St.

Pantaleon Feastday: July 27

Patron of Physicians, midwives, livestock, invoked against headaches, consumption, locusts,

witchcraft, accidents and loneliness, helper for crying children

275 - 303

St Pantaleon came from Nicomedia, near the Black Sea, in Asia. He was such a famous doctor
that the Emperor himself chose him for his own doctor. Pantaleon was a Christian, but the bad
influence from the pagan court caused him to give up his Christian faith entirely.

A holy priest named Hermolaos made him realize what a sin he had committed. Pantaleon listened
to him, detested his sin and joined the Church once more. To make up for what he had done, he
greatly desired to suffer and die for Jesus. In the meantime, he imitated Our Lord's charity by
taking care of poor sick people without any charge for his medical services.

When the Emperor Diocletian began his persecution, Pantaleon at once gave away everything he
owned to the poor. Not long afterwards, he was accused of being a Christian. He was given the
choice of denying his Faith or being put to death. No torture could force Pantaleon to deny his
Faith.

There has been strong devotion in past ages to this Saint. In the East he is called the "Great
Martyr and Wonder-worker." Saint Pantaleon's feast day is July 27th. 

St. Dionysius

Feastday: July 27

St. Maximian, Malchus, Martinian, Dionysius, John Serapion, and Constantine "The Seven
Sleepers" (Martyrs) July 27 A.D. 250 Having confessed the faith before the proconsul at
Ephesus under Decius in 250, they were walled up together in a cave in which they had hid
themselves, and there slept in the Lord. Some moderns, mistaking this expression, have imagined
that they only lay asleep, till they were found in 479, under Theodosius the younger The truth
seems to be, that their relics were then discovered.

July 27 is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 157
days remaining until the end of the year.

432 St. Celestine I ends his reign as Catholic Pope

Today in Catholic History – The Battle of Bouvines

On 27 July 1214, the forces of Otto IV of the Holy Roman Empire, King John I of of England, and
Count Ferrand of Flanders were defeated by the forces of Philip II Augustus of France at the Battle
of Bouvines.

Otto IV had come into conflict with Pope Innocent III over whether the right of conferring the crown
of the Holy Roman Empire belonged to the pope alone. Innocent III claimed that the pope had the
authority to decide whether a candidate chosen by the German princes to become Emperor was
worthy of that dignity. While Innocent had initially supported Otto, they became opponents in 1210
after Otto decided to restore Imperial power in Italy. Innocent was greatly upset at this, believing
that a Holy Roman Empire with the addition of Italian territories would be a threat to the Papal
States. Innocent would excommunicate Otto and give his support to Frederick II Hohenstaufen as
a rival claimant to the title of Holy Roman Emperor.
While the forces of John I and Otto IV [25,000] outnumbered those of Philip II [15,000], the French
forces were more experienced – having fought in the Crusades. the three hour battle saw around
2,000 casualties and about 9,000 captured. Philip II was nearly killed in the battle after being de-
horsed several times.

After the Battle of Bouvines, Otto IV would be forced to resign and Frederick II would become the
new emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. John I would also be forced to sign the Magna Carta by
his nobles.

1549 – The Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reaches Japan.

1914 – Felix Manalo registers the Iglesia ni Cristo with the Philippine government.

3) Reflection on Matthew 13,24-30

• Today’s Gospel speaks to us about the parable of the seed. Whether in society or in the
community or in our family and personal life, there is a mixture of good qualities and of
incoherencies, limitations and errors. Persons of diverse origins, each one with her own story, with
her own lived experience, her own opinion, her own yearnings, her own differences, meet in
community There are some persons who do not know how to live with differences. They want to be
the judges of others. They think that they are the only ones who are right, and that others are in
error. The parable of the seed and the darnel helps us not to fall into the temptation of excluding
from the community those who do not think like us.

•The background of the parable of the seed and the darnel. During centuries, because of the
observance of the laws of purity, the Jews lived separated from other nations. This isolation had
marked them. Even after being converted, some continued to follow this observance which
separated them from others. They wanted total purity! Any sign of impurity had to be eradicated in
the name of God. “Sin cannot be tolerated” some would say. But others, as for example Paul,
taught that the new law which Jesus asked them to observe said the contrary! “Sin cannot be
tolerated, but it is necessary to be tolerant with the sinner!”

• Matthews 13,24-26: The situation: the darnel and the wheat grain grow together. The Word of
God causes communities to be formed and this is good seed, but within the communities there are
always things which are contrary to the Word of God. From where do these come? This was the
discussion, or mystery which led to keep the parable of the darnel and the wheat.

• Matthew 13, 27-28a: The origin of the mixture which exists in life. The labourers asked the owner,
the sower: “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel
come from?” The owner responded: Some enemy has done this. Who is this enemy? The enemy,
the adversary, Satan or the Devil (Mt 13,39), is the one who divides, who takes away from the right
path. The tendency to division exists in the community and in each one of us. The desire to
dominate, to take advantage of the community in order to be more important and so many other
interested desires divide, they are the enemy which sleeps in each one of us.

• Matthew 13,28b-30: The diverse reaction before ambiguity. In the face of this mixture of good and
of evil, the labourers want to eliminate the darnel. They thought: "If we leave everything in the
community, we lose our reason for being! We lose our identity!” They wanted to send away those
whom they thought were diverse. But this is not the decision of the owner of the land. He says: “Let
both the darnel and the wheat grow together till the harvest!” What is decisive is not what each one
says, but that which each one lives and does. God will judge us according to the fruit which we will
produce (Mt 12,33). The force and the dynamism of the Kingdom will manifest themselves in the
community. Even if it is small and full of contradictions, it is a sign of the Kingdom. But it is not the
master or the owner of the Kingdom, neither can it consider itself totally just. The parable of the
seed and of the darnel explains the way in which the force of the Kingdom acts in history. It is
necessary to make a clear option for the justice of the Kingdom, and at the same time, together
fight for justice, have patience and learn to live and to dialogue with differences and with
contradictions. When harvest comes then there will be the division, the separation.

• The teaching in Parables. The parable is a pedagogical (Definition of PEDAGOGICAL: of, relating
to, or befitting a teacher or education) instrument which uses the daily life to indicate that life
speaks to us of God. It becomes a reality and renders the look of people contemplative. A parable
tends towards the things of life, and because of this it is an open teaching, because we all have
some experience of things of life. The teaching in parables makes the person start from the
experience that she has: seed, light, sheep, flowers, birds, father, net, little children, fish, etc. In
this way daily life becomes transparent, revealing the presence and the action of God. Jesus did
not usually explain the parables. He left the sense open, he did not determine it. This was a sign
that he believed in the capacity of the people to discover the sense of the parable beginning from
the experience of life. Some times, at the request from the disciples, he would explain the sense
(Mt 13,10.36). For example, this is what he did with the parable of the seed and the darnel (Mt
13,36-43).

4) Personal questions

• How is the mixture between the seed and the darnel manifested in our community? Which are the
consequences of this for our life?

• Looking into the mirror of the parable, with whom do I feel more in agreement: with the labourers
who want to cut away the darnel, or with the owner of the field who orders to wait until the time of
the harvest?

Pope to wash away sins via tweets

 (The Philippine Star) | Updated July 18, 2013 - 12:00am

In its latest attempt to embrace technology to broaden the appeal of Catholicism, the Vatican
announced Tuesday that Pope Francis will offer forgiveness to Catholics who follow services on
World Youth Day in Brazil through Twitter.

Sinners don’t need to travel to Rio de Janeiro, where the Pope will preside over World Youth Day,
to obtain the traditional “plenary indulgence,” according to a report in The Telegraph.

Instead they will be able to do so by watching the events on their television, computer or mobile
telephone.

But the Vatican pointed out that forgiveness is more than a mouse-click away.

The Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court for the forgiveness of sins that issued the
decree, stressed that believers would first have to confess their sins, offer prayers and attend
Mass.

They would then have to have the “requisite devotion” in their hearts in order to qualify for an
indulgence – an old-age tradition by which punishment for sins is reduced and time in Purgatory
shortened.

Catholics will be expected to follow closely the “rites and pious exercises” that Pope Francis will
lead in Rio “through new social communication channels” such as the Pope’s Twitter account, The
Telegraph added.
The Vatican did not mention whether that meant stealing a quick glance at events on YouTube or
the television, or following them in depth, but Catholics were required to be in a suitably spiritual
state of mind as they peruse their PC, tablet or telephone, The Telegraph reported.

World Youth Day is to be held July 23-28 this year in Rio de Janeiro.

So many had reacted to the issue of the World Youth Day's Indulgences by solely relying to
what the faulty media have been saying. We will be doing our part to clear things up and to
educate you, Madlang Faithful, to the topic of Indulgences. This is the subject that a minority of
Catholics ever knew and only a minority understood this. So what is an Indulgence?

Indulgence is the remission of temporal punishments due to sin. Panudlo sa Sta. Iglesya: Ang
Sta. Iglesya nagtudlo nga ang indulhensya mao ang pagkuha sa kastigo temporal gumikan
sa sala nga na pasaylo na. But before that, in order to fully understand what is an indulgence,
we have to understand what is sin first. 

WHAT IS SIN? A sin is an offense committed against God. We repeat, any offense against God is
sin. So the following question will be, why would and could God be offended? Who is God or what
is His essence that sin can be inflicted to Him? The answer is: God is a Being and Person of pure
and perfect Goodness. This Goodness does not harm and causes no harm to Himself and to
others. God does not sin to Himself and to others. God is Love. So any willfull offense against this
Goodness (good in itself and ends in good) is an offense against God, it is injustice. In other
words, even if we know that we offend God or we do not know or we are unaware that we offend
God, we sin against Him. He deserves no injustice and sin from us for He is good and fair and do
justice on us. So by sinning, we are applying the just hand of God upon ourselves.

A sin has its guilt and its deserving punishment. When we commit a sin, aware or unaware, (1) we
are guilty of committing it and (2) we deserve to be punished because of it. As it is written in the
Bible: "Suppose you sin by violating one of the LORD's commands. Even if you are unaware of
what you have done, you are guilty and will be punished for your sin." (Leviticus 5:17)

The deserving punishment/consequence of a grave sin is double, the (1) eternal punishment and
the (2) temporal punishment. Eternal punishment is a punishment through eternity - never ending,
while a temporal punishment is a punishment for a time; it ends when it is satisfied or paid. The
word "temporaL" came from the Latin word "tempus" which means "time". A punishment that ends
in time is experienced on places where time rules, that is: on earth or in a functional place called
purgatory,where the function is "purification", and if this function ends, the use of the place will end
also. We deserve an eternal punishment (except for venial sins) because we are sinning against
an Eternal person. We deserve a temporal punishment because we are creatures bound in the
power of time and we commit sin in our very nature as living beings.

When our sins are forgiven, the guilt is erased, and we are not anymore worthy of the eternal
punishment because God is not anymore angry while we are restored to His favor and blessings.
But some of the temporal punishment may remain because sin is a thing that has to be "repaired"
for it offended the Ultimate Good and it is usually done by man's own decision and will. We can
understand this when we realize that even if our sins were forgiven, we can still experience
sadness, pain and death. These things are actually consequences of sin, particularly that coming
of our first parents. A good biblical example for this is on how David lost his love-child to
Bathsheba even if God already forgave him. Another, like when you had burned your neighbor's
house accidentally or willfully. Even if your neighbor (who is your victim) forgives you, it does not
mean that you do not have the obligation to repair matters with your neighbor now. Some gestures
can be like on helping him out in the construction work or monetary contributions, until everything
suffices. Article 19. Every person must, in the exercise of his rights and in the performance
of his duties, act with justice, give everyone his due, and observe honesty and good faith.

Article 20. Every person who, contrary to law, wilfully or negligently causes damage to
another, shall indemnify the latter for the same.

Just as your obligation to your neighbor-victim can come to an end and be satisfied, so does the
temporal punishment. The temporal punishment can be satisfied by undergoing and meeting how
you should be punished. But we do not usually like punishment and God also do not like them
happening to His children. Remember that we are punished by our own actions' consequences.
With that, God made the Church the vessel of the remission of temporal punishments - through the
Indulgences.

WHAT IS AN INDULGENCE? The Church defined it as "a remission before God of the temporal
punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is
duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as
the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of
Christ and the saints." ( CCC 1471) CHAPTER IV.

INDULGENCES

Can. 992 An indulgence is the remission before God of temporal punishment for sins
whose guilt is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful
gains under certain and defined conditions by the assistance of the Church which as
minister of redemption dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasury of the
satisfactions of Christ and the saints.

Can. 993 An indulgence is partial or plenary insofar as it partially or totally frees from the
temporal punishment due to sins.

Can. 994 Any member of the faithful can gain partial or plenary indulgences for oneself or
apply them to the dead by way of suffrage.

Can. 995 §1. In addition to the supreme authority of the Church, only those to whom this
power is acknowledged in the law or granted by the Roman Pontiff can bestow indulgences.

§2. No authority below the Roman Pontiff can entrust the power of granting indulgences to
others unless the Apostolic See has given this expressly to the person.

Can. 996 §1. To be capable of gaining indulgences, a person must be baptized, not
excommunicated, and in the state of grace at least at the end of the prescribed works.

§2. To gain indulgences, however, a capable subject must have at least the general
intention of acquiring them and must fulfill the enjoined works in the established time and
the proper method, according to the tenor of the grant.

Can. 997 As regards the granting and use of indulgences, the other prescripts contained in
the special laws of the Church must also be observed.

What does this mean then? The Indulgences are treasures. How come? They are actually rewards
intended for heroic individuals in the Church who deserves to be rewarded while on Earth. These
individuals are the saints. The saints had performed many heroic acts that supposedly need
rewarding. Each good work (in contrast to sin) can attain two kinds of rewards, the eternal reward
and the temporal reward. 
Many saints had not fully received their temporal rewards, or so died without tasting them (like the
martyrs). Many still denied to receive them. So these undistributed rewards are left unspent, and
the Church keeps them. The temporal rewards are converted to "merits". These merits are being
kept by the Church since the saints are her children. And the Church is the one who can
authoritatively apply and dispense these merits. When these merits are dispensed to her other
living children who need them, they are used as satisfactions for temporal punishment. Thence
they become Indulgences.

But not everyone can receive an Indulgence. As it is written in CCC 1471, there are "certain
prescribed conditions" that a faithful must be in in order to attain an Indulgence. Three actions are
required (1)Sacrament of Reconciliation, (2) Holy Communion and (3) Praying for the intentions of
the Holy Father. While having these performed or determined to perform in the days of
Indulgences, the faithful must desire the Indulgence and should have consciousness on it. In other
words, Catholics in the state of grace are the ones that can receive the Indulgences.

THE PHILIPPINE STAR reports that the Pope is offering "forgiveness of sins" when people follows
him at Twitter. You can read the article
here:http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/07/18/983021/pope-wash-away-sins-tweets 
This is very absurd. Indulgences do not cover sin, and does not wash them away. Only the Blood
of Christ washes away and forgives sins, which we can avail of in the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation and in the Holy Eucharist. Indulgences are only for temporal punishments which are
effects from forgiven sins.

The Indulgences are two kinds, the Plenary Indulgence and the Partial Indulgence. The Catholic
Encyclopedia explains that "By a plenary indulgence is meant the remission of the entire temporal
punishment due to sin so that no further expiation is required in Purgatory. A partial indulgence
commutes only a certain portion of the penalty; and this portion is determined in accordance with
the penitential discipline of the early Church."

In the World Youth Day Rio 2013, the Church had granted the Plenary Indulgence to those who
will devotedly follow the events of World Youth Day. They must do it with the requirement of having
a contrite heart, thus applying for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in these days. Contrite heart
means more: the total abandonment of past sins, and living a life worthy of the glories of Heaven. 

The Church knew that not all young Catholics can go to Brazil to avail of the Indulgence. So the
Church thought about using the most accessible means possible - social media. That includes the
internet and everything in it. Twitter is only one of the means. That's where the media falters, they
are too absorbed to point out a detail while failing to really highlight the whole essence of the
scheme. They fail to understand that there are moral and spiritual prerequisites in order to attain
an indulgence, and not cause the people to miss the point by way of misleading headlines and
innacurate article headings. We are reminded of how our Lord Jesus describes these kind of
persons: "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:24)

So that understands the partial, misconstrued and incomplete reporting of some media outlets on
the matter. As we said, in matters like these, only those in the Catholic Church must we refer and
inquire into. Adeus!

Indulgences

Objection: “Indulgences are nothing more than a permission to sin. It is a money-making

exercise through which Catholics think they can buy their way into heaven!”
The doctrine of indulgences was the very doctrine that triggered the Protestant Revolt in 1517. It is
probably the least understood teaching of the Catholic Church. Only the ignorant or prejudiced
take it to mean that the Church grants a license or permission to sin.

What then is an indulgence?

An indulgence is simply a remission through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ and His Saints, of
the temporal punishment due for sins committed after guilt and eternal punishment have been
remitted by God. That Our Lord has given the Church the power of granting indulgences is implied
in Scripture: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (St. Matt. 16:19). 
St. Paul provides a clear example of the Church using this power with respect to the incestuous
Corinthian upon whom he had imposed a severe penance. After learning of the Corinthian’s
fervent sorrow, St. Paul absolved him of the penance which he had imposed, saying: “For, what I
have pardoned, if I have pardoned anything, for your sakes have I done it in

the person of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:10). In this example we have the elements of a true indulgence: (i) a
penance (temporal punishment) imposed on the Corinthian by St. Paul; (ii) sorrow on the part of
the sinner for his crime; (iii) the relaxation of the penance by St. Paul (the indulgence); (iv) the
relaxation done in the “person of Christ.” An indulgence may be plenary or partial according to
whether it removes all or part of the temporal punishment due to sin. The requirements laid down
by the Church for gaining a plenary indulgence are (i) performance of the indulgenced work––for
example, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least half an hour, devout reading of the
Sacred Scriptures for at least half an hour, or praying the Rosary in a church, public oratory or
family group; (ii) sacramental confession; (iii) Eucharistic communion, and (iv) prayer for the
Pope’s intentions. The last three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or after the
performance of the prescribed work. However, it is fitting that communion is received and the
prayer for the Pope’s intentions is said on the same day the work is performed. If any of these
conditions is not fulfilled, the indulgence gained will only be partial. A partial indulgence is gained
by any of the faithful who:  (i) in the performance of their duties and bearing the trials of life, raise
their mind with humble confidence to God, adding some pious invocation; (ii) in a spirit of faith and
mercy, give of themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in need;  (iii) in a spirit of
penance, voluntarily deprive themselves of what is licit and pleasing to them.¹  Works which can be
performed for partial indulgences include the recitation of any of the following prayers: Profession
of Faith, De Profundis, Magnificat, Sub Tuum Praesidium, Memorare, Salve Regina, Grace before
and after meals, Adoro Te Devote, Angelus, Anima Christi, Te Deum, the Litanies, the Sign of the
Cross—or, indeed, any prayer. Indulgences are, therefore, a great aid to true devotion, fostering a
spirit of prayer and sacrifice in the name of Christ, not just for one’s own benefit, but for the benefit
of all the faithful.  The charge that Catholics see indulgences as a means of buying their way into
heaven is utterly without foundation. Anti-Catholics exploiting the ignorance of both Catholics and
non-Catholics normally make such a charge. First, as indulgences relate only to the remission of
temporal punishment, they have nothing to do with remitting eternal punishment in hell. Only God’s
forgiveness following true sorrow for sin can achieve that. Neither are indulgences permissions to
commit or pardons in advance for future sins for, again, they relate only to the remission of
temporal punishment remaining after past sins have been forgiven.  The abuses relating to
indulgences in the time of Martin Luther involved almsgiving for the construction of the new St.
Peter’s Basilica. The giving of alms especially for the service of God is a meritorious work in itself
and a worthy condition for the granting of an indulgence. There was no outright selling of
indulgences, though one could gain that surface impression. For this reason the Council of Trent
radically reformed the practice of granting indulgences and in 1567 Pope St. Pius V abolished all
grants of indulgences in return for alms. 

Second objection: “Indulgences are a waste of time for we do not have to do any penance
as temporal punishment as Christ paid all debt for sin when he died on the cross.”
Only since the advent of Protestantism has anyone thought the system of penance and
indulgences to be a waste of time. As the ex-Protestant convert James Akin explains: “The system
of penance goes back beyond the middle ages, through the patristic age, through the New
Testament, and into the Old Testament. It has been part of the religion of Yahweh since before the
time of Christ, it was part of the religion of Christ and his first followers, and it has been part of
Christianity ever since. It was not until the rise of Protestantism that anyone in Christendom
thought to deny it.”¹ The meritorious value of Christ’s death on the Cross was infinite and
superabundantly sufficient for the redemption and freeing of humanity from both the eternal
damnation of hell and any additional temporal punishments. That being the case, why then are
Christians required to do penance to remit temporal punishment for sin? One reason is that God
can choose and has chosen to leave owing a debt of temporal punishment, even after the eternal
penalty for sin has been remitted. For example, man suffers under the temporal punishments of
labor, pain, sickness and death to this day even though the redemption has taken place and
spiritual sonship has been restored through baptism. Also, King David was afflicted with the
temporal punishment of his infant son’s death even after being forgiven for the murder of Uriah (2
Sam. 12:13ff.). Mary, the sister of Moses, was forgiven by God for complaining against her brother.
Nevertheless, God still imposed upon her the temporal punishment of leprosy and seven days’
exile from the Chosen People (Num. 12). Similarly, Moses was forbidden to enter the Promised
Land after being forgiven for striking the rock twice at the Waters of Contradiction (Num. 20:12).
One may also question why God leaves temporal penalties in place after removing eternal
penalties for sins. It is, firstly, a question of discharging a debt of honor, making a reparatory
gesture after the real reparation has been completed. Penance also has rehabilitative benefits. It
teaches us to learn from our sins: “For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises
every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as
sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? … he disciplines us for our good,
that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant;
later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11).
Penance restores the loss or damage caused by sin. For example, a thief may be sorry for stealing
a large sum of money from some one else, but is still required to return the money taken and even
do time in prison. Finally, penance satisfies the human need to mourn for tragedies and sin,
particularly mortal sin, which is the greatest tragedy. Furthermore, Catholics believe that many of
the faithful throughout the centuries––virgins, martyrs, confessors, saints––have performed
penances and good works far in excess of what was due as temporal punishment for their own
sins. Their merits, in union with the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, form a “spiritual treasury” which
the Church can draw upon to assist other members of the Church in general or, in particular, pay
the debt of temporal punishment both for the living and the dead. This can be done, for every good
action possesses a double value––that of merit and that of satisfaction. The meritorious value of
an act is the reward given by God to the performer of the act and cannot be transferred, while the
satisfactory value of an act is the intention sought after by the petitioner which can be directed to
benefit others. We see an example of this in the following words of St. Paul: “I am now rejoicing in
my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions
for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Col. 1:24). St. Paul knew perfectly well that with
regard to the eternal salvation of mankind, Christ’s afflictions were not only not lacking but that
they were superabundant (i.e., more than enough) in value to save the whole world. Therefore, St.
Paul and other Christians who, through the communion of saints, offer up prayers, Masses or alms
as penance for the remission of others’ temporal punishment act as temporal saviors only. They
unite their praiseworthy actions to those of the one eternal savior, Jesus Christ.

The Fathers

St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Philadelphians 3 (c. 107 AD)

“For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in
the exercise of penance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that
they may live according to Jesus Christ.”

St. Cyprian of Carthage, The Lapsed 17 (251 AD)

“The Lord alone is able to have mercy. He alone, who bore our sins, who grieved for us, and whom
God delivered up for our sins, is able to grant pardon for the sins which have been committed
against Him ... Certainly we believe that the merits of the martyrs and the works of the just will be
of great avail with the Judge––but that will be when the day of judgment comes, when, after the
end of this age and of the world, His people shall stand before the tribunal of Christ.” 

St. Cyprian of Carthage, Letters 9, 2 (c. 253 AD)

“…sinners may do penance for a set time, and according to the rules of discipline come to public
confession, and by imposition of the hand of the bishop and clergy receive the right of
communion.”

St. Ambrose of Milan, Penance 1, 15, 80 (c. 387-390 AD)

“For he is purged as if by certain works of the whole people, and is washed in the tears of the
multitude; by the prayers and tears of the multitude he is redeemed from sin, and is cleansed in
the inner man. For Christ granted to His Church that one should be redeemed through all, just as
His Church was found worthy of the coming of the Lord Jesus so that all might be redeemed
through one.”

St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed 8, 16 (c. 395 AD)

“For those whom you see doing penance have committed crimes, either adultery or some other
enormities. That is why they are doing penance. If their sins were light, daily prayer would suffice
to blot them out … In the Church, therefore, there are three ways in which sins are forgiven: in
baptisms, in prayer, and in the greater humility of penance.”

St. Augustine of Hippo, Homilies on the Gospel of John 124, 5 (416-417 AD)

“...man is obliged to suffer, even when his sins are forgiven, ... for the penalty is of longer duration
than the guilt, lest the guilt should be accounted small, were the penalty also to end with it. It is for
this reason ... that man is held in this life to the penalty, even when he is no longer held to the guilt
unto eternal damnation.”

St. Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 261, 1 (ante 542 AD)

“Considering the number of sins, he sees that he is incapable of himself alone to make satisfaction
for such grave evils; and so he is anxious to seek out the assistance of the whole people.”

Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566)

This Catechism referred to canonical penances and works of satisfaction, but made no specific
reference to Indulgences as. The question of Indulgences was dealt with by the Council itself in its
Decree Concerning Indulgences, Session XXV, December 4, 1563:

“Since the power of conferring indulgences was granted by Christ to the Church; and she has,
even in the most ancient times, used the said power, delivered unto her by God: the holy synod
teaches and enjoins that the use of indulgences—most salutary for the Christian people, and
approved of by the authority of sacred councils—is to be retained in the Church; and it condemns
with anathema those who either assert that they are useless, or who deny that there is in the
Church the power of granting them.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992)

No. 1472:

To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a
double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us
incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the “eternal punishment” of sin. On the
other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be
purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one
from what is called the “temporal punishment” of sin.

No. 1478:

An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing
granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the
treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of
the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the
aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity.