Indulgance for Reading the Bible?

[Montie_Claunch]

I can’t remeber where I read it but, I recall hearing that one gets an indulgance for reading the bible. Is this True? What are the Particulars? Do you have to read the whole bible? Or Just a book of the Bible? or Just Fifeteen minites? Thanks and God bless.

 

[Pug]

I can’t remeber where I read it but, I recall hearing that one gets an indulgance for reading the bible. Is this True? What are the Particulars? Do you have to read the whole bible? Or Just a book of the Bible? or Just Fifeteen minites? Thanks and God bless.

It is a partial indulgence for less than 30 minutes. If you read in a devout fashion for 30 or more minutes, then if you also do the usual conditions, you can get a plenary indulgence.

Read whatever portion of scripture suits you, psalms, gospels, whatever.

 

[slewi]

From The Baltimore Catechism:

For Reading the Bible

The faithful who read the Bible for at least a quarter of an hour, with the reverence due to the Divine Word and as spiritual reading may gain:

An Indulgence of 3 years.

FOr Teaching or Studying Christian Doctrine

The faithful who devote twenty minutes to a half hour to teaching or studying Christian Doctrine, may gain:

An indulgence of 3 years. A plenary indulgence on teh usual conditions twice a month, if the above practice is carried out at least twice a month.

 

[Pug]

Slewi,

That info is no longer current, and if you read on, you will see that maybe what I said was not quite current! It is quite helpful for the proof that it has been indulgenced for some time, however. They have revised the rules. Partial indulgences are no longer labeled with a phrase like “three years”. If I rummage about, I’ll find where they abolished it…

Okay, I’m not sure if this is the official abolishment, but it gives evidence that it did indeed happen, my bold:
Indulgentiarum Doctrina (PopePaulVI:

In drawing up the new norms these three considerations have been particularly observed: to establish a new measurement for partial indulgences; to reduce considerably the number of plenary indulgences; and, as for the so-called “real” and “local” indulgences, to reduce them and give them a simpler and more dignified formulation.
**Regarding partial **indulgences, with the abolishment of the former determination of days and years, a new norm or measurement has been established which takes into consideration the action itself of the faithful Christian who performs a work to which an indulgence is attached.
Since by their acts the faithful can obtain, in addition to the merit which is the principal fruit of the act, a further remission of temporal punishment in proportion to the degree to which the charity of the one performing the act is greater, and in proportion to the degree to which the act itself is performed in a more perfect way, it has been considered fitting that this remission of temporal punishment which the Christian faithful acquire through an action should serve as the measurement for the remission of punishment which the ecclesiastical authority bountifully adds by way of partial indulgence.

Various indulgences have been changed. The rule that I gave for scripture reading was current in 1968-1999, but there has been an updated version of the rules done in 1999, and I have not seen an English copy of it. There was still a partial indulgence for the teaching of doctrine (as of 1968). It also extends to the learner. I don’t know if there is still a plenary indulgence for it. I don’t recall reading of one in the enchiridion, but it could be there.

I do know that in 1999, this was said about the changes implemented in the new edition:
DECREE Fourth Edition of the 'Enchiridion Indulgentiarum'Apostolic Penitentiary:

Several earlier grants have also been broadened, for example, regarding the recitation of the Marian Rosary or the *Akathistos *hymn, the jubilee celebrations of sacred ordinations, the reading of Sacred Scripture and visits to sacred places.

My Latin is not good enough for me to figure it out without an English copy. So the indulgence for scripture reading may be even simpler now than what I gave.

 

[slewi]

Hmmmm…methinks they should leave things alone…

 

[Pug]

Okay, here’s my most obscure possible answer to your question.

** Sacrae Scripturae lectio ** § 1.59 Plenaria indulgentia conceditur christifideli qui Sacram Scripturam, iuxta textum a competenti auctoritate adprobatum, cum veneratione divino eloquio debita et ad modum lectionis spiritalis, per dimidiam saltem horam legerit; si per minus tempus id egerit indulgentia erit partialis.
§ 2. Quod si rationabili de causa quis legere non valeat, *indulgentia, plenaria *vel *partialis *prout supra, conceditur, si textus ipse Sacrae Scripturae, vel alio legente vel ope instrumentorum, quae « video » vel « audio » vocantur, percipitur.

I’ve been progressing from bad to worse here, but I don’t think I can top this. source.

 

[Church_Militant]

Page 18 of the Enrichidion of Indulgences:

“Deserving of special mention are the following works, for any one of which the faithful can gain a plenary indulgence any day of the year…”(except that we can only get one a day)

"-- adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one half an hour. (Norm 3)

– devout reading of the sacred scriptures for at least one half an hour. Norm 50)

– the pious excercise of the way of the Cross (Norm 63)

– the recitation of the Marian Rosary in a church or public oratory or in a family group, a religious Community or pious Association. (Norm 48)"

I have it all on a CD as a PDF file
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum,

 

[Pug]

Page 18 of the Enrichidion of Indulgences

CM,

I, too, have the old version of the Enchiridion, and that is how I answered in my original post. My question is, what does it say in the new one? Is yours the fourth edition, from 1999? The Latin I gave above is from the fourth (new) edition.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Hi,
I have heard alot about indulgences but Im not quite sure what they are. What does an indulgence give you or what does one get out of doing them? Do you understand my question? Im not sure Im asking it right.

Thanks

 

[netmilsmom]

Hi,
I have heard alot about indulgences but Im not quite sure what they are. What does an indulgence give you or what does one get out of doing them? Do you understand my question? Im not sure Im asking it right.

Thanks

I’m going to take a shot at this.
This is the way that I explained them to my kids.

It takes away the Purgatory time accumulated from sin. If you sin, there are always the hurts that you cannot take back. The sin is forgiven, the reprocusions are not.

Someone once told a parable of a boy who was prone to lying. His father told him to pound a nail into a fence for every lie he told. The boy obeyed and when he saw how often he sinned, he realized that he must stop.
One day he went to his father and said, “I’m not lying anymore! No more nails.”
The father told him that he was wonderful! Now, everytime he wanted to lie but didn’t, he should take out one nail. Soon, every nail was gone.

The boy proudly came to his father and told him about the nails. The father pointed to the fence and asked, “What do you see?”
The boy said, “Holes”
The father kindly explained that eventhough the boy was forgiven of his sin, and resolved not to sin anymore, there were still holes in the heart of God for the sin.
That is why we go to Purgatory.
Or here’s another. Today, I stole your lunch money. You went without lunch. Tonight I feel really bad. Tomorrow I go to you, apologize and give you your money back. I can’t take away the hunger caused yesterday. It cannot be forgiven.

A Plenary Indulgence takes away the hurts up until the time that you receive it. If you meet all the criteria and walk out of church only to be hit by a bus, you go straight to Heaven. It doesn’t take away sin, only contrition can do that, so to get the indulgence one must go to Sacramental Confession.

I’m sure that if my explaination is wrong or lame, someone else with help.

 

[LilyM]

You need to understand Catholic theories about sin to understand indulgences.

We believe each sin has two types of consequences. One type is purely spiritual - each sin disrupts your relationship with God, to a greater or lesser degree. Kind of like if you break your mother’s window she’s not going to like it, or you, too much. These are forgiven in confession or with a good act of contrition outside confession.

Others consequences are temporal - they do damge to ourselves and/or others. This damage needs to be paid for. Rather like if you break the window, even after your mother has forgiven you you may need to clean up the broken glass and/or pay to get the window replaced.

We believe that if you die without having satisfied this latter part of the consequences of your sins - with the broken window still unpaid for, so to speak - you will have to do so in purgatory before you enter heaven. There’s a bible passage about being thrown into jail until you’ve paid off every penny of your debt, which is our view of purgatory.

Indulgences are voluntary good acts you can do or prayers you can say that, to a greater or lesser degree, can offset the punishment due to your sins. Rather like paying off the repairs to the window in instalments after it’s broken, or bartering with the glass repair dude instead of directly paying him cash or something.

Hope this helps.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Yes, I think I understand. You dont have to pay for indulgences from the churh --right? That was done away with a long time ago–right?

Is an indulgence you voluntarily do on your own or does the CC have to approve it. Would it be the same as penance?

Sorry Im asking so many questions. Ive just never really asked before. Dont worry I dont plan on debating about it. This is just for my own understanding.

 

[quasimodo]

Yes, I think I understand. You dont have to pay for indulgences from the churh --right? That was done away with a long time ago–right?

Is an indulgence you voluntarily do on your own or does the CC have to approve it. Would it be the same as penance?

Sorry Im asking so many questions. Ive just never really asked before. Dont worry I dont plan on debating about it. This is just for my own understanding.

While indulgences were sold in the past, the sale was not in line with Church teaching. A few well placed scoundrels made quite a mess of things with that particular excess.

New Advent begins it discussion of penance thusly:
Penance (poenitentia) designates (1) a virtue; (2) a sacrament of the New Law; (3) a canonical punishment inflicted according to the earlier discipline of the Church; (4) a work of satisfaction enjoined upon the recipient of the sacrament. These have as their common centre the truth that he who sins must repent and as far as possible make reparation to Divine justice.

 

[LilyM]

Yes, I think I understand. You dont have to pay for indulgences from the churh --right? That was done away with a long time ago–right?

Is an indulgence you voluntarily do on your own or does the CC have to approve it. Would it be the same as penance?

Sorry Im asking so many questions. Ive just never really asked before. Dont worry I dont plan on debating about it. This is just for my own understanding.

Ask away

No people don’t pay and never should have paid for indulgences. There were times where unscrupulous priests and others preyed on their ignorance though, and led them to believe they could or had to.

The CC does set the conditions for an indulgence - ie ‘if you do xyz and meet the usual conditions, you will gain an indulgence’. And of course it’s completely voluntary whether you choose to do the actions or not. Doesn’t mean that other actions aren’t also useful in remitting the temporal punishment due to sin though.

Now it’s the bit about ‘meet the usual conditions’ that’s the rub. At a minimum you have to be in what’s called a ‘state of grace’ to start off with - no serious (mortal) unconfessed or unrepented sin on your soul.

For many indulgences you have to have additionally been to confession with a priest within one week before or after saying the indulgenced prayer or doing the indulgenced actAND must have received Communion. AND you must be ‘free of all attachment to sin’ (what precisely that means has never been properly defined - basically it’s to do with at least not DESIRING to sin).

 

[Pug]

Hi,
I have heard alot about indulgences but Im not quite sure what they are. What does an indulgence give you or what does one get out of doing them? Do you understand my question? Im not sure Im asking it right.

Thanks

There are some acts that are naturally healing for us, like prayer. Turning our mind to God in prayer has as a consequence that we become more holy, and less of a mind to sin. The Church has a particular list of these actions that it has enriched with an “indulgence”. If you do something on the list (like devoutly read scripture while in a state of grace), in addition to the regular consequence, the Church, through the power of the Keys, has added a bonus consequence. It is described in my first quote above. It is like a doubling of the regular good effects of the action. Uh, here is the relevant piece of the quote back again, but it may seem too technical. Just skip it and read what I said, if you like:

the faithful can obtain, in addition to the merit which is the principal fruit of the act, a further remission of temporal punishment in proportion to the degree to which the charity of the one performing the act is greater, and in proportion to the degree to which the act itself is performed in a more perfect way, it has been considered fitting that this remission of temporal punishment which the Christian faithful acquire through an action should serve as the measurement for the remission of punishment which the ecclesiastical authority bountifully adds by way of partial indulgence.

The Church will describe what I have said in terms of remission of “temporal punishment”, by which she means a consequence of sin that is NOT eternal. The eternal punishment means going to hell. Indulgences have absolutely zero to do with that. Temporal consequences are various harms and tendencies we have gotten by doing our sins. If by the time we die, we are still overly attached to sin, we go to purgatory to finish being cleansed of that before going into heaven. A person might voluntarily choose to do indulgenced actions to avoid purgatory. However, one might just choose them because the Church has especially recommended them as a good direction to go in your prayer life (they are often prayers).

The place the Church gets the little bonus that she adds on with an indulgence comes from the Treasury of Merits, which first consists of Christ’s merits (like from the cross). Also in the Treasury are merits from the saints.

Indulgences ought not be sold. They are by nature free. However, there have been unscrupulous people.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Thank you.
By George I think I got it!!!

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.

 

[mrs_abbott]

It is a partial indulgence for less than 30 minutes. If you read in a devout fashion for 30 or more minutes, then if you also do the usual conditions, you can get a plenary indulgence.

How do you know? Where is this information?

 

[LilyM]

How do you know? Where is this information?

Its in the Enchiridion (Handbook) of Indulgences - I think the Enchiridion is available online.

 

[mrs_abbott]

Its in the Enchiridion (Handbook) of Indulgences - I think the Enchiridion is available online.

Ok. Thanks! I’ll take a look.

 

[Church_Militant]

Its in the Enchiridion (Handbook) of Indulgences - I think the Enchiridion is available online.

I googled it and even searched New Advent without success.

I don’t really know what edition mine is but I do know that the passage that I quoted has not changed. One way that you can tell is that it no longer gives the specific times. It just says partial and plenary.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum,