Indulgences
On
November 11, 1965, Cardinal Alfrink (Utrecht), representing Dutch
bishops, noted the fact that indulgences did not fit into the new theology of Vatican
II.
Cardinal
Döpfner opposed the idea of indulgences as the spiritual treasury of the
Church.
November
13, 1965 Although the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern
World, under discussion cited some fallacies of atheism, it also encouraged
dialogue with atheists.
Presidents
of episcopal conferences received a paper on indulgences written by Cardinals
Cento and Journet. It spoke of the temporal punishment due to sin
and satisfaction made by prayers and good works, quoting papal bulls written by
Pope Clement VI (1343) and Leo X (1518 and 1520). It also gave
the definition of indulgences from Canon 911 and the Council of Trent.
The
European Alliance prelates from Austria, Belgium, Scandinavia, and Switzerland,
attacked the ideas of the Magisterium of the Church dispensing indulgences and
remitting temporal punishment for sin. Bishops from Brazil, Chile, the Congo,
Haiti, Japan, Laos, Rwanda, and Wales wanted to eliminate indulgences altogether,
or lessen their number.
An
attack on indulgences began once the topic reached the Council floor. Maximos
Saigh IV mocked the idea that the Church could remit temporal punishment
due to sin. The draft of Könif and Döpfner, written by Semmelroth
and Rahner, was read to Council Fathers.
It
viciously attacked the concept that the Church could reward the faithful for saying
prayers and performing good works. It claimed speaking about indulgences would
hinder the ecumenical movement. Since the Council didn’t have time to properly
deal with the matter, General Secretary Archbishop Felici told episcopal
conferences to send their comments to the Sacred Penitentiary. On January 1,
1967, Paul VI practically abolished indulgences in his Apostolic Constitution, Indulgentiarum
doctrina.
Making the Changes in Indulgences Permanent
Paul
VI made the changes proposed by the Council to indulgences permanent by means
of his Apostolic Constitution on Indulgences, Indulgentiarum Doctrina on
January 1, 1967. It worked
.
. . to establish a new measure for partial indulgences and reduced considerably
the number of plenary indulgences. . . . indulgences are attached to the
actions performed by the faithful and not to objects or places . . .(Paul VI Apostolic
Constitution on Indulgences, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Chapter V, 12) The condition
of praying for the Supreme Pontiffs intentions is fully satisfied by reciting one
‘Our Father’ and one ‘Hail Mary’ nevertheless the individual faithful are free
to recite any other prayer according to their own piety and devotion toward the
Supreme Pontiff. (Paul VI, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Norms n. 10) The
Enchiridion Indulgentiarium is to be revised with a view to attaching
indulgences only to the most important prayers and works of piety, charity and
penance. (Paul VI, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, n. 13) (Francisco Radecki
and Dominic Radecki, Vatican II Exposed as Counterfeit Catholicism [Wayne,
Mich.: St. Joseph’s Media, 2019], 495)
