How long did the Catholic Church sell indulgences before they were banned?

Answer 1

Long enough to bankcrupt my grandmother who had to pay for indulgences when my mother died (back in 1950).
That was the most evil thing I have ever personally witnessed.

Answer 2

An indulgence, in Roman Catholic theology, is the (full or partial) remission of temporal punishment due to sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indulgence

When you sin, you have done damage. If you confess your sin and receive forgiveness, you still have a penalty to pay.

For example, if I stole your money, it would take more than forgiveness to restore my relationship with God. I would have to pay you back with interest, like Zacchaeus (see Luke 19).

One never could "buy" indulgences. The financial scandal around indulgences involved alms-indulgences in which the giving of alms to some charitable fund or foundation was used as the occasion to grant the indulgence. There was no outright selling of indulgences. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: "To give money to God or to the poor is a praiseworthy act, and, when it is done from right motives, it will surely not go unrewarded." Giving to charity was Zacchaeus's way to make up for his cheating on gathering taxes.

The Council of Trent instituted severe reforms in the practice of granting indulgences because of prior abuses. In 1567 Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions. This act proved the Church's seriousness about removing abuses from indulgences.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 3

Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions in 1567.

+ Purgatory +

To discuss indulgences, first we have to talk about Purgation (or Purgatory).

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves into perfect beings. Depending on the amount of change needed by different people this can be an easy or slightly harder process.

Everyone in purgatory is on their way to heaven. I don't think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

+ Indulgences +

The concept is that a person can do acts of penance now on earth to make purgation easier.

Penance is internally turning one's heart toward God and away from sin in hope in divine mercy and externally by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

A corruption grew in the Church many years ago where rich people would give enough alms (money to the Church) to essentially buy an easy way to heaven. This was one of Martin Luther's protests (hence Protestants) and shortly thereafter the Catholic Church cleaned up this practice.

In 1567 Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions.

But remember because everyone in purgatory is already on their way to heaven, indulgences do not get you into heaven. They just make purgation easier.

I guess if you did not believe in purgatory then there would be no reason to worry about indulgences.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

It lasted since the start of the building of the Saint Peter's Basilica in 1506 until the Council of Trent (between 1545 and 1563).

So it was roughly 40 - 50 years.

Even though some claim they are still being sold, it is now against the religion.

Answer 5

Your classe became into as quickly as generally approximately the sociologist Max Weber (held as a number of the three fathers of sociology)'s perspectives approximately the beginning up of capitalism. To placed it clever: back interior the middle a while, the protestant ethic regarded that to worship God, one would desire to artwork and make himself efficient. Idleness would desire to be a sin. additionally, confession would desire to have no very end bring about one's salvation, as God would desire to have already have been given got here across via potential of interior the hollow of situations the holiday spot of each soul . even however, it might desire to be achievable to appreciate your holiday spot in strengthen via potential of examining your wealth: sucessful persons would desire to circulate to heaven. wanting to discover out wether they'd be saved, the protestants began to artwork very hard to grow to be prosperous. additionally, lending funds became into as quickly as now no longer held as a sin interior the Protestant Church. those factors accounted for the beginning up of a wealth-pushed soceity, which ended up in overcoming the feudal approach (the place the peasants would not ever grow to be prosperous).

Answer 6

Some still do.

The ones that don't have Bingo, and Casino nights.

Wonder what the lord would think about dropping some cash on a table game in his house?

Answer 7

Don't know if it has stopped.

But the dark ages lasted 1200 years, and catholic priests were hard at it taking money form those least able to afford it - all on the grounds of superstition.

1200 years is a LONG time and is why it is called the dark ages.

Answer 8

Were they ever banned? Or was the practiced merely stopped?

Answer 9

They do have their secret behind the wall system of religion .Jesus gave us
the light of his word.There is no darkness or
secrets in his word.He has no secret disciples
either.Real Christians trust his word.

Answer 10

A catholic boy here and catholic girl there, you know...