The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-07-15

changed us old meaning IN common speech, and
nov 1t usually suggests kind of softness towards
others land thus, for example, speak of ndul.
gent parents) unworthy lack of control in
ones own conduct (snd thus for instance we speak
Of indulging in drink.
In its ancient and root meaning, an indulgence
is either kindness it is gift, an allowance, a
concession In the latter meaning find the ex.
plsnaton of the word in its religious use For an
indulgence, in the Catholic sense, is gift, con.
cesson made by the Church to the faithful who are
IN Gods grace. The gift consists of the spiritual
coin of merit,-won by Our Lord and through Him,
by His sans,-paid TO cancel out the temporal
punishment due to sin.
man in mortal sin, unrepented and unforgiven
IS, while in that state, under sentence of eternal
punishment No indulgence can be applied In his
soul For an indulgence cancels, wholly or partially,
the temporal punishment due to sin, and not the
eternal punishment. Christ established the Sacra-
ment of Penance for the forgiveness of mortal
SIN; only by receiving that Sacrament wOrthily, or
by achieving perfect sorrow that springs solely from
the pure love Of God can mortal sin be taken away
and its eternal penalties cancelled
When the soul is free from mortal sin, it may
still he under the guilt Of venisl sin. And there
may be in the soul which is freed from its mortal
sin The weaknesses and sears, 50 to speak, that we
call the remains of forgiven mortal sin Now If
person were 10 die with these lesser defiements
on his soul, they would have to be purged away
before he could enter heaven where there is de
Element no spot or wrinkle.
But a person should not wait to have the guilt
and cloud of lesser faults taken away by purga-
ton after this life is done. He should here and
now, do works of penance and proffer prayers of
petition and TO rid his soul of these defects
and hair oF
helps him by enriehng his prayers and good works
with the gift or concession that Catholics call
indulgence.
When man has died and passed his judgment
successfully, he may still be unable, and also un-
willing dor no soul still marked by faultwoud dare
enter heaVen) to be received among the blessed
His time of working with Gods everpresent help
for himself, has passed He must wait for the
purging punishment of loss and of pain, to make
him ready for heaven. And here again the Church
who never forgets neglecls her children till
she gets them safe TO everlasting ioy,-offers the
help of indugences. The living gain indulgences
on behalf of those now longer able to gain them
for themselves
II is TO he noted that an indulgence does not
take away sin, il takes away the debt of punish
ment due TO sin That is repeat il cancels the
temporal punishment due to venial sin or to the
gaining the indulgence is,4ss he must be to gain
h,-ln the state Of grace. A person may gain an
indulgence, when conditions are right THAT is
when he is in the state of grace, and performs
the work or offers the prayer 10 which the indul.
gence rs attached, and has the intention of gaining
lD Tor himself. In most eases, The indulgence can
he gained, If the person gaining il So intend for
q soul or souls in purgatOry, But one can gain
an indulgence for any living person except him
self
The Church is the custodian of the inexhaustible
spiritual treasury OF the merits of Our Divine
Lord. In this treasury also are what we call the
superabundant merits of the Blessed Mother and
the other saints True fundamentally all these mer-
It's are referred to Christ, since the Blessed Mother
and the other saints attained their merits through
Our Lord; but their merits real and solid merits
Just the same And while the Superabundant merits
Of Mary and the saints could conceipahy he ex-
hausted by continual draughtS upon the treasury
The merits of Our Lord cannot be exhausted for
Christ is God as well as Man, and His merits are
mitless or infinite
The Church, exercising the divinely committed
power ot lo0Sng earth draws upon this spiritual
treasury to benefit her children. She PAYS out of
her spiritual treasury the price needed to pay the
line, that is, the penalty, which call the temper.
al punishment due TO sin. The Church prescrbes
some good work-such fasting pilgrimage aims
deed,-or some prayer, to which she attaches
definite quantity of remted temporal punishment
pennrp indulgence cancels all temporal punish
ment due TO the person who gains the indulgence A
partial indulgence cancels larger or smaller
part Of the temporal punishment due
The points that Catholics stress in explaining
ndulgences to non.CatholicS are these l. An in
dulgence is not remission of sin but a remission
of the temporal punishment due to sin. 2 An indul-
genee rs not permission of any kind. g. An in
diligence rs never anticipation; il has to do
with temporal penalty incurred in the past and
al present incumbent on the sinner 10 pay l. An
indulgence can benefit only the person who gains
IT, or soul souls in purgatory. 5 To gain an
indulgence person must be in The state of grace.
must intend, At least implicitly 10 gain il: must
perform the work, or say the prayer officially pre-
scribed.
II is the duty OF every person to live for God and
therefore il is right and reasonable for each one
TO make the intention of performing all his acts
dhouRhts words. deeds, desireS) for Gods honor
and glory. Catholics often make such an intention
Its most common expression is the daily morning