Rev. Fr. David Okolie
Beloved Catholics, you must have observed that the priest blesses the faithful with a *CRUCIFIX* after the Stations of the Cross during the Lenten Season. Have you paused before to ask why he does that?
Well, the Church attaches a *PLENARY INDULGENCE* to the Stations of the Cross within the Lenten Season and blessing with a Crucifix by a priest is the Church’s traditional way of concluding public devotional acts that attract *INDULGENCE.* The blessing with the Crucifix reminds us that the TREASURY from which the Church dispenses the indulgence is chiefly that which has been accumulated by the *SUFFERING, DEATH and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ.*
INDULGENCE is a remission before God of the *Temporal Punishments* due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is DULY DISPOSED gains *under certain prescribed conditions* through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the TREASURY of the SATISFACTIONS of CHRIST and the SAINTS. PLENARY indulgence removes all the temporal punishments; while PARTIAL indulgence removes part of them (CCC, n. 1471).
*‘TEMPORAL Punishment’* is the punishment that remains after the guilt of sin has been forgiven upon going to a Sacramental Confession to a validly ordained Catholic Priest (Cf. CCC, nos. 1472-1473).
What the above means is that when one commits sin, he/she incurs DOUBLE PUNISHMENTS; namely: *Eternal and Temporal punishments* respectively. If the person repents and goes to Confession, the Eternal punishment, together with the guilt of sin is removed while the Temporal punishment remains. This can accumulate over the years. The person will have to work out the removal of the ‘Temporal punishments’ by himself/herself. If that is not done and the person dies, he/she will remain in the PURGATORY until those ‘Temporal Punishments’ are cleared. *One of the ways to remove the accumulated Temporary Punishments is through gaining of INDULGENCE* (Cf. CCC, nos 1471, 1474-1479).
Fortunately, the above Indulgence is obtained during *Stations of the Cross within the Lenten Season* under the following usual conditions:
👉🏼1. That the person is in a *State of Grace* (i.e that he/she has repented and gone for Confession, if he/she has committed a mortal sin).
👉🏼2. That the person receives Holy Communion.
👉🏼3. That the person participates DEVOUTLY in the Stations of the Cross during which normally, *prayer before a crucifix is said and the intentions of the Pope are also prayed for with the traditional: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.*
Please, do no forget to teach others the above 🙏🏽 Wishing you a successful Lenten season!
Remain blessed🙏🏼
