rigin?
A. The practice of granting Indulgences has been in use in the Church
since the time of the apostles. It had its origin in the earnest prayers
of holy persons, and especially of the martyrs begging the Church for
their sake to shorten the severe penances of sinners, or to change them
into lighter penances. The request was frequently granted and the
penance remitted, shortened or changed, and with the penance remitted
the temporal punishment corresponding to it was blotted out.

Q. 849. How do we show that the Church has the power to grant
Indulgences?
A. We show that the Church has the power to grant Indulgences, because
Christ has given it power to remit all guilt without restriction, and if
the Church has power, in the Sacrament of penance, to remit the eternal
punishment--which is the greatest--it must have power to remit the
temporal or lesser punishment, even outside the Sacrament of Penance.

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