“ Indulgences are of two kinds: par tial or plenary. A partial indulgence remits a portion of the temporal punishment, while a plenary one re mits all of it . . . Indulgences are gained only by the living. They may not be applied to the souls of other living persons; but unless the contrary is stated, they may be applied to the souls in purgatory . . . (p. 210).” This, then, is the up-to-date version of Indulgences as taught by the Ro man Catholic Church. Indulgences may be granted for many things. This can be illustrated by two questions, the answers to which were given by Hugh J. O’Con nell, C.Sc.R., in the January 1962 monthly published by the Redemptor- ist Fathers in St. Anne, Quebec, The Annals of Good Saint Anne de Beaupre. We quote from page 28, with kind permission of the editor, Fr. Robert Fouquet, C.Sc.R. Question: “A person says many in- dulgenced prayers during her life, then falls into mortal sin and dies without the last sacraments. W ill these prayers shorten her time in purgatory or save her from hell?” Answer: “ The only thing that will save a person from hell who is in mortal sin and dies without the sacra ments is an act of perfect contrition. Indulgences do not remit the guilt of sin, but only the temporal punish ment due to sin. Hence indulgences will not save from hell, but they will shorten one’s time in purgatory.” Question: “ Is there an indulgence if one wears a rosary around his neck while working and says the rosary every day besides that?” Answer: “ The faithful who devoutly carry about their person a rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary that has been properly blessed may gain an indulgence of 500 days once a day, if they kiss the rosary and at the same time devoutly recite these words: Hail Mary, fu ll of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. (Raccolta, Benziger, 1952, p. 627). One can gain many more indulgences by reciting the rosary.” No comment on this is needed. As Bible believers we reject the teaching of the authority of the pope and the power of the priest to forgive sins and so their decrees, their assurances and their blessings are of no value to us. We find nothing in the Scriptures of purgatory, masses, indulgences, rosa ries, worship of Mary, confessions to priests, last rites, acts of contrition, etc. The Bible alone is our authority. It contains all spiritual truth and we do not follow “ the traditions of men.”
M E S S E N G E R 1963 SCRIPTURE TEXT CALENDAR
INDULGENCES A n u m b e r o f people have asked us to explain “ indulgences” as granted by the Roman Catholic Church. This has been emphasized because of the Nov. 25, 1961 decree of Pope John XXIII granting a “plenary indulgence” once a day to any Catholic who “ offers his day’s work to God in the morning.” As explained in the February 1962 Na tional Catholic monthly, Extension, conditions required are confessions, communion, a visit to a church or oratory and saying of prayers “ for the intention of the Pope.” This de cree also declares that a 500-day “ partial indulgance” may also be ob tained as often as a Catholic “ offers his work to God and accompanies his offering with a prayer and a contrite heart.” For a definition of “ indulgences,” we quote from the eminent Catholic authority, Dr. John A. O’Brien, in his book, The Faith of Millions, The Credentials of the Catholic Religion. Space allows only excerpts from the chapter on this subject. “What is the real meaning of an indulgence?” writes Dr. O’Brien. “ It is simply the remission of the tem poral punishment due to sin after the sin itself has been forgiven. The one phrase in the above definition that may not be entirely clear to our non- Catholic reader is ‘temporal punish ment.’ To understand that, one must first understand that according to the Catholic Church, every grievous sin has attached to it a two-fold penalty •—an eternal punishment to be under gone in the next world, and a tem poral punishment which is suffered either in this world, or in purgatory, or partly in both. “ The guilt with its eternal punish ment is always forgiven in a good confession. The temporal punishment may or may not be remitted in con fession, depending upon the quality of contrition. If it is not forgiven, it may be remitted: (1) through the propitiatory efficacy of deeds of pen ance and virtue, and (2) through the gaining of indulgences attached by the Church to certain works of charity and piety (p. 208).
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