Tackling Tradition 19; Reforming Indulgences (Part 2)

In the previous article, we looked at the contents of the Treasury of Merit. Now we will take a look at its use..

In the previous article, we looked at the contents of the Treasury of Merit. Now we will take a look at its use..

Present Day Use: 

Tim Chailles  summarizes how indulgences may be obtained: 

• Making a pilgrimage to Rome and, while there, carrying out certain acts within particular buildings (e.g. visiting St. Peter’s; praying within the Roman Catacombs).
• Performing works of mercy (e.g. visiting prisoners; spending time with the elderly).
• Undertaking certain acts of penance (e.g. fasting from social media for at least a day per week; offering support to the needy).
• Making a pious pilgrimage to a local cathedral or shrine identified by the appropriate bishop.
• Engaging in acts of spiritual formation based on the documents of Vatican II.

Christ’s Person & Work as Redeemer-Mediator is sufficient once for everyone (Romans 5) & all time (Hebrews 7 & 10), &  we justified by grace alone through faith alone, When used as a means to procure merit for them in order to spring them out of Purgatory, because of all-sufficient person & work of Christ alone, the above list is superfluous as means to assist the deceased. 

 

Question: So what you are saying is that is impossible to reform this practice?

Answer: No, I’m not — and here’s why. 

We know from the Gospels that Christ was baptized as act of covenant solidarity.  Like every prophet, priest, & king in Israel, He represented (& still does) all living things to God & God to all living things.  

 

I Corinthians 15 speaks of a practice we call baptism for the deceased.   The meaning of this practice is that people can reaffirm for themselves God’s covenant via baptism &, like Christ, affirm their covenant solidarity with both the non-deceased & the deceased (regardless of where they are located after they cross over). 

In addition, the Scriptures are full of acts of inductive & intuitive prophecy.  Therefore, I think that the Treasury & its correct(ed) content along with the sale of indulgences can be reformed — as long as we understand that Christ & His merits alone ought to be in the vault & that any covenantal activity on our part does not add meritorious value to the treasury & that it is impossible to merit our own salvation &/o that of others, both deceased & non-deceased. 

Question: In concrete terms, what would this look like? 

Answer:  2025 has been declared as a Jubilee Cycle in the life liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.  Consequently, from their point of view, distribution of indulgences both formally (via a visible Christian institution) & informally (what the LORD will sacramentally underwrite) is now open.   In the Bible the Jubilee Cycle focused on acts of mercy & kindness designed to free slaves/indentured servants, settle debts, sometimes reapportion the land, & generally do liturgical “spring cleaning.”

I suggest the following:  After reforming the Treasury of Merit & clarification of the procurement of indulgences status as an act of figuratively inductive &/or intuitive prophecy, the list can be reformed as a list of sacramental, covenantal mitzvahs that help bring us closer to God & stand in covenant solidarity with the deceased in both Heaven & Gehenna. In God’s mind we’re probably doing this informally already.   Personally, I don’t like the term “Treasury of Merit.”  I would repackage that term as an inheritance vault that contains the ground of our righteousness (the exhaustive, perfect, covenantal righteousness of Christ) which we are charged with memorializing & publishing by way of acts of grace filled goodness & kindness toward which (not because of which) we have been justified & are currently being progressively sanctified.   

Step 0: Decide upon a range of dates. the year 2025 for example, perhaps by way of prayerful consideration of its gematria (as a means of confuting numerology).  Set the date & declare.  

Step 1: Decide upon & declare specific home, church, & civic needs & activity to which the indulgences & their procurement correspond.  

Step 2: Develop & specific set of mitzvahs that correspond both indirectly & directly & are as closely correlative in terms of correspondence to the needs & activity in Step 1. 

 

Sample list: 

• Education: Making an overt pilgrimage to any number of historical Christian & Non-Christian sites and, while there, carry out certain acts within particular buildings (e.g. visiting St. Peter’s; praying within the Roman Catacombs, visiting the Hagia Sophia, visiting Jerusalem, visiting Old Salem in NC).   Do this for yourself & in hopes that persecuted people or others will one day be allowed to do this too. 
• Empathy: Performing works of mercy (e.g. visiting prisoners; spending time with the elderly).
• Repentance & Making Amends: Undertaking certain acts of penance (e.g. fasting from social media for at least a day per week; offering support to the needy).
• Servanthood & Humility: Making a covert pious pilgrimage to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC or the Civil Rights Museum or a garden or shrine.  
• Honesty & Discernment: Engaging in acts of spiritual formation based on the catechism or other doctrinally & ethically sound printed materials. 
• Transparency: Formally &/or informally commit to a small group, Bible study, &/or an accountability group. 
• Shalom: Attend a workshop or class on biblically sound peacemaking / peacekeeping. 

Finally, keep in mind that prophecy answers witchcraft & sorcery.  The Accusing Adversary would have us all living in self-reinforcing ignorance; free of empathy - not to empathize; forever holding personal grudges, spite lists; steeped in pride & prejudice, keeping secrets from one another lest the other person use them against us, & constantly at war with each other.   

Question: Should they be sold? 

Answer:  Yes, but only in a very broad sense: If the income will be used for specific, generally laudible & charitable activities, then a voluntary monetary or non-monetary contribution/tithe isn’t off limits but is not required.   It’s like squirreling away a few dollars in a jar in your house as a valuation for what you’d charge if in this as a paid employee.   

For example & the kids helped clean up Granville Park & volunteered with an event at a local Methodist Church.   That’s about $100 of your time & energy, ergo $100 goes into the Jubilee Jar.   That $100 & any other cash will be donated to the PAPC’s mercy fund at the end of the quarter.  

That samonetization isn’t necessary.  Some sort of publication of their availability is, in my opinion, given the spirit of gluttony in the churches these days, is probably the best route to go. 

May God bless us all, each & every one, & “Go & sin no more.”