CHAPTER IV
: INDULGENCES
Can.
992 An indulgence is the remission in the sight of God of the temporal
punishment due for sins, the guilt of which has already been forgiven. A member
of Christ's faithful who is properly disposed and who fulfils certain specific
conditions, may gain an indulgence by the help of the Church which, as the
minister of redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of
the merits of Christ and the Saints.
Can.
993 An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it partially or wholly
frees a person from the temporal punishment due for sins.
Can.
994 All members of the faithful can gain indulgences, partial or plenary, for
themselves, or they can apply them by way of suffrage to the dead.
Can.
995 §1 Apart from the supreme authority in the Church, only those can grant
indulgences to whom this power is either acknowledged in the law, or given by
the Roman Pontiff.
§2 No
authority below the Roman Pontiff can give to others the faculty of granting
indulgences, unless this authority has been expressly given to the person by
the Apostolic See.
Can.
996 §1 To be capable of gaining indulgences a person must be baptised, not
excommunicated, and in the state of grace at least on the completion of the
prescribed work.
§2 To gain
them, however, the person who is capable must have at least the intention of
gaining them, and must fulfil the prescribed works at the time and in the
manner determined by the terms of the grant.
Can.
997 As far as the granting and the use of indulgences is concerned, the other
provisions contained in the special laws of the Church must also be observed.
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