Delivery of the Keys by Perugino
"An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned, which the follower of Christ with the proper dispositions and under certain determined conditions acquires through the intervention of the Church which, as minister of the Redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the satisfaction won by Christ and the saints." -- Pope Paul VI, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Norm 1.
In my post today, I wanted to share some of the most important and notable indulgences offered by the Catholic Church. #indulgencelifestyle. First, perhaps an explanation is in order.
The doctrine of the Catholic Church on Indulgences is certainly an important one, even if currently rather neglected. In order to understand the rationale of the doctrine, however, it is crucial to first understanding the Church's teaching on temporal punishment, intercessory prayer, and the authority of the Church.
Any time we sin, there is a twofold effect: the alienation from God, which in the case of a mortal sin, merits eternal punishment, and the spiritual damage and imperfection in the soul, known as temporal punishment. Sincere repentance and absolution restore grace and avert eternal punishment, thanks to the free gift of the grace of Christ. That act of repentance, however, and the forgiveness of God may or may not repair the damage of sin, and thus remit the temporal punishment. An analogy: if you break the window of my car, I may forgive the repentant you, restoring our otherwise severed relationship, but my window is still broken. The act of repentance doesn't necessarily repair all of the inevitable damage of sin; the more the repentance is grounded in sincere love of God, the closer it comes. If we die having not repaired that spiritual damage, which impacts the Body of Christ and the perfection of our own soul, that is where the state of purification, Purgatory, comes in for those that otherwise die in a state of grace or friendship with God. Early Christians very much appreciated the importance of penance to make reparation for sin!
Now, we believe in the Communion of Saints: the faithful -- living or dead -- can intercede for one another. We do this, for instance, when we pray for our neighbor! To return to the analogy: it is not just you, but perhaps a friend that repairs that window on your behalf. We are not on our own, as a member of the Body of Christ, but are part of this communion in charity, with Christ as the head.
Finally, the Church, given the authority of the keys by Christ, can apply such merits where she, in her authority, directs. So, if the Pope or Bishop directs that an act be enriched by an indulgences, according to the definition in the quotation above, we understand that act to be authoritative and spiritually efficacious. In the spirit of intercession, it is possible to apply an indulgence gained to either oneself, or to a poor soul in Purgatory.
In essence, the indulgence is the Church invoking the authority of the keys to apply the merits of Christ and the saints to a pious act so that your own good act is made the more pleasing to God as it is performed in union with the Communion of Saints and Holy Mother Church. You are doing a good and holy act, but by intending to gain the indulgence, have united that act to the Church, who, by her authority, enriches the act and makes it more meritorious. Hence, the reception of an indulgence affects the remission of temporal punishment, either whole (plenary indulgence) or in part (partial indulgence).
For more, you might note three documents on the teaching concerning Indulgences:
First, the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI on the subject, quoted above: Pope Paul VI, Indulgentiarum doctrina
Next, the current Manual of Indulgences published by the Church, published here by the Vatican in Latin: Enchiridion Indulgentiarum
...and here in English: Manual of Indulgences
Finally, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, there is a discussion of Indulgences in paragraphs 1471-1479: Catechism of the Catholic Church, On Penance and Reconciliation
These two sources can provide some further explanation and history, as well:
Old Catholic Encyclopedia: Indulgences
Catholic Answers Primer on Indulgences
It might be useful to survey the most important and notable indulgences currently offered by the Church. Tomorrow, I will do precisely that...
Live well!
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