Msg Base:  AREA 3  - ASK FATHER (AMDG)
  Msg No: 44.  Fri  8-28-92 21:35  (NO KILL)
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Dusan Cyprich
 Subject: indulgences

DC|    Hi Fr. If I get a plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory, would
  |that release one soul into Heaven? I say this because we can get partial
  |indulgences for them to lessen theirs (or our) time there, and when we get
  |a plenary indulgence for ourselves, we will not go to purgatory if we
  |don't sin after that. I saw a question along this line in Radio Replies
  |(don't know which volume).
 
DC|    God bless
  |    djc
 
 
Dear Dusan,
 
Both St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas teach that an indulgence
is a partial or total payment of the debt of temporal punishment
AFTER the guilt of sin has been forgiven.
 
The granting of indulgences is grounded on the doctrine of vicarious
satisfaction.  The merit of Christ's atoning death is infinite, but in
its application He graciously uses the cooperation of His Church
members.  So St. Paul could say, "I am filling up what is lacking in
the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His Body, which is the
Church" (Col. 1:24).  According to the doctrine of the Church as
Christ's Mystical Body, all the members of the Church contribute to
the spiritual wellbeing of Christ's ailing (sinful) members, because
we are members of one another.
 
The Church grants indulgences to her members upon the fulfilment of
the conditions of each indulgence.  The primary beneficiary of the
indulgence is the person in this life who prays for the indulgence
and fulfils the conditions.  But the case is different for the
departed.  The Church does not GRANT an indulgence for the departed,
but ASKS God to give it.  When we seek to gain an indulgence for the
departed, either for one person or for all the departed, we leave the
distribution up to God.
 
                                        Sincerely in Christ,
 
                                                Father Mateo