On Indulgences

"Whether, unless something else is expressly had in indults, Indulgences to be gained begin from midnight, or rather from first Vespers?" Resp. "From midnight to midnight." S. Ind. C. 14 Dec. 1877. Cf. Acta S. Sed. Vol. 10, p. 563; Decreta Authent., nn. 201, 434.

"The heroic act of charity toward souls detained in Purgatory consists in this, that a Christian faithful person, whether with some formula employed or even only mentally, offers to God Almighty, for the souls of Purgatory, all satisfactory works which he himself, as long as he lives, will perform; and also all suffrages which after death in whatever way can come to him. Many Christian faithful most devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with Father Gaspar Oliden of blessed memory, of the Order of Clerics Regular Theatines, as author or adviser, have been accustomed to deposit works of satisfaction and suffrages of this sort in the hands, in a certain way, of the Blessed Virgin, to be distributed by Her according to Her merciful good pleasure in favor of the souls of Purgatory.

This heroic Act of charity has more than once been approved by the Apostolic See; indeed, that it might become more useful to the dead, it was enriched with Indulgences, and those who emitted it were increased with privileges. These things Pius IX, Pope of holy memory, confirmed, increased, and extended to all the Christian faithful by Decree of the Sacred Congregation placed over Indulgences and Sacred Relics, given on 20 November 1854.

But now concerning the object of this oblation, concerning the essential conditions of the same act, and concerning the indulgences and Privileges annexed to the same, doubts have arisen from time to time. For it has been doubted whether among satisfactory works there should be comprehended also the Indulgences which a Christian faithful person, while he lives, can gain; and whether one who has elicited the heroic Act satisfies it, although he reserves for himself and applies to himself those Indulgences which are conceded for the living. Moreover a dispute has been raised with regard to the pious practice of making the oblation of satisfactions and suffrages into the hands of the B. Virgin Mary, some maintaining the necessity of this oblation into the hands of the Blessed Virgin for the obtaining of Indulgences and the use of privileges, others opposing it. Finally, some doubts have prevailed concerning the manner in which Plenary Indulgences can or ought to be applied to the souls of Purgatory by those who have emitted the heroic act of charity.

Wherefore, that those things which seemed obscure in this matter might become clear, and those which were uncertain might become certain, the following doubts were proposed to be decided by the Cardinal Fathers of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences:

1. Whether among the satisfactory works which in the heroic Act of charity are offered for the souls of Purgatory there are comprehended also Indulgences which have been declared by the Supreme Pontiffs applicable to departed Christian faithful?

2. Whether that oblation is satisfied by those who wish to reserve to themselves the Indulgences which are conceded for the living; or whether these Indulgences, in order to satisfy the pious purpose, must be applied to the Dead, according to the Indult conceded by the Supreme Pontiff to those emitting the heroic Act of charity?

3. Whether, 1st, it is an integral part of the heroic Act of charity, or a condition prescribed for participation in the privileges, that all one's own satisfactions and Indulgences be offered not only for the souls of Purgatory, but also be left to the Most Blessed Virgin to be distributed as it shall please Her? or, 2nd, whether this consignment, as it were, into the hands of the Virgin is to be held merely as a pious devotion accessory to the Act, to be commended to the Christian faithful?

4. Whether the Plenary Indulgences which Christian faithful emitting the heroic Act of charity gain, both on account of sacred Communion and on account of hearing Mass on Monday, must be applied to the souls which the B. V. Mary desires to free from Purgatory before others, or can be applied to any soul of Purgatory?

5. Whether the Plenary Indulgence of a personal privileged Altar, 1st, must be applied by the priest who has emitted the heroic Act of charity to the soul for which he celebrates Mass? or, 2nd, can be applied at will to any Deceased person? or, 3rd, must be applied to the souls which the B. V. Mary desires to free from Purgatory?

Resp. To the 1st: Affirmatively. To the 2nd: Negatively to the first part; Affirmatively to the second. To the 3rd: Negatively to the first part; Affirmatively to the second. To the 4th: Provision has been made in the foregoing. To the 5th: To the first part, Affirmatively; for in this manner the privilege of the Altar is conceded by the Supreme Pontiff; to the second and third part, Provision has been made in the response to the first part." S. Indulg. C. 19 Dec. 1885.

Whether Confession can avail if it is fulfilled even on the eve of the feast for which the indulgence has been conceded; whether likewise Communion can be performed on the vigil of the feast? Resp. Affirmatively. Indeed, both Confession alone, and Confession and Communion, can be performed on the day which immediately precedes the following day for which any Indulgence has been conceded, not only by reason of an occurring feast, but also from whatever other cause, or of a pious exercise, or of a solemnity, etc.; nevertheless the manner and time prescribed in fulfilling the other enjoined works being observed. Thus S. C. Ind. 19 May 1759, 12 June 1822, 6 Oct. 1870, 12 Jan. 1878; S. C. de P. F. 5 Jan. 1777. Cf. Acta S. Sed. Vol. 6, p. 157; Vol. 10, p. 563; Decreta Authent., nn. 201, 426, 434.

The clause with contrite heart signifies the mere disposition of the state of grace, which, if perchance it has been lost, must previously be acquired again by at least an act of perfect contrition; which is not to be elicited by those who are already in the state of grace as though it were a part of the enjoined work. S. C. Ind. 17 Dec. 1870. Acta S. Sed. Vol. 6, p. 388.

"Since the S. C. Indulg., on the day 31 of the month of March, in the year 1759, was of the opinion that sacramental confession, when it is appended in Briefs for the obtaining of an Indulgence, must by all means be performed even by those who are not conscious to themselves of mortal sin, and also that the aforesaid Confession could avail even if it were fulfilled on the vigil of the feast... very many supplicant petitions, both of religious Communities and especially of Nuns, and also of Parish Priests and of some Bishops for their Dioceses, have been presented, in which there was set forth the very great difficulty which sometimes, indeed very often, occurs for sacramental confession to be performed either on the feast, or at least on the vigil. Wherefore, that so profitable a treasure of Indulgences might be rendered conveniently obtainable by the faithful, they earnestly supplicated that he deign, from apostolic benignity, to provide by some opportune remedy. These prayers having been referred to the aforesaid S. C., the doubt was proposed in it: Whether and how counsel is to be given to the Most Holy One concerning the execution or declaration of the aforesaid Decree in the case? And the response was: Counsel is to be given to Our Most Holy Lord, that he deign to concede an Indult to all the Christian faithful who, striving to cleanse their soul by frequent Confession of sins, have been accustomed to approach the sacrament of Penance at least once in the week, unless they are legitimately impeded, and are not conscious to themselves of any mortal fault committed by them after the aforesaid last Confession, so that they can obtain all and whatsoever Indulgences, even without actual Confession, which otherwise, according to the definition of the aforesaid Decree, would be necessary for gaining them. Nevertheless nothing is innovated concerning Indulgences of the Jubilee, both ordinary and extraordinary, and others conceded after the manner of a Jubilee, for obtaining which, just as also the other enjoined works, so also sacramental confession is to be performed at the time prescribed in their concession. The Most Holy One, greatly desiring to satisfy the pious desires and wishes of the good, and to bestow the graces of Indulgences especially on those who, by living piously and holily, are made more worthy of the gifts of Divine mercy, benignly assented, and commanded the aforesaid Indult to be expedited and published in the form subscribed." S. C. Ind. 9 Dec. 1763.

"Whether the aforesaid privilege avails also for those who are not accustomed to confess at least once in the week, but more rarely: yet they have confessed within the week before the feast to which the Indulgence is annexed? Resp. Negatively." S. C. Indulg. 12 March 1855.

"The Decree of 9 Dec. 1763 remaining firm for those faithful who approach confession at least once in the week, but for the other faithful, in places in which, on account of a scarcity of Confessors, the faithful cannot frequently be cleansed by sacramental confession, let the said Decree be communicated to those asking, and, a word having been had with the Most Holy One, let it be extended to all Christian faithful of either sex: whence Confession performed within the week before the feast can avail for gaining the Indulgence, the other enjoined conditions having been fulfilled, and provided that they are conscious of no mortal fault committed after the Confession performed; nothing being innovated concerning Indulgences conceded in the form of a Jubilee, as in the cited Decree of 9 Dec. 1763. The Most Holy One benignly approved the opinion of the S. C. and commanded it to be published." S. C. Ind. 12 June 1822.

"Lotharius Kubel, Bishop of Leuce and Capitular Vicar of the Archdiocese of Freiburg, on 14 Jan. 1877, when he had asked from this S. C. placed over Indulgences and Sacred Relics, that there, on account of the scarcity of Priests, confession made twice in a month, the things to be observed being observed, could avail for gaining the Indulgences occurring within the aforesaid time, just as also other Dioceses rejoice in such a concession by apostolic Indult, the grace was conceded; but in that manner and form in which it is customary, namely by rescripting: The Most Holy One, yielding to the prayers, benignly assented for the Indult sought, so that Presbyters and the other faithful of the Archdiocese of Freiburg, who are accustomed to perform sacramental Confession within one or two weeks of each month, can gain all and singular plenary Indulgences conceded in that interval of time, without sacramental Confession, provided, etc. But the aforesaid Bishop, doubting whether under the word week seven days or eight are to be understood, and whether the words within two weeks ought to be taken so that a twofold Confession within the month suffices, or rather that Confession is to be performed in every course of fourteen days, approached the S. C. as a suppliant, asking that it deign to resolve these doubts:

1. Whether the prescribed Confession for each several week ought to be performed within seven, or rather within eight, days? 2. Whether the words within two weeks are to be strictly interpreted, so that confession must be performed within fourteen days, or rather whether a twofold confession in the month suffices? Resp. To the 1st: Affirmatively to the first part, that is, the prescribed Confession must be performed in each running space of seven days; Negatively to the second part. To the 2nd: Affirmatively to the first part, that is, the prescribed Confession must be performed in each running space of fourteen days. Negatively to the second." S. C. Indulg. 15 Nov. 1878.

"For a greater declaration of this matter, it is now asked: 1. Whether a Christian faithful person who is accustomed to perform Confession every week and on a fixed day, e.g., Saturday, satisfies the burden of the prescribed confession? 2. Whether a Christian faithful person satisfies the burden of the prescribed Confession who, in those places for which the Indult is in force, is accustomed to perform Confession on alternate weeks and on a fixed day, e.g., Saturday. Resp. To the 1st: Affirmatively. To the 2nd: Affirmatively." S. C. Indulg. 25 Feb. 1886.

"Whether, if to the same pious work, which cannot be repeated by the faithful, Indulgences are annexed under various titles, all can be gained?" Resp. Affirmatively, provided the enjoined works truly cannot, or are not accustomed to, be repeated, such as confession, unless it is necessary from elsewhere," namely in the case of relapse. S. Indulg. C. 14 Dec. 1877; Acta S. Sed. Vol. 10, p. 563.

Someone can gain several Plenary Indulgences on the same day, the conditions, namely, having been fulfilled, whether the indulgences occur on one day because of a feast, or whether someone through his own devotion has affixed them to such a day of the week or month. But one is bound to visit the Church or public Oratory, when such visitation is required, as many times as there are Indulgences to be gained. Nor indeed does it suffice that in one and the same Church as many prayers or visitations be repeated as there are Indulgences to be gained, unless after each visitation one exits from the Church and enters it again. S. C. Ind. 29 Feb. 1864. Acta S. Sed. Vol. 1, p. 116.

"When, for gaining Indulgences, prayer is prescribed for a determined end, e.g., for the extirpation of heresies, etc., is an explicit intention, expressed each time, required? Resp. Negatively." S. C. Indulg. 22 Feb. 1847.

"It is established in custom that the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist is solemnly carried by pastors of souls, only on some principal feasts within the year, to the faithful who are habitually infirm chronics, unable to go out from the house because of some permanent physical impediment; and therefore faithful of this sort are deprived of so many plenary Indulgences which they would obtain if, the enjoined conditions having been fulfilled, they could more frequently approach the sacred Eucharistic table. And so very many curates of souls and very many other ecclesiastical men offered most humble prayers to Our Most Holy Lord Pius Pope IX, that he deign from apostolic benignity to provide concerning this; and, a faithful report concerning all these things having been made by me, the undersigned Substitute of the Secretariat of the S. C. Indulg., to the same Most Holy One, in the audience held on the day 18 Sept. 1862, the Most Holy One, looking to the spiritual utility of the flock entrusted to him, clemently indulged that the aforesaid Christian faithful, excepting nevertheless those who dwell in community, can acquire all and singular plenary Indulgences already conceded or to be conceded in the future, and which otherwise they could acquire in the places in which they live, if they were not in that physical state, for whose acquisition sacred Communion and the visitation of some church or public oratory in the same places is prescribed, provided that, truly penitent, confessed, and all other conditions, if any have been enjoined, having been fulfilled, in place of Holy Communion and visitation they faithfully fulfill other pious works to be enjoined by the respective Confessor." S. C. Indulg. 18 Sept. 1862.

"1. Can the prayers prescribed by the Supreme Pontiff for gaining a plenary Indulgence be satisfied by prayers already obligatory, e.g., by the Canonical Hours? 2. Are five Pater and Ave, which are customarily recited, sufficient for fulfilling the intention of the Supreme Pontiff, when it has been prescribed that a church or altar be visited, and prayers there be poured forth, as, for example, for gaining a plenary Indulgence it has been prescribed for those associated to the Work of the Propagation of the Faith? Resp. To the 1st: Negatively. To the 2nd: The prayers required in concessions of Indulgences for fulfilling the intention of the Supreme Pontiff are at the choice of each faithful person, unless they are particularly assigned." S. C. Indulg. 29 May 1841.

Those performing Confession and receiving the Most Holy Eucharist in Paschal time can, by this Confession and Holy Communion, gain a plenary Indulgence for gaining which, among other things, Confession and Communion is prescribed; "provided that the Indulgence to be gained is not in the form of a Jubilee, for which alone a particular Confession and Communion is required." S. I. C. 1 May 1844, 19 March 1841. Cf. N. 1068.