the
Blessed Virgin and the Saints"?
A. By the superabundant satisfaction of the Blessed Virgin and the
saints, we mean all the satisfaction over and above what was necessary
to satisfy for their own sins. As their good works were many and their
sins few--the Blessed Virgin being sinless--the satisfaction not needed
for themselves is kept by the Church in a spiritual treasury to be used
for our benefit.

Q. 855. Does the Church, by granting Indulgences, free us from doing
Penance?
A. The Church, by granting Indulgences, does not free us from doing
penance, but simply makes our penance lighter that we may more easily
satisfy for our sins and escape the punishments they deserve.

Q. 856. Who has the power to grant Indulgences?
A. The Pope alone has the power to grant Indulgences for the whole
Church; but the bishops have power to grant partial Indulgences in their
own diocese. Cardinals and some others, by the special permission of the
Pope, have the right to grant certain Indulgences.

Q. 857. Where shall we find the Indulgences granted by the Church?
A. We shall find the Indulgences granted by the Church in the
declarations of the Pope and of the Sacred Congregation of Cardinals.
These declarations are usually put into prayer books and books of
devotion or instruction.

Q. 858. {237} What must we do to gain an Indulgence?
A. To gain an Indulgence we must be in the state of grace and perform
the works enjoined.

Q. 859. Besides being in a state of grace and performing the works
enjoined, what else is necessary for the gaining of an Indulgence?
A. Besides being in a state of grace and performing the works enjoined,
it is necessary for the gaining of an Indulgence to have at least the
general intention of gaining it.

Q. 860. How and why should we make a general intention to gain all
possible Indulgences each day?
A. We should make a general intention at our morning prayers to gain all
possible Indulgences each day, because several of the prayers we say and
good works we perform may have Indulgences attached to them, though we
are not aware of it.

Q. 861. What works are generally enjoined for the gaining of
Indulgences?
A. The works generally enjoined for the gaining of Indulgences are: The
saying of certain prayers, fasting, and the use of certain articles of
devotion; visits to Churches or altars, and the giving of alms. For the
gaining of Plenary Indulgences it is generally required to go to
confession and