Official Resources - Who, What, and Where?

Where can I find Information regarding Indulgences?:

To start us off, I would like to present the website of the Holy See, also known as the Website for the Vatican. The Holy See, Apostolic Penitentiary, and the Roman Pontiff (the Pope) all make use of this website in regards of releasing official documents and statements. So, naturally, if an indulgence document needs to be publicized, they will post it on this website.

Here is the link to the Website for the Vatican

The next resource I recommend is a book called “Manuel of Indulgences” (aka: “Enchiridion Indulgentiarum”). It carries the official “okay,” by decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary and it is explicitly geared towards Indulgence Information. I have the 2006 publication and would recommend getting your hands on a physical copy of this Manuel. BUT, knowing how convenient online resources are I also have linked here an online PDF of the Book

Here is the link to the Manuel of Indulgences PDF

These two sources should be able to cover most of the information you may have questions about regarding indulgences. Other resource that I further recommend that you may find helpful are the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH and if you reside in the United States (like I do) the The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website. I have found that the Catechism, though not explicit to Indulgences, is very instructive when it comes to understanding why we do certain works that indulgences are attached to, and in what spirit we should carry out those works. The USCCB is also helpful for us in the USA since they may provide insights, information, and resources that people of this area would depend upon when attempting to gain an indulgence. Information like what our liturgical calendar year looks like, so that we may line up certain indulgences to their specific days. If you are not within the US, there probably is still a Conference of Catholic Bishops for your country that you can look up.

Here is the link to the CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, provided by the Vatican website. Here is the link to the USCCB

This information should start you off on your indulgence journey nicely. Of course you may find that you need additional resources for certain indulgences like an appropriate Bible, the Catholic Missal, or instructional guides if you’re not familiar with certain prayers or practices, but this should provide a decent foundation to start from.

Now, to give this post a little more substance and to pay due diligence to some of the Church’s hard work surrounding indulgences, we still have to ask some questions. Questions like why are only certain people/groups responsible for approving Indulgence information? Why does everything have to be so official? Why can’t we release Indulgence related materials/information as freely as we do with other subjects in the church? So let us address those questions, shall we?

Addressing why indulgence information is so legalistic:

When it comes to Indulgences there is definitely a lot of established authority and official documents. So much so in fact that, at least in my perspective, it seems like this need to be authorized is suffocating!

Why?

Although a clear statement has not been given, the Apostolic Constitution Indulgentiarum doctrina has a minor, yet interesting insert:

8… Unfortunately, the practice of indulgences has at times been improperly used either through “untimely and superfluous indulgences” by which the power of the keys was humiliated and penitential satisfaction weakened,41 or through the collection of “illicit profits” by which indulgences were blasphemously defamed.42 But the Church, in deploring and correcting these improper uses “teaches and establishes that the use of indulgences must be preserved because it is supremely salutary for the Christian people and authoritatively approved by the sacred councils; and it condemns with anathema those who maintain the uselessness of indulgences or deny the power of the Church to grant them.”43

Not to dig ourselves too far into the past (just yet), but it is no secret that there were times in the Church’s history where Indulgences were abused, allegedly abused, or highly questioned. In fact at one pivotal point in history certain events took place that produced a document called “The Ninety Five Theses.” In this theses indulgences and the concepts surrounding them were noted as a point of controversy.

Although much of this is my own speculation, I have to guess that the reason why the Church is very admit about maintaining an air of officialism is probably due to the past abuses and controversies that once were. In an attempt to make sure this never happens again, I believe the Church has tightened up its regulations for the creation and distribution of indulgence information, to safeguard the practice of indulgences from potentially being abused or misrepresented again.

So, Who are the authorities of Indulgences?

If you thought the legality of Indulgence documents were impressive then I’m here to tell you that, the care that the Church has taken to create a legal safeguard for those involved in the make, approving, and distributing of information is also impressively legalistic. In fact, of the 26 Norms provided regarding indulgences, 8 Norms (from 5-12) are designed solely to addressing who may approve and distribute indulgences, and at what level they can partake in that process.

I will quote those 8 Norms down below, but to summarize what you want to know, here is the breakdown:

1. Only the Roman Pontiff (Pope), Apostolic See, or those explicitly entrusted by one of the two can create Grants of indulgences.

2. The Apostolic Penitentiary (which appears to be a sub office of the Apostolic See) is responsible for validating and approving anything that pertains to indulgences. Furthermore, “according to the mind of the Sovereign Pontiff”, authentic copies of any Grants must be examined by the Apostolic Penitentiary before they can take effect.

3. Some church authorities who are not covered by number 1 are allowed to either; grant a partial indulgence to those faithful within an allotted area, they may impart a Papal Blessing-plenary indulgence under certain conditions and usually up to 3 times a year, or they may do both. Some titles of those that can do both are Major Archbishops, Eparchials and Diocesan Bishops. Some other titled of Cardinals or Metropolitans can only grant the partial indulgence

4. Only the Apostolic See can grant permission for publish the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum in any language. Books, leaflets, and the like, which contain grants of indulgences can only be published with permission from the local ordinary or hierarch

Now with this I hope that my due diligence to Norms 5-12 are complete. Certainly these Norms are important (otherwise they wouldn't be included) but to the average lay person it may feel like the Church is sometimes over-addressing something that doesn’t have a super-immediate effect on ones day to day indulgence-life.

Anyway, I hope this helps you on your Indulgence journey. Indulgences can be a confusing topic, especially in regards to all the legalities, so please feel free to leave your thoughts and questions. I hope to address all I can so that we can come to know this hidden gem of our Catholic faith.

*As Promised, here are Norms 5-12 quoted:

N5. §1. Besides the supreme authority of the Church, indulgences can be granted only by those to whom this power has been given by law or granted by the Roman Pontiff.

§2. No authority less than the Roman Pontiff can concede to others the power to grant indulgences unless it has been expressly granted by the Apostolic See.

N6. In the Roman Curia, whatever pertains to the granting and use of indulgences is the competence of the Apostolic Penitentiary, always respecting the right of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to examine whatever pertains to dogmatic teaching concerning indulgences.

N7. Eparchial and diocesan bishops, and others equivalent to them in law even if they lack episcopal rank, have the right from entrance upon their pastoral office:

1. to grant within the territory of their jurisdiction a partial indulgence to all the faithful, and to those faithful belonging to their jurisdiction in places outside this territory.

2. to impart in their respective eparchies or dioceses, according to the prescribed formula, the Papal Blessing with a plenary indulgence three times a year on solemn feasts which they have designated, even if they only assist at the Mass. This Blessing is to be given at the conclusion of Mass in place of the customary blessing, according to the norms given in the Ceremonial of Bishops.

N8. Metropolitans can grant a partial indulgence in either eparchial or suffragan dioceses, as if in their own territory.

N9. §1. Patriarchs can grant the following in every place, even those exempt, of their own patriarchates; in churches of their rite outside the boundaries of their patriarchate; as well as to the faithful of their rite everywhere:

1. a partial indulgence

2. the Papal Blessing with a plenary indulgence three times a year according to ordinary law and whenever a plenary indulgence is warranted for the good of the faithful because of a particular religious circumstance or reason

§2. Major archbishops have the same faculty.

N10. Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church have the faculty to grant a partial indulgence everywhere, but only to those present, and for that time only.

N11. §1. The express permission of the Apostolic See is required to publish the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum in any language.

§2. No books, leaflets, and the like, which contain grants of indulgences, may be published without the permission of the local ordinary or hierarch.

N12. According to the mind of the Sovereign Pontiff grants of indulgences for all the faithful take effect only after authentic copies of these grants have been examined by the Apostolic Penitentiary.