[ealgeone]

2. How did the practice of dispensing indulgences begin? The first known use of plenary indulgences was in 1095 when Pope Urban II remitted all penance of persons who participated in the crusades and who confessed their sins. Later, the indulgences were also offered to those who couldn't go on the Crusades but offered cash contributions to the effort instead. In the early 1200s, the Church began claiming that it had a "treasury" of indulgences (consisting of the merits of Christ and the saints) that it could dispense in ways that promoted the Church and its mission. In a decretal issued in 1343, Pope Clement VI declared, "The merits of Christ are a treasure of indulgences."http://www.famous-trials.com/luther/295-indulgences

From this website it appears this "granting" of indulgences for money which Roman Catholics, well, you, don't call a sale, had been going on for a while.

We won't even discuss the jihad initiated by Urban. That's another thread.

Frederick collected many relics in his castle church; his inventory of 1518 listed 17,443 items, including a thumb from St. Anne, a twig from Moses' burning bush, hay of the holy manger, and milk from the Virgin Mary. Money was paid in order to venerate these relics and thus escape years in purgatory.[5] A diligent and pious person who rendered appropriate devotion to each of these relics could merit 1,902,202 years worth of penance (an earthly equivalent of time otherwise spent in Purgatory, removed by indulgences).[6] Two years later, the collection exceeded 19,000 pieces.[7]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_III,_Elector_of_Saxony

And here I just though you guys played bingo all the time. LOL!

WINNING.

[boatbums]

The good news was that after the Reformation and Luther's Theses, there was a Counter Reformation where the Roman Catholic church addressed the abuses that were associated with indulgences. Luther was NOT wrong in his objections and there were many abuses involving the pope-sanctioned purchasing of indulgences. Tetzel and his fellow indulgence peddlers could not have continued like they did without papal knowledge and at least tacit approval and the Basilica DID get rebuilt in large part from the proceeds of such abuse.

The Council of Trent in its decree "On Indulgences" (Sess. XXV) declares: "In granting indulgences the Council desires that moderation be observed in accordance with the ancient approved custom of the Church, lest through excessive ease ecclesiastical discipline be weakened; and further, seeking to correct the abuses that have crept in . . . it decrees that all criminal gain therewith connected shall be entirely done away with as a source of grievous abuse among the Christian people; and as to other disorders arising from superstition, ignorance, irreverence, or any cause whatsoever--since these, on account of the widespread corruption, cannot be removed by special prohibitions—the Council lays upon each bishop the duty of finding out such abuses as exist in his own diocese, of bringing them before the next provincial synod, and of reporting them, with the assent of the other bishops, to the Roman Pontiff, by whose authority and prudence measures will be taken for the welfare of the Church at large, so that the benefit of indulgences may be bestowed on all the faithful by means at once pious, holy, and free from corruption." After deploring the fact that, in spite of the remedies prescribed by earlier councils, the traders (quaestores) in indulgences continued their nefarious practice to the great scandal of the faithful, the council ordained that the name and method of these quaestores should be entirely abolished, and that indulgences and other spiritual favors of which the faithful ought not to be deprived should be published by the bishops and bestowed gratuitously, so that all might at length understand that these heavenly treasures were dispensed for the sake of piety and not of lucre (Sess. XXI, c. ix). In 1567 St. Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm)

[vladimir998]

You keep proving me right.

“The first known use of plenary indulgences was in 1095 when Pope Urban II remitted all penance of persons who participated in the crusades and who confessed their sins.”

Clearly not a sale.

“Later, the indulgences were also offered to those who couldn’t go on the Crusades but offered cash contributions to the effort instead.”

Offered contributions. No sale.

“In the early 1200s, the Church began claiming that it had a “treasury” of indulgences (consisting of the merits of Christ and the saints) that it could dispense in ways that promoted the Church and its mission.”

Dispense. Not sold.

Thanks for proving me right again.

Luther loved Frederick III. “Frederick III is commemorated as a Christian ruler in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod on 5 May.” Support heresy and get your own feast day in Lutheranism!