NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

    VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The Apostolic Penitentiary--the Vatican tribunal with authority over matters of conscience-- has prepared a 100-page document on indulgences, in preparation for the Jubilee Year.

    The new document offers the faithful a series of reminders on ways in which to atone for sins: through prayer, the sacraments, acts of charity, penance, and interior conversion.

    Cardinal William Baum, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, said that the new Manual of Indulgences should clarify the teachings of the Church regarding indulgences. In particular, he said, it represents "a real contribution to dialogue with the Lutherans. During the Reformation, Martin Luther had highlighted abuses in the use of indulgences-- abuses which were formally condemned by the Council of Trent.

    The new Manual of Indulgences, the 4th edition, contains no new teaching. However, it does stress a point that was emphasized by Pope Paul VI in his apostolic constitution on the topic: that any indulgence is dependent upon the proper disposition of the individual. The manual also contains some examples which carry a contemporary flavor, such as the suggestion that praying along with the Pope by means of a television or radio broadcast could be a proper form of reparation and a means of obtaining indulgence. The document also emphasizes the value of "public acts of witness to the faith."

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