St. Jean-Marie Vianney, Confessor

Baltimore track

Baltimore Catechism No. 3

Lesson 21 — On Indulgences

Q. 847.What is a Partial Indulgence?

A.A Partial Indulgence is the remission of part of the temporal punishment due to sin.

Q. 848.How long has the practice of granting Indulgences been in use in the Church, and what was its origin?

A.The practice of granting Indulgences has been in use in the Church since the time of the apostles. It had its origin in the earnest prayers of holy persons, and especially of the martyrs begging the Church for their sake to shorten the severe penances of sinners, or to change them into lighter penances. The request was frequently granted and the penance remitted, shortened or changed, and with the penance remitted the temporal punishment corresponding to it was blotted out.

Q. 849.How do we show that the Church has the power to grant Indulgences?

A.We show that the Church has the power to grant Indulgences, because Christ has given it power to remit all guilt without restriction, and if the Church has power, in the Sacrament of penance, to remit the eternal punishment--which is the greatest--it must have power to remit the temporal or lesser punishment, even outside the Sacrament of Penance.

Q. 850.How do we know that these Indulgences have their effect?

A.We know that these Indulgences have their effect, because the Church, through her councils, declares Indulgences useful, and if they have no effect they would be useless, and the Church would teach error in spite of Christ's promise to guide it.