Choose a topic from Part 3 Suppl:
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.
"Lord, take from me everything that hinders me from going to You. give me all that will lead me to You. Take me from myself and give me to Yourself."
St Nicholas Flue
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"The Lord has always revealed to mortals the treasures of his wisdom and his spirit, but now that the face of evil bares itself more and more, so does the Lord bare his treasures more."
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church
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"The supreme perfection of man in this life is to be so united to God that all his soul with all its faculties and powers are so gathered into the Lord God that he becomes one spirit with him, and remembers nothing except God, is aware of and recognises nothing but God, but with all his desires unified by the joy of love, he rests contentedly in the enjoyment of his Maker alone."
St Albert the Great
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