Mon, 24 Dec 2007
A note on indulgences
The time associated with an indulgence doesn't mean that the indulgence gets you out of Purgatory that early. I see this error a few times a week since I've subscribed to the blogs of various medieval scholars; most recently here.
Until indulgences were reformed in 1967 by Pope Paul VI with his Apostolic Constitution Indulgentiarum Doctrina, each indulgence was given a period of time - for example,
An indulgence of 300 days every time the three following ejaculatory prayers are said, to obtain a happy death:
- Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, I give you my heart and my life.
- Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, assist me in my last agony.
- Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, may I die in peace in your blessed company.
Roughly speaking, the 300 days means that the prayer is the equivalent to doing 300 days of penance now, while you're still here. Here's a more technical explanation from catholic.com:
Before Vatican II each indulgence was said to remove a certain number of "days" from one's discipline - for instance, an act might gain "300 days' indulgence" - but the use of the term "days" confused people, giving them the mistaken impression that in purgatory time as we know it still exists and that we can calculate our "good time" in a mechanical way. The number of days associated with indulgences actually never meant that that much "time" would be taken off one's stay in purgatory. Instead, it meant that an indefinite but partial (not complete) amount of remission would be granted, proportionate to what ancient Christians would have received for performing that many days' penance. So, someone gaining 300 days' indulgence gained roughly what an early Christian would have gained by, say, reciting a particular prayer on arising for 300 days.
To overcome the confusion Paul VI issued a revision of the handbook (Enchiridion is the formal name) of indulgences. Today, numbers of days are not associated with indulgences. They are either plenary or partial.
There. Now I've got that off my chest.
And hey - it's Christmas! (which starts after midafternoon prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours)
posted by Bill White at 16:13 | permalink | email me | | |
