| Indulgences |
| The eternal punishment due to mortal sin means that, the sinner removes sanctifying grace from his soul and is debarred from heaven. Through true repentance, a firm resolution of amendment and Confession, sins are forgiven and the eternal punishment removed. But there remains a temporal punishment due to sin, which must be expiated here in this life, or in the next. Any breaking of God's law brings a temporal upset and spiritual disorder. "The disorder of guilt is not brought back to the order of justice except by punishment." (Saint Thomas Aquinas) "Man is forced to suffer even after his sin has been forgiven." (Saint Augustine) Even after Confession, the penance assigned, no matter what prayer or prayers, is insufficient to efface the temporal punishment due to sin and to restore the "order of justice." However, through the ages, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints and martyrs, whose selflessness, good works and love of God were immeasurable. Therefore, into a great spiritual reservoir, or treasury, is always poured the super-abundant merits of these sanctified souls, which added to the infinite redemptive merits of Christ, may be poured out upon needy souls. Now our Lord said: "Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." Therefore, the power of lessening or remitting temporal punishment was given to the Church and has always been exercised by the granting of Indulgences. The word INDULGENCE means to grant a grace or favor; a relaxation in favor of a person. Hence, an INDULGENCE as granted by the Church is the remission in whole, or in part, of temporal punishment due to sin (through the infinite merits of Christ and His saints). For temporal punishment bars man from heaven, so longs as it is unatoned. Suffering must be undergone to restore "the order of justice" -- the temporal debt; or, it may be expiated here, for us, or for the souls in Purgatory, by INDULGENCES. If only a part of this temporal punishment is removed, it is called a PARTIAL INDULGENCE. If a PLENARY INDULGENCE is granted, this means the remission of all temporal punishment due to sin. Hence, when one sees written after a prayer, 300 days indulgence, or 7 years, it means that by such a PARTIAL INDULGENCE, the temporal punishment for sin is canceled in the same amount as it was by the public penance of 300 days, or 7 years. A PLENARY INDULGENCE would be able to liberate a soul from Purgatory. Hence, if at the hour of death one gained a PLENARY INDULGENCE, such a person would be exempt from any purification in Purgatory. He would be entirely free from penalties due to past sin. We here in this life, the Church Militant, are permitted to help with INDULGENCES those who are needy and those we love in Purgatory. Thus, for example, instead of applying INDULGENCES to ourselves, we may give them, if we wish, to the holy souls in Purgatory. |
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