The herald., 1897-03-24
ROME'S "INDULGENCES"
EXPLANATION OF A DOGMA OF
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
A Large Audience at the Los Angeles
Theater Remission Of Tenn
poral Punishment

A large audience was present at the
Los Angeles theatre last evening to
listen to the Very Reverend Bishop
Montgomery, who lectured under the
auspices of the Catholic Truth society
on the subject of "Indulgences."
1.-The purpose of this series of lee
lures" said the speaker, lis to explain
in simple manner the Catholic doctrine
on the truths which we feel our nom
Catholic friends and fellow citizens most
frequently misunderstood.
THE fundamental truths underlying
all Christian doctrine are these-re-
demption and salvation. Redemption
and salvation are very closely related,
but they are not the same thing. Re-
demption is the cause, salvation the eff
feet. Redemption may exist without
salvation, but salvation cannot exist
without redemption going before it.
I'VE once belonged to God created in
q state of sinlessness and justice. Then
we needed no redeemer, but we wander
ed away from Him and had to be
brought back. We transferred to Satan
our allegiance which was due to God,
and we had to be bought from him.
That purchase was made by Christ.
We were spiritually bankrupt, and
Christ came to redeem us from our La
bilities, but made the application con-
ditional, and that application of re-
demption becomes salvation.
Christ redeemed all. but individually
saved none. He made it possible for
each to be saved. but each had to save
himself by applying redemption to his
own individual sanctification.
That salvation is a purely personal
matter Is visible on almost every page
of the New Testament. We are con-
stantly told to work out our own saliva
ton.
''The Catholic doctrine is that Christ
redeemed all men and wishes all men 10
be saved and merited the means with
which to be saved. He likewise made a
system of salvation, instituted an or
ganization into whose hands He placed
those means.
IAN indulgence 5 the remission of
the temporal punishment due to sin af-
ter the sin itself has been remitted. 1t
Is not the pardon or absolution of sin
at all, but of the temper punishment
due to sin even after the { lit of the sin
has been remitted. Now that body in
stituted by Christ has not only the pow
er to remit sin but to loose whatever
keeps the soul out Of heaven. There are
two things that keep us out of heaven,
sin and the punishment due to sin.
"St Paul communicated the sinful
Corinthian and put him on long pen
ance, but in view of his great sorrow
ST. Paul shortened the penance. The
state has a regular system of indulgen-
ces. The criminal may shorten his tern
of Imprisonment by good behavior; that
is simply an indulgence.
I'VE believe that all penances done on
earth shorten penances that would
otherwise have to be undergone in the
next world. God may forgive sin, but
if that soul has not done penance here
for the sin committed it will have to be
undergone hereafter.
whenever Catholic wishes to gain
an indulgence he has to get rid of sin.
Sometimes these indulgences are
granted by mere prayer. or good works,
but never without penitence. A Catholic
must make restoration, confess and re-
ceive absolution before he can gain the
indulgence.
st admit that the matter of indulgen-
ces, as many other things, has been
abused, and do not doubt that scandals
came of them but never did the church
engage in such sacrilegious work As a
matter of fact no Pope of Rome ever
sold an Indulgence or authorized any,
one else to indulge in the sacrilegious
traffic"