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Tuesday, February 09, 2010
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Date Posted:
1/29/1998
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Contents
Introduction
Origins and Nature
Basic Differences
False Doctrines
Mariolatry
Purgatory
Supererogation
Papal Infallibility
Peter the Little Stone
Rome's Monopoly
'Heretics'
Babylon the Great
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Purgatory and Indulgences
The History and Falsehoods of Romanism
Professor CAM Noble
The doctrine of purgatory as taught by the Roman Catholic Church is nowhere to be found in the Scriptures. It is derived from Jewish concepts of the second to first century B.C. that persons will be judged by God according to their deeds and that the faithful should pray that God might show mercy to souls departed from this life.
Teaching regarding purgatory was gradually developed in connection with many other associated errors, such as the distinction between mortal and venial sins. The distinction between mortal or grave sins and venial or less serious sins is an arbitrary one without Bible foundation: it grew, in fact, out of the doctrine of purgatory.
In Romanist doctrine, purgatory is the condition of the soul of a person who has died in a state of grace but who has not been purged, or purified, from all possible stain of unforgiven venial sins (pardonable, less serious offenses against God), or whose mortal sins (serious offenses against God that destroy sanctifying grace), imperfections, or evil habits have not been remitted. Souls in such conditions must thus be purified before entering Heaven.
Rome teaches that purgatory is an intermediate place between Heaven and Hell where the soul spends an indeterminate length of time, depending on the gravity of unpardoned sins and the number of indulgences granted on the soul's behalf. An indulgence is the performance of some act of merit, such as prayers, 'Hail Mary's, rosary exercises, etc., which can be applied to departed friends to shorten their stay in purgatory. The Pope claims the right to proclaim indulgences and pass judgement on their value.
Thus, in addition to the authoritative teaching that purgatory exists, Roman Catholic doctrine holds that the souls in purgatory may be aided by the faithful on Earth through prayers, almsgiving, indulgences, fasting, sacrifices, and other works of piety.
A modern example of an arbitrary indulgence was granted by Pope John XIII and reported in the February, 1962, Roman Catholic monthly magazine Extension. This edict grants "indulgences to all who will offer confessions, communion, pay a visit to a church or oratory, and say prayers for the intention of the Pope". This decree also declares that a 500-day partial indulgence may be obtained if a Roman Catholic offers his or her work to God and accompanies this offering with a prayer and a contrite heart. By doing these various acts or works the person can gain a 500-day shortening of his or her stay in purgatory.
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The Definition of Indulgences
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A definition of indulgences is found in the book The Faith of Millions by the Roman Catholic authority Dr. John A. O'Brien: "It is simply the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin after the sin itself is forgiven."
According to the Roman Church, every grievous sin has attached to it a twofold penalty:
- An eternal punishment
- A temporal (as opposed to eternal) punishment which is suffered either in this life or in purgatory after death (or, alternatively, in both).
The guilt with its eternal punishment is pardoned by confession; the temporal punishment suffered in this life, in purgatory, or in both, may be remitted by (a) good deeds of penance or (b) the practice of indulgences attached by the Church to certain acts of charity and ritual.
The value of these indulgences (prayers, confessional, attendance at mass, counting beads, 'Hail Mary's, etc.), can be obtained only by the living and then applied or credited to the soul in purgatory. By these and the paying for masses said by a priest, the stay of the soul in purgatory can be shortened.
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The kissing of the rosary beads and reciting these words...
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'Father' Hugh O'Connell says in his book on indulgences: "Indulgences will not save from Hell, but will shorten one's time in Purgatory." He calls the use of the rosary "a special indulgence" and writes: "The faithful who devoutly carry about their person a rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary that has been properly blessed may gain an indulgence of 500 days once a day if they kiss the rosary and at the same time devoutly recite these words: 'Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.'"
During the period of the early church the existence of purgatory was classified by several theologians as a required belief, but it was not until the councils of Lyon and Florence in the Middle Ages and the Council of Trent in the Reformation period that the teaching was authoritatively defined. The matter of the place, duration, and nature of the punishments of purgatory has not been definitively answered.
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