Buying indulgences

[Inquiringperson]

If you buy an indulgence, does that count as Simony? If so, does that mean that everyone who bought indulgences prior to the Protestant Reformation committed the mortal sin of Simony?

 

[1ke]

If you buy an indulgence, does that count as Simony?

One cannot buy an indulgence, therefore the question is moot.

If so, does that mean that everyone who bought indulgences prior to the Protestant Reformation committed the mortal sin of Simony?

I believe your first question should be whether or not people bought indulgences. The answer to that is no.

 

[Inquiringperson]

One cannot buy an indulgence, therefore the question is moot.

I believe your first question should be whether or not people bought indulgences. The answer to that is no.

I forgot to put quote tags on the word “buy”. My question is, if someone attempts to “buy” an indulgence, do they commit Simony?

 

[jschutzm]

One cannot buy an indulgence, therefore the question is moot.

To expand upon this…

One can not buy an indulgence now, that is for sure.

I believe your first question should be whether or not people bought indulgences. The answer to that is no.

I am unclear if in the past, let’s say around the 1500s when Luther was all in an up roar, if you could.

I’ve heard SOME say that you could give money to the church for a specific project or for charity… and that the bishop may have given you an indulgence for your penance. In thus “in a way” you were “buying” that indulgence.

Then I’ve heard some church historians who claim that there were unscrupulous people who illegally sold indulgences, claiming that they were authorized by such and such Bishop to do so.

The argument to that is that some say “therefore the Church never sold indulgences since such deals were illegal and outside of the church’s teachings” while others say: “therefore for all intents and purposes… whether legal or illegal… indulgences were being sold and bought, even if they were illicite.”

So I’ve heard it both ways and therefore, as a laymen, are unclear which is a more correct way of putting it.

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But suffice to say… I think so long as the people’s intention was pure and they were being duped or convinced that what they were doing was OK and honest… then they committed no sin.

REMEMBER - in the Catholic church’s view… to a certain degree… ignorance of the law can in some cases, actually mean it is not a sin. For that person at least… since their conscience was ill-formed or they were simply ignorant through no fault of their own.

 

[1ke]

I am unclear if in the past, let’s say around the 1500s when Luther was all in an up roar, if you could.

I’ve heard SOME say that you could give money to the church for a specific project or for charity… and that the bishop may have given you an indulgence for your penance. In thus “in a way” you were “buying” that indulgence.

No, in no way were you “buying” an indulgence. The giving of alms was an indulgenced act.

Let me add that in cases where the priest kept the money instead of giving it to its intended cause-- then the priest was guilty of simony, not the one seeking the indulgence.

 

[1ke]

I forgot to put quote tags on the word “buy”. My question is, if someone attempts to “buy” an indulgence, do they commit Simony?

If one attempts exchange money for the remittance of the temporal punishment due to sin, then one is attempting to purchase a spiritual benefit. In such case, yes, one would be attempting simony.

Since one cannot actually make such a purchase, they cannot actually commit the crime of simony in this case.

 

[Inquiringperson]

If one attempts exchange money for the remittance of the temporal punishment due to sin, then one is attempting to purchase a spiritual benefit. In such case, yes, one would be attempting simony.

Since one cannot actually make such a purchase, they cannot actually commit the crime of simony in this case.

Is it a mortal sin to attempt to buy an indulgence?

 

[1ke]

Is it a mortal sin to attempt to buy an indulgence?

It’s objectively wrong.

Your question lacks context. I think if you went to your priest and said “I want to buy an indulgence” he would explain that there is no such thing as buying an indulgence and point you in the right direction.

A person would have to be very confused on the matter in the first place, and confused is not the same as sinful.

 

[puzzleannie]

If you buy an indulgence, does that count as Simony? If so, does that mean that everyone who bought indulgences prior to the Protestant Reformation committed the mortal sin of Simony?

you cannot buy indulgences
the Church never at any time in any way shape or form approved selling indulgences
that does not mean evil people even priests claiming to act for the Church did try to sell them at various times, but yes, when they did, it was the grave sin of simony. anyone who knowingly paid money to one of these fraudulent people and new it was sinful not only did not gain an indulgence, but may have knowingly sinned themselves.

n.b. it is not considered good form to pose a question in the form of an accusation that assumes the alleged unlawful, sinful or evil act is true and was sanctioned by the Church.

 

[Inquiringperson]

n.b. it is not considered good form to pose a question in the form of an accusation that assumes the alleged unlawful, sinful or evil act is true and was sanctioned by the Church.

Understood.