Q. 850.  How do we know that these Indulgences have their effect?  A. We know that these Indulgences have their effect, because the Church, through her councils, declares Indulgences useful, and if they have no effect they would be useless, and the Church would teach error in spite of Christ’s promise to guide it.

Q. 851.  Have there ever existed abuses among the faithful in the manner of using Indulgences?  A. There have existed, in past ages, some abuses among the faithful in the manner of using Indulgences, and the Church has always labored to correct such abuses as soon as possible.  In the use of pious practices we must be always guided by our lawful superiors.

Q. 852.  How have the enemies of the Church made use of the abuse of Indulgences?  A. The enemies of the Church have made use of the abuse of Indulgences to deny the doctrine of Indulgences, and to break down the teaching and limit the power of the Church.  Not to be deceived in matters of faith, we must always distinguish very carefully between the abuses to which a devotion may lead and the truths upon which the devotion rests.

Q. 853. {236} How does the Church by means of Indulgences remit the temporal punishment due to sin?  A. The Church, by means of Indulgences, remits the temporal punishment due to sin by applying to us the merits of Jesus Christ, and the superabundant satisfactions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the saints; which merits and satisfactions are its spiritual treasury.

Q. 854.  What do we mean by the “superabundant satisfaction of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints”?  A. By the superabundant satisfaction of the Blessed Virgin and the saints, we mean all the satisfaction over and above what was necessary to satisfy for their own sins.  As their good works were many and their sins few—­the Blessed Virgin being sinless—­the satisfaction not needed for themselves is kept by the Church in a spiritual treasury to be used for our benefit.

Q. 855.  Does the Church, by granting Indulgences, free us from doing Penance?  A. The Church, by granting Indulgences, does not free us from doing penance, but simply makes our penance lighter that we may more easily satisfy for our sins and escape the punishments they deserve.

Q. 856.  Who has the power to grant Indulgences?  A. The Pope alone has the power to grant Indulgences for the whole Church; but the bishops have power to grant partial Indulgences in their own diocese.  Cardinals and some others, by the special permission of the Pope, have the right to grant certain Indulgences.

Q. 857.  Where shall we find the Indulgences granted by the Church?  A. We shall find the Indulgences granted by the Church in the declarations of the Pope and of the Sacred Congregation of Cardinals.  These declarations are usually put into prayer books and books of devotion or instruction.

Q. 858. {237} What must we do to gain an Indulgence?  A. To gain an Indulgence we must be in the state of grace and perform the works enjoined.