By Fred Chukwuelobe
I did not attend a Catholic seminary, but I have tried to educate myself by reading the Catholic, and by extension, Church’s history. In doing so, I have found some of the Church’s doctrines and dogmas to be challenging. Among these, the practice of indulgences stands out as particularly difficult for me to understand.
Lacking the formal theological education that prepares our priests for their sacred duty of shepherding God’s flock and leading souls to Him, I turned to a reliable source for a clear definition. I consulted my good friend and esteemed colleague, Valentine Obienyem, a former seminarian, lawyer, journalist and public affairs commentator, who provided the following explanation:
“An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment (penance) due to sin after the sin itself has been forgiven through confession. The concept is rooted in the belief that sin has both eternal consequences, which are forgiven through the sacrament of confession, and temporal consequences, which may require further purification. Indulgences can be partial or plenary.”
The English dictionary describes it as “(in the Roman Catholic Church) a grant by the Pope of remission of the temporal punishment in purgatory still due for sins after absolution. The unrestricted sale of indulgences by pardoners was a widespread abuse during the later Middle Ages.”
Simply put, “indulgence is a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins” committed.
Please, don’t be overwhelmed by these definitions. I do not intend to delve deeply into theological discussions, but as I understand it, and I ask for forgiveness if I am mistaken, the practice of indulgences has been perceived by some as a transaction where various offerings, including money, are exchanged for the remission of sins. This perception likely arises from historical abuses, though the modern practice is now more strictly governed, particularly following the reforms of the Council of Trent. However, it is still possible for individuals to offer money to a priest or the Church and, in return, be asked to perform specific rituals or acts of piety as part of their penance. This may include giving alms or engaging in other expressions of faith.
According to a well-informed article by Mr. Obienyem, “To gain an indulgence, a person must be in a state of grace, have the intention of gaining the indulgence, and fulfill certain conditions set by the Church (e.g., prayers, almsgiving, pilgrimage, or other specific acts of piety).”
I want to recall that one of the reasons Martin Luther, the German Catholic priest, championed the reformation in the Catholic Church was because of this practice of indulgence. So many things happened during that period, culminating in Luther breaking away from the Church to form the Lutheran Church.
According to Wikipedia, “Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences. Luther attempted to resolve these differences amicably, first proposing an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in Ninety-five Theses, which he authored in 1517. In 1520, Pope Leo X demanded that Luther renounce all of his writings, and when Luther refused to do so, excommunicated him in January 1521. Later that year, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V condemned Luther as an outlaw at the Diet of Worms. When Luther died in 1546, Pope Leo X’s excommunication was still in effect.
Luther taught that salvation and, consequently, eternal life are not earned by good deeds; rather, they are received only as the free gift of God’s grace through the believer’s faith in Jesus Christ, who is the sole redeemer from sin. Luther’s theology challenged the authority and office of the Pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with Luther’s wider teachings are called Lutherans, though Luther opposed the name, believing that those who professed faith in Christ should be called “Christian” or “Evangelic.”
Now, let’s return to the church of latter days. Indulgences, before the Council of Trent, have surreptitiously found their way back into the church in the form of tithes, seed sowing, offerings, first fruits, and all those practices that prosperity preachers emphasize to captivate people and generate wealth for themselves, often leading to a life of luxury. Have we not heard preachers say, “No tithe, no heaven”?
Just as Luther once challenged the Church and was severely punished and excommunicated, we have a new Luther today, Dr. Abel Damina. He opposes prosperity teachings and is being attacked from all sides. Both pastorpreneurs and their many followers are attacking him, not because of what he teaches, but because “he’s spoiling their business.”
Worshippers are no longer interested in repentance from sins but in buying heaven by paying for indulgence, believing that once they give God money their sins are forgiven and they can go on sinning.
That’s why Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis Church, in response to Damina’s teachings, couldn’t contain his anger and proceeded to hurl invectives at him. He compared Damina’s success as a preacher to the number of followers he has, forgetting that even our Lord Jesus Christ said that the Kingdom of Heaven is for a few: “Many are called, but few are chosen”. (Matthew 22:14).
Like I said earlier, many worshippers today do not seek God; they seek miracles; they seek signs; they won’t take any prisoners in their quest to procure miracles, signs and wonders wherever those can be found.
Therefore, if you criticise those who wrought these miracles, whether by fair or foul means, they unleash their arsenal on you. They fight ferociously in defence of their pastors. Not because the pastors are preaching Christ resurrected, but because they grant then modern-day indulgences, which enable them to go on sinning, proclaiming “my tithes work for me.”
Despite the avalanche of church business scattered in every nook and cranny of this country, you’d be looking to see those who truly worship God in truth and in spirit but you won’t find them.
One of the most intriguing things about religion is the concept of faith. You are told to believe without question. You have to believe first before you understand what you believe. The Holy Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that “without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
It is this concept of faith that makes people now religious but not spiritual. It is largely responsible for why the Church has become mercantile to many and the pastors are making a kill selling modern-day religious indulgences.
It has also raised up an ‘army of soldiers’ who are ready to defend their pastors rather than defend the truth. And religion as the moral compass of society suffers.