The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-04-05
INDULGENCE EXPLAINED.
Just As Plain As Any Other Question
in the Church.

The Rev. William O'Brien Pardow
5. J., preached recently in the Church
of St Ignatius Loyola Park avenu,
and Eighty-fourth street. New York
on the Bible and Indulgences," anl
said, in part:
Our great work is in overcoming the
prejudices against our church. 1t j,
like the snow on our streets just now
you don't know where to step so as not
to step into a puddle. But remove the
heaps OF snow and the streets again
become beautiful. There are some peo-
pie who pull down the blinds. close the
shutters and then say there is no sun
shine. The Catholic church stands for
light with reasoning.
[ suppose the greatest prejudice the
world has ever reared up against US
is because of indulgences. The ques-
ton can be made just as plain as any
other in the church. There used to be
an opinion among non-Catholics that
indulgences meant forgiveness for sins
committed and sins to be committed
in the future, and on that false def
milton the church was severely criti-
cised.
We protest in the name Of Jesus
Christ against having this lie circu-
lated against US and even forced upon
Catholic children in some of our public
schools. Catholics know that the def
milton of indulgences is false and feel it
to be shame that education should
impress such teaching on the mind of
the young when it is so easy to learn
the truth. Not a day passes but this
calumny is repeated against us. Our
Catholic people are getting tired of it
because the non-Catholic does not take
the trouble to investigate it.
The principle of indulgences is the
remission of the penalty of the guilt
Of sin when the guilt has been washed
away by penitence. The principle is
founded upon scripture and in the story
Of David's sin when the Lord forgave
him after he had expressed repentance. !
but told him that the penalty of his sin |
was not altogether absolved, and that |
as farther punishment his son would |
die. The man who says confidently |
that the Lord will not be so severe /
upon us as to exact the full measure |
Of our punishment for our transgres-
sions does not deserve to be argued |
with. 1t is not what people think the
Lord will do; it is what the Lord has
said he would do.
/ could never understand how Prot
estant people who read the Bible so
much do not fully comprehend the sub
ject of indulgences as to the remission
Of sin in the Catholic church They
seem to think or pretend to believe that
indulgehces mean remission of past and
present sins and permission to commit
more, because they are already forgiv-
en- by the indulgences. They say the
word signifies that, TO indulge. This
theory is held by people of education,
and that fact is amazing in itself.
Indulgences do not apply to guilt, ,
but to the penalty that attaches to
guilt. We are often told that the Cath ,
olic church is very lax, and all you
have TO do is TO commit sin and then
get indulgences. That is false. The :
Lord says that the sinner must be held
lntil the last farthing of the penalty
shall be paid. Hence, we believe in a
middle state, or purgatory. and I have ,
observed that many Episcopalians are :
low praying for the dead after having ,,
bandoned that doctrine. 1 am glad /,
hat it is so. They are beginning to be- !
ieve in purgatory.
The Catholics are the only ones who |
trictly adhere to the teaching of the :
Bible in this matter. The principle of J
is very clear. Now. as to |
he declared sale Of indulgences. that :
5 another calumny against us An es-
ential part Of the efficacy of indul-
ences is repentance for sin, and il I
here is no sorrow nothing else can alb Z
olive the guilt and the penalty. {