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26. The Granting of Indulgences

1. Indulgences are granted by the pope, and by the bishopfor his subjects, and by the official who exercises thebishop's jurisdiction in a diocese. Indulgences cannot begranted by others, such as abbots, or parish priests.

2. Sometimes a person who is not in holy orders can grantan indulgence; for example, a layman who has been designatedbishop, has not yet been ordained or consecrated, but who has takenover the rule of his diocese. The power of granting indulgencesdoes notbelong to the sacrament of holy orders, but tojurisdiction or authoritative rule in the Church.

3. The fullness of power to grant indulgences resides inhim who has the fullness of jurisdiction in the Church, that is,the pope. This power is shared, in the measure of the pope'swishes, to the bishops of the Church.

4. A man in mortal sin cannot gain an indulgence. But aman with jurisdiction, who is himself in mortal sin, can grant anindulgence to be gained by those disposed to gain it. For thisremission of temporal punishment due to sin is not accomplishedthrough the holiness of the person who grants an indulgence, but bythe objective application of merits drawn from the spiritualtreasury of the Church.

"Whom do you seek, friend, if you seek not God? Seek him, find him, cleave to him; bind your will to his with bands of steel and you will live always at peace in this life and in the next."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"Try to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God. "
Thomas á Kempis

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"As the flesh is nourished by food, so is man supported by prayers"
St Augustine

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