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1471 The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.
What is an indulgence?
"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." (Pope St. Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Norm 1)
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin." (Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Norm 2; cf. Norm 3) The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead. (Code of Canon Law, canon 994. 84Cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1712-1713; (1563): 1820)
See also:
2 Corinthians 2:6-11 St. Paul himself issued an indulgence by
lessening the temporal penance for sin of a straying brother.
The Church updated its Handbook of Indulgences in 1968,
as She normally does every few decades. The current version (last
revised in 1986) is available
on the web.
Partial indulgences are no longer specified in terms of days.
Indulgences now are simply plenary or partial.
When the new handbook took effect, it superceded the old book entirely,
so that only the indulgences listed in the new edition are offered
by the Church. Nevertheless, some of the grants are quite
broad, such as the one granting a partial indulgence to the faithful
whenever they raise their minds to God and pray, at least mentally,
some pious invocation.
The prayer Anima Christi is listed in the new Handbook, and
bears a partial indulgence.
Anima Christi
Anima Christi
Author: St. Ignatius of Loyola
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Let me never be separated from thee.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me.
And bid me come to you.
That with Thy saints, I may praise Thee, forever and ever.
Amen.
Here are some added resources. These
web pages explain what an indulgence is and some myths about them.
The queries about indulgences need, I think, to include
the following explanations:
Much confusion was caused in the past, regarding the phrase "X"
number of days indulgence.
Many people, including
some well-instructed Catholics, assumed this was a remittance
of that number of days in Purgatory. Not
So! The number
of days ascribed to indulgences was that by completing
a particular activity (i.e. so many prayers, or visit
to shrine, etc.) was equivalent to a sinner completing
that number of days penance (i.e. the early Church sackcloth
and ashes).
It was never to be interpreted as a number
of days in Purgatory. With
God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years
is like a day.
We cannot
know (this side of the grave) how long anyone will spend
in Purgatory. The only thing we do know is that God is
infinitely just as well as infinitely merciful, and that
we have the gift of free will to accept or reject his
mercy.
Also remember, Jesus gave Peter the keys to loosen or
bind. Whatever he binds on earth is considered bound
also in Heaven. Therefore indulgences are an act of mercy
by Holy Mother Church, in her solicitude for her children.
It is most unfortunate when Catholics neglect and reject
this wonderful gift from their Mother, the Church.
Terry Quinn,
BA (Divinity) Hons, MA Theology (Marian Studies)
England
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