186 THE MEANS OF GRACE 



by voluntary good works (prayer, fasting, almsgiving, 

 humility, patience, resignation to the will of God, mortifi- 

 cation, and self-denial). The duty of giving satisfaction 

 in this wider sense implies a strenuous effort to neutralize 

 the evil consequences of sin by making restitution of ill- 

 gotten goods, repairing scandal, etc. 



4. Indulgences. — Indulgences are an effective means 

 of making satisfaction and intensifying penitential zeal. 10 

 An indulgence is a remission of temporal punishments due 

 to sin. 11 No one is bound to gain indulgences, but it is a 

 very salutary practice to avail oneself of this privilege. 

 The Tridentine Council "teaches and enjoins that the use 

 of indulgences for the Christian people, most salutary and 

 approved by the authority of sacred councils, is to be 

 retained in the Church." 12 To gain an indulgence one 

 must be in the state of sanctifying grace and have the right 

 intention (intcntio lucrandi). The good works prescribed 

 must be conscientiously performed. 13 When confession 



9 Cfr. Linsenmann, Lehrbuch dcr Comp. Theol. Mor., II, n. 834). 

 Moraltheologie, p. 236; Th. H. 12 Cone. Trident., Sess. XXV, De 

 Simar, Lehrbuch dcr Moraltheologie, Indulg.: "Indulgentiarum usus 

 3rd ed., p. 361. christiano populo maxime salutaris 



10 St. Thomas, Sutnma Theol., 3a, et sacrorum conciliorum auctoritate 

 Suppl., qu. 25-27. — St. Alphonsus, approbatus." 



Theol. Mor., 1. VI, n. 53'-534 — 13 St. Alphonsus, Theol. Mor., 1. 

 Gury, Comp. Theol. Mor., II, n. VI, n. 533. — Gury, Comp. Theol. 

 834-853. — F. Beringer, Die Abldsse, Mor., II, n. 837: "Quattuor requi- 

 nth ed., Paderborn 1906. — A. M. runtur in subjecto ad indulgentias 

 Lepicier, Indulgences, New York lucrandas: (1) Ut sit baptizatus, 

 1906. — Pohle-Preuss, The Sacra- quia thesaurus Ecclesiae infidelibus 

 ments, Vol. Ill, 2nd ed., pp. 232 dispensari nequit, ut patet; nee sit 

 sqq. — Chr. Pesch, Praelect. Dogmat., excommunicatus, quia secus com- 

 Vol. VII, 2nd ed., pp. 199 sqq. — P. munione bonorum spiritualium pri- 

 Mocchegiani, Collectio Indulgenti- varetur; (2) Ut sit subditus con- 

 arum, Quaracchi 1897. cedentis; (3) Ut opera iniuncta tem- 



11 "Indulgentta est remissio pore praescripto impleat, quia sub 

 poenae temporalis Deo pro peccatis hac conditione conccduntur indulgen- 

 quoad culpam rcmissis debitae, con- tiae ; (4) Ut sit in statu gratiae, 

 cessa a legitimo ministro, extra sa- saltern quando ultimum opus prae- 

 cramentum poenitentiae per applica- scriptum ponit, quia non remittitur 

 tionem thesauri Ecclesiae." (Gury, poena, nisi dimissa culpa." 



