they are not "get out of Hell free" cards; they are not
the forgiveness of the guilt of sin. They have nothing to do with
eternal salvation; they are only for the temporal effects of sins that have
already been forgiven through Penance (or a perfect
Act of Contrition, as the case may be).
OK, let's move on to the concepts involved here:
A:
Sin has two different types of effects -- eternal and temporal
Sin has both eternal consequences and temporal consequences. As an example,
if I were to take an innocent life, an objectively gravely sinful matter
(one of the three conditions for mortal sin), under the subjective conditions
of mortal sin (full knowledge, full consent of the will), and died unrepentant,
I would go to Hell. My going to Hell would be the eternal consequence
of my sin.
The temporal consequences of that sin range from the death of the
innocent person; the suffering of my family who endured the shame and
ramifications of my arrest and incarceration or enduring capital punishment;
the effects of the loss of the innocent person on the family of the innocent
person; the costs to the community of the loss of the innocent person; the
costs to the community of litigation; the spiritual effects on the weaker
members of the community whose view of the world and God's Justice and Mercy
could be affected knowing that innocent life can be taken so easily; the
tarnishing of the image of the Body of Christ and the bringing of scandal
upon the Church; the loss of grace in my soul and the predisposition to sin
again as sin can become habitual, penance I would have to do to pay for the
effects of my sin (this includes penance given to me during Confession, personal
penance, and the penance assigned to me by God to be paid on earth and/or
in Purgatory), etc.
If I were to repent and receive forgiveness through the Sacrament of Penance,
the eternal consequences -- satisfied for by Christ at Calvary --
are no longer an issue (Deo gratias!) because I receive the effects of His
atoning Sacrifice (I will have been justified) when I reconcile with the
Church through a good Confession. But I still have to pay for the temporal
consequences of my sin because God is not only merciful, He is just.
An example I use in the Apologetics area of this site is that of a child
who steals a candy bar and then then tearfully, with true contrition, confesses
his crime to his parent. The parent, being loving and good and merciful,
as our Father in Heaven is, will forgive that child and allow the child back
in the parent's "good graces" -- but he will also still expect the
child to pay back the store from which he stole. Another example is the common
one of, say, an imprisoned murderer repenting and coming to know Christ --
but who still must serve out his time in prison or give up his life as
punishment.
The temporal effects of repented sins that are not paid for in life through
the effects of natural law, personal penance, penance given by the priest
at Confession, or mystical penances given to me by God, are paid for in
Purgatory. St. Augustine, in City of God (A.D. 419), sums up Catholic
thinking on such things:
Temporal punishments
are suffered by some in this life only, by some after death, by some both
here and hereafter, but all of them before that last and strictest judgment
[i.e. when Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead]. But not
all who suffer temporal punishments after death will come to eternal punishments,
which are to follow after that judgment.
Purgation -- the
process of making satisfaction for debt caused by sin so that we may become
perfect, divinized, and enter Heaven -- is quite Scriptural, of course. Allusions
to purgation are found all over the Bible; but it is summed up most clearly
in the following two verses:
Matthew 5:25-26
Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with
him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Amen I say to
thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble: Every man's work shall be manifest. For the day of the
Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire. And the fire
shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide,
which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any mans work
burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
B:
The temporal effects of sin affect others not only in natural, but in mystical
ways
As far back as the Old Testament, it is made clear that the temporal effects
of sin affect others who may not have committed personal sin. The greatest
and first example is that of the sin of Adam and Eve which resulted in the
fall of man from grace and in his propensity for corruption and personal
sin which we call "original sin."
The Pentateuch (i.e. Torah, the first five Books of the Bible) also speaks
of the sins of the fathers being visited upon the children:
Exodus 20:5
...I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate
Me.
I Corinthians 12:26
demonstrates that what affects one member of the Body affects another:
And if one member
suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it: or if one member glory,
all the members rejoice with it.
These concepts
seem foreign to those who live in the modern Western world's radically
individualistic culture, but they are Scriptural fact. They may seem "unfair"
(as though life with our fallen nature is supposed to be fair), but that
it is true is obvious by looking at the often sad lives of the poor children
of "crack-whores," or the parents of those who tend to end up in and out
of Juvenile Hall, etc. This is not to say that those who suffer the consequences
of their ancestors' sins are doomed! No! All are called to Christ and His
Church, and Jesus will judge us as individuals by looking at our hearts,
wills, deeds, and intellect, taking into consideration factors which mitigate
culpability. Nonetheless, the basic idea that our sins affect others not
only in obvious temporal ways, but in mystical ways, is Bibilical.
All of these temporal punishments, though painful, are merciful. Without
discipline and punishment from God, we would continue in our ways, remain
unrepentant, and then suffer the eternal consequences of doing so.
A father who does not discipline his children is a bad father who is setting
up his child for greater troubles down the road. God, though, is a good
Father:
Hebrews 12:5-11
And have you forgotten the consolation which speaketh to you, as unto children
saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord: neither be thou wearied
whilst thou art rebuked by Him. For whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth:
and He scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. But if you be without chastisement,
whereof alll are made partakers, then are you bastards, not sons. Moreover,
we have had fathers of our flesh for instructors, and we reverenced them.
Shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits and live? And they indeed
for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but He, for
our profit, that we might receive His sanctification. Now all chastisement
for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy but sorrow: but
afterwards it will yield to them that are exercised by it the most peaceable
fruit of justice.
C:
Grace and good works affect others in the same way
Continue reading the Exodus 20 Torah portion mentioned above:
Exodus 20:5-6
...I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate
me. And shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me, and keep my
commandments.
The good we do,
by the grace of Christ, ripples out into the universe and builds up His Body:
Colossians 1:23-24
If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from
the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the
creation that is under heaven: whereof I Paul am made a minister. Who now
rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up those things that are wanting
of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the
church...
When we cooperate
with grace -- when we pray, give alms, fast, offer
up our sufferings, etc. -- we literally strengthen the Body of Christ
in a mystical way! Christ Himself and all the Saints of 2,000 years (by the
grace of Christ) have built up His Mystical Body and laid up a "treasury
of merit" or "spiritual treasury," as it is also called. In the same way
we or others detract from the Body of Christ through sin, we and others add
to this treasury -- and receive the fruits thereof when we receive an indulgence,
for we are one in the Body of Christ:
Romans 7:5
We being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of
another
And read once again
I Corinthians 12:26:
And if one member
suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it: or if one member glory,
all the members rejoice with it.
D:
The Church was given the power to bind and loose
To Peter was given the Keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16) and the power of
binding and loosing (forbidding/permitting, condemning/acquitting). In exercising
this power of the Keys, the Church has the authority to determine certain
practices which help us to to benefit from the treasury of merit and alleviate
the temporal effects of sins we've confessed and are already forgiven for.
This is an indulgence.
That the Church was given the power to forgive the eternal effects of sin
through the Sacrament of Penance makes it easier
to understand how the Church also has the power to alleviate the lesser,
temporal effects of sin. The Church whose priests were given the authority
by Christ to forgive the guilt of sin and thereby, by the Blood of Christ,
eliminate the eternal punishments for sin, surely also has the authority
to pardon the temporal punishments of sin.
To refer again to the analogy of the child who steals a candy bar and
repents:
The Good parent
and child |
Holy Mother Church
and child |
the parent forgives
the child for stealing and allows the child back into his good graces |
the Church forgives
the guilt through the Sacrament of Confession, thereby eliminating
the eternal consequences by the grace of Christ, and restoring the penitent
from being a "dead member" of the Church to a "living member" of the
Church |
the child desires
to pay back the store ("make satisfaction" for his debt) |
the faithful desires
to make satisfaction for his debt to God which he incurred through sin |
the child turns
to his parent for help in making satisfaction for his debt to the store.
The child doesn't have the money to pay back the store, but to the parent,
the cost of the candy bar is nothing |
Holy Mother Church
was given the power of the Keys and, therefore, the authority to make ways
for the penitent to make satisfaction for his debts to God by tapping into
the treasury of merits of Christ and the Saints |
the good parent
says that if the child is truly contrite and truly desires to make satisfaction
for the debt, he can earn enough to pay for some of the candy bar if he does
X, or enough to pay for all of the candy bar if he does Y |
Holy Mother Church
sets out certain prayers and works to be offered under certain conditions
which will either pay for some of the debt owed to God (partial indulgence)
or all of the debt owed to God (plenary indulgence) |
the child does
X or Y |
the faithful performs
the prescribed actions, under the prescribed conditions, to gain an
indulgence |
the good parent
follows through on his promise, helping the child pay for his crime by opening
his wallet and giving the child some or all of the money to pay back the
store. |
the Church mitigates
punishment incurred (temporal penalties) by opening the treasury of
merit and applying those merits to the faithful. |
Now, suppose there
are two children. One child steals the candy bar and then dies. The other
child -- his brother, say -- wants to help pay his dead brother's debt, so
he pays back the store in the name of his dead brother.
In this way, the Catholic can offer the benefits of the indulgence to the
souls in Purgatory. Indulgences can only be applied to oneself or to a soul
in Purgatory, not to another living person. When applied to the souls in
Purgatory, it is done only by petition to God, for those no longer of the
Church Militant (the living members of the Church on Earth) are not subject
to the Church hierarchs who've been given the authority to grant
indulgences.
E:
Indulgences are either Partial or Plenary
An indulgence can be either partial, which remits only some of the temporal
punishment due to sin, or plenary, which remits all temporal punishment due
to sin.
Partial Indulgences:
Partial indulgences can be acquired as often as one desires. To gain a partial
indulgence, one must do the following. These are "the usual conditions" for
receiving a partial indulgence:
-
be in a state of
grace (free of mortal sin). A good Confession isn't otherwise necessary,
but a contrite heart for even venial sin is.
-
intend to receive
the indulgence
-
perform the prescribed
action of the indulgence
There are three
General Grants of partial indulgences and many Special Grants.
The General Grants:
-
First General
Grant:
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in the performance of
their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble
confidence to God, adding - even if only mentally - some
pious invocation.
-
Second General
Grant:
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who in a spirit of faith
and mercy give of themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in
need.
-
Third General
Grant:
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who in a spirit of penance
voluntarily deprive themselves of what is licit and pleasing to them.
Special
Grants:
-
indulgenced
prayers, either recited alone, alternately with
a companion, or by following it mentally as another recites it
-
indulgenced works,
such as the devout use of a properly blessed article of devotion
(Crucifix, Rosary,
scapulars, or medals),
reading Scripture, making the
Sign of the Cross,
visits to the Blessed Sacrament,
etc.
Plenary Indulgences:
Plenary Indulgences can be acquired only once each day for the same work
(unless one is at the moment before death, in which case he may acquire another.
Another exception is on All Souls Day -- November 2 -- when the faithful
may gain a plenary indulgence, only for the souls in Purgatory, as often
as they want). Plenary indulgences are much more demanding than partial
indulgnces, for they require one to do the following. These are "the usual
conditions" for receiving a plenary indulgence:
-
have the intention
of gaining the indulgence
-
receive the
Sacrament of Penance (within several days before
or after the prescribed action of the indulgence, though the same day is
best, if possible)
-
receive the Eucharist
(within several days before or after the prescribed action of the indulgence,
though the same day is best, if possible)
-
pray
6 Paters (Our Fathers), 6 Aves (Hail Marys), and 6 Glorias (Glory Bes)
for the intentions of the Holy Father (within several days before or after
the prescribed action of the indulgence, though the same day is best, if
possible). The most recent Enchiridion prescribes at least one of each, but
6 is the traditional number.
-
perform the prescribed
action of the indulgence. If the prescribed action of the indulgence requires
a visit to a church or oratory, one must visit devoutly and recite 1 Our
Father and the Creed. This doesn't refer to any visits to a church for Confession
or the Eucharist in order to fulfill the requirements listed above; it refers
to such indulgences as those granted to the faithful for visiting a church
on the day of its consecration, visiting their parochial church on its titular
feast day, visiting the stational churches of Rome, etc.
-
be free from all
attachment to venial sin
This last is most
difficult, but if it can't be fulfilled, a partial indulgence will be gained.
Some examples of ways to gain a plenary indulgence:
-
Adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one hour
-
Making the
Way of the Cross or, if unable to get to a church,
the pious meditation and reading on the Passion and Death of Our Lord for
a half an hour
-
Private recitation
of five decades of the Rosary. This must be done
vocally, continuously, and while meditating on the Mysteries
-
Public recitation
of five decades of the Rosary. This must be done vocally, continuously, and
with the Mysteries announced out loud and meditated on.
-
A plenary indulgence
is granted on each Friday of Lent to the faithful who after Communion piously
recite before an image of Christ crucified the prayer: "Look down upon me,
good and gentle Jesus." On the other days of the year the indulgence is
partial.
-
A plenary indulgence
is granted to the faithful who renew their baptismal promises in the liturgy
of the Easter Vigil
-
A plenary indulgence
is granted when an Act of Consecration is publicly recited on the feast of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus
-
A plenary indulgence
is received by those who publicly make the Act of Consecration of the Human
Race to the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Christ the King (last Sunday in
October per the traditional calendar, last Sunday of Pentecost per the Novus
Ordo calendar)
-
A pious visit to
a church, a public or chapel on All Souls' Day (November 2) with the prayers
of one Our Father and the Creed; this indulgence is applicable only to the
Souls in Purgatory.
-
A devout visit
to a cemetery with a prayer, even if only mental, for the departed souls,
from the first to the eighth day of November.
With any of these
indulgences, one's confessor (i.e., the priest one goes to for the
Sacrament of Penance, not just any priest) may
commute the work or conditions of receiving them if there is hardship.
The complete list of indulgenced prayers and works are contained in a book
called the "Raccolta" or the "Enchiridion" (pronounced "en-ki-RID-ee-un"
and which means "handbook" or "manual.") There are other enchiridia for other
purposes, but if one speaks of "the Enchiridion" with no qualifiers, one
generally means the Raccolta.
When looking at an old Enchiridion, or when reading old prayer books, one
might see a period of time attached to a partial indulgence, e.g. "indulgence
of 100 days." This number indicates an amount of time of penance one was
given in the early Church after a Confession, i.e., the priest would give
someone a penance of a certain amount of time before he could be fully
re-admitted into the Church (penances were much harsher back then!). After
1968, the indication of days in such a manner was done away with because
it was not clear to some uneducated persons that the days did not refer to
"time in Purgatory" Some were under the very mistaken impression that, say,
"indulgence of 100 days" meant that one would spend 100 fewer days in Purgatory
instead of its true meaning: that performing the prescribed action amounts
to doing a penance of 100 days. |
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