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Indulgences: A New Appreciation for the Present Moment?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2024
Abstract
With the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy indulgences have once again moved to the fore of Catholic imagination, with many pilgrims availing themselves of the opportunity to pass through a Door of Mercy or ‘Holy Door’ and thereby receive the jubilee indulgence. While the practice of indulgences has experienced something of a revival in popularity during recent papacies, the precise doctrine remains largely unrehearsed and unfamiliar, simultaneously evoking strong reactions of distaste and disquiet among many as memories of medieval abuse linger on. This article sets out the precepts of the most recent authoritative teaching on indulgences, itself almost fifty years old, before exploring the theological interpretation offered by Karl Rahner and tracing its gradual and largely anonymous appropriation in papal teaching through the post‐conciliar period. With Pope Francis promoting mercy as a central theme for his papacy and ecclesial vision, the paper closes by considering how he may be proposing a further re‐appropriation of indulgences which shifts attention from their post‐mortem efficacy to their capacity to establish a Franciscan reflexivity of mercy in the contemporary church.
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References
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2 Ibid., 12.
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7 Indulgentiarum Doctrina, norm 7.
8 Rahner, Karl, ‘On the Official Teaching of the Church Today on the Subject of Indulgences’, in Theological Investigations: Volume 10, tr. Bourke, David (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, [1967] 1973), p. 166‐198, (p. 184)Google Scholar.
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10 Ibid., 4.
11 Ibid., 3.
12 The first dogmatic statement on the treasury of the Church was given by Pope Clement VI in his Papal Bull Unigenitus, issued in January 1343.
13 For useful summaries of the historical development of indulgences see especially McBrien, Richard P., Catholicism, (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1981), pp. 1145‐1147Google Scholar; and Lull, Timothy F., ‘Indulgences’, in Richardson, Alan and Bowden, John, eds., A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, (London: SCM Press, 1983), pp. 295‐297Google Scholar.
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15 Poschmann's pivotal research into the history of indulgences is available only in German. An English review of his work can be found in Francis Courtney, ‘New Explanations of Indulgences’, The Clergy Review 14 (1959), pp. 464‐479Google Scholar.
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23 It is doubtful, however, that Rahner himself would have considered his thinking on the matter to be complete and fully specified.
24 Rahner, Karl, ‘A Brief Theological Study on Indulgence’, in Theological Investigations: Volume X, tr. Bourke, David (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, [1967] 1973), pp. 150‐165Google Scholar; and the already cited ‘On the Official Teaching’ in the same volume.
25 Karl Rahner, ‘Remarks’, p. 190.
26 Karl Rahner, ‘A brief theological study’, p. 162.
27 Indulgentiarum Doctrina, 8.
28 Karl Rahner, ‘On the official teaching’, p. 181.
29 Karl Rahner, ‘A brief theological study’, p. 152.
30 John Paul II, Papal Encyclical Dives in misericordia. https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_30111980_dives-in-misericordia.html.
31 John Paul II, Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 ‘Incarnationis Mysterium’, 9. http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/docs/documents/hf_jp-ii_doc_30111998_bolla-jubilee_en.html.
32 Incarnationis Mysterium, 10.
33 Ibid., 9‐10.
34 John Paul II, General Audience, Wednesday 29 September 1999. https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_29091999.html.
35 Ibid., 4.
36 Ibid.
37 In 2009 both the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune ran stories on the resurgence of indulgences: Paul Vitello, ‘For Catholics, A Door to Absolution Is Reopened’, New York Times, 9 February 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10indulgence.html?_r=0 ; and Manya A. Brachear, ‘Catholics Hope to Cleanse Indulgences of their Bad Reputation’, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2009, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-06-29/news/0906280149_1_indulgences-catholics-parishes. For an example in the Catholic press see Thomas J. Craughwell, ‘What's Behind the Revival of Indulgences’, in OSV Newsweekly, 2 September 2009, https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/ByIssue /Article/TabId/735/ArtMID/13636/ArticleID/10402/Whats‐behind‐the‐revival‐of‐indulgences.aspx.
38 Misericordiae Vultus, 22.
39 David Gibson, ‘Is Pope Francis too Indulgent with Indulgences?’, National Catholic Reporter, 15 January 2016, http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/pope-francis-too-indulgent-indulgences.
40 Apostolic Penitentiary, Decree according to which Special Indulgences are granted to the faithful on the occasion of the 28th World Youth Day, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/tribunals/apost_penit/documents/rc_trib_appen_doc_20130709_decreto-indulgenze-gmg_en.html.
41 Misericordiae Vultus, 4.
42 Ibid., 22.
43 Ibid., 14.
44 Ibid., 25.
45 Ibid., 15.
46 Following the papal announcement of an indulgence, it is usual practice for the Apostolic Penitentiary to issue a Decree stating the specified works attached to the indulgence and reminding the faithful of the necessary conditions. In the event of the indulgence for the Holy Year of Mercy, however, Pope Francis took the unusual step of personally publishing a letter addressed to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation. https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150901_lettera-indulgenza-giubileo-misericordia.html.
47 Apostolic Penitentiary, The Gift of the Indulgence, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/tribunals/apost_penit/documents/rc_trib_appen_pro_20000129_indulgence_en.html.
48 Misericordiae Vultus, 14.
49 Ibid., 17.
50 Ibid., 12.