The Treasury of Indulgences
"And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." - Matthew 16:19
The Church Militant possesses a treasury composed of the superabundant satisfactions of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin, and of the Saints.
Only the living can draw from it; but each person is permitted to dispose of much of the spiritual riches gathered there under the name of Indulgences in behalf of their departed brothers. For, through mercy aud condescension to our weakness and good will, God deigns to accept little tilings, a short prayer, an easy practice, enriched by His grace, to acquit the enormous debt of expiation contracted by sin, and as a ransom for long captivity in Purgatory. According to weighty theologians, the Indulgence called Plenary, that is to say, entire, corresponds to the time that the soul gaining it would otherwise have to spend in Purgatory. A Partial Indulgence 'is limited to the time mentioned. Nevertheless, it may happen that a Partial Indulgence, for instance of one hundred days, applied to a soul having only this or even less time to pass in Purgatory may be a Plenary Indulgence relatively to it, that is to say, total deliverance from Purgatory.
To gain an Indulgence, it is necessary:
1. To have at least a general intention of gaining it;
2. The soul must be free from mortal sin, and sincerely sorry for those formerly committed;
3. To accomplish devoutly and exactly all that is prescribed by the Pope who grants the Indulgence;
4. To pronounce the words and not merely read them with the eyes.
The foregoing conditions suffice ordinarily to gain a Partial Indulgence; but a Plenary Indulgence exacts more:
1. To be free from affection to sin, even venial.
2. Confession made on the day or vigil of the feast. Persons who are in the habit of weekly Confession, or live in countries where there are few confessors, are dispensed from confessing each time they wish to gain a Plenary Indulgence: a Confession made within eight days before the feast will suffice to gain all the Plenary Indulgences possible within the eight following ones, even when the confessor has not judged proper to give absolution, for want of sufficient matter.
3. Communion is generally required, except for the Way of the Cross and for the recitation of six Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory be to the Fathers for the blue scapular; they can be said on the eve of the appointed day.
4. To pray for the intention of the Pope who has granted the Indulgence, during the space of time required to say five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys; but the prayers are not determined.
Notice that to apply Indulgences to the dead, we are obliged to destine, at least in thought, the person or persons in whose favor we wish to gain them. Nevertheless, it is probable that an Indulgence gained for the souls in Purgatory in general would be useful to them.
The Religious and Indulgences
A good religious on the point of death preserved a calm and serenity whicli were not at all disturbed by the discourses of his Superiors on the severity of the judgments of God. The Father Abbot sought at least to inspire him with some fear of Purgatory. The dying man replied: "I know that my life iias not been faultless; but what reassures me today is that during my long career I have always striven to gain Indulgences; thus have I the firm belief that I will go straight to Paradise."
Practice
Forgetfulness is the chief cause of the few Indulgences we gain, In the second part of this book may be found Calendars reminding us of Indulgences that can be gained throughout the year.
Prayer
O Father! O Son! O Holy Ghost!
O most holy Trinity! O Jesus! O Mary!
Blessed Angels, and all ye Saints of heaven! obtain for me these graces which I ask through the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ:
1. To do always the will of God.
2. To be always united with God.
3. To think only of God.
4. To love only God.
5. To do everything for God.
6. To seek only the glory of God.
7. To become a saint solely for God.
8. To know well my nothingness.
9. To know always more and more the will of God.
10. (Here ask for some particular favor, for instance the deliverance of a soul from Purgatory.)
Mary most holy! offer to the eternal Father the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ for my soul, for the holy souls in Purgatory, for the wants of holy Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the whole world.
Then say the Glory be to the Father three times, in honor of the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ: the Hail Alary once, to Mary, Mother of Sorrows; and once the Requiem aeternam for the souls in Purgatory.
- text taken from Month of the Dead by Father Celestin Cloquet, translated by a Sister of Mercy, with the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael Augustine Corrigan, Archdiocese of New York, 18 October 1886