Why did john tetzel sell the indulgences?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church always needed more money for its cathedrals and lavish art works, and indulgences were a convenient way to increase the flow of donations to the Church. For the well off, they supposedly ensured immediate entry into heaven without time in purgatory, and were also a licence to sin without the need for confession or penance.

Answer 2

Roman is an epithet rarely used by the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church has never sold indulgences. Further indulgences are not now, nor have they ever been a license to sin without the need for confession or penance.

To understand indulgences, think of a boy playing softball in a neighborhood. He hits the ball right through a neighbor's window. Now, in this scenario, the boy hitting the ball would be the sin, and the broken window would be the consequence of sin. The boy drops the bat and goes over to nice neighbor lady's house, knocks on the door. When the lady comes to the door, the boy apologies and ask forgiveness for hitting his softball through her window breaking the window. The lady forgives the boy. This is analogous to the boy going to confession and asking forgiveness from God for his sin. Everything is fine, right? Well, the window is still broken, so the boy ends up paying for the window to be fixed. This would be a penance, it would be a work in order to "fix" what was broken by the sin. All sin has consequences, since we are all part of the Body of Christ, all sin affects all in some way, to some extent.

An indulgence could be compared to the father coming over and paying to have the window fixed. Please note that the boy has already confessed and been forgiven. The father fixing the window is just putting things right afterward.

When one goes to confession, the priest imposes a penance, usually a couple prayers, perhaps more. In the early Church penances could last for years for one serious sin. Indulgences were the Church commuting those particular penances:

from Radio Replies, by Fathers Rumble and Carty, 1942

994. I have heard Catholics speak of indulgences for the souls in purgatory? What are indulgences?

Do not mix up the ecclesiastical term indulgence with the modern idea of self-indulgence. An indulgence is not a permission to indulge in sin, but is a remission of punishment due to sin. Now in the early Christian Church certain sins were punished by long public penance, sometimes for days, at other times for years. But the Church was often indulgent, and loosed or freed Christians from all or part of their public penance, if they showed other good dispositions, or performed certain works of charity. The Church had that power in the name of God as surely as the state has the power in its own name to commute a sentence or even release a criminal altogether under certain circumstances. Christ said to the Church, "Whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matt. XVIII., 18. That the merits of Christ and of the Martyrs and Saints of the ages are at the disposal of the Church is also a consequence of the doctrine of the Communion of the Saints. And that power of commuting or even of remitting penances and expiations exists in the Church to-day, being exercised by the granting of indulgences.

995. What do you mean by an indulgence, say, of forty days?

An indulgence of forty days means that the Church liberates us from that amount of expiation of our sins which would be equal to a forty days' public penance in the early Church. It does not mean forty days less purgatory. Such an indulgence is called a partial indulgence.

997. Can indulgences be applied to the souls in purgatory?

Yes, but by God alone. We can but ask Him to accept indulgences on their behalf. But we can certainly offer them with a definite conviction of their normal acceptance by God for those we love, even as we can share our goods in this life with more needy friends. This too is implied by the doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

999. Do you deny that indulgences were sold in the middle ages?

They were never sold with the sanction of the theology of the Church. If unscrupulous individuals sold indulgences, such traffic in them would no more militate against the Church than would my own conduct did I myself adopt the practice privately.

1000. Pope Leo X. Sold indulgences in Germany to get money for St. Peter's. Do you think it right to sell pardons for sins?

An indulgence is NOT a pardon for sin. It can be gained only by one who is not in a state of sin, but who has previously secured forgiveness of his sins by repentance and confession. Then, and then only, an indulgence is a remission of further penalties due to sin. It is absolutely wrong, of course, to sell indulgences. Pope Leo X. Did not do so. There were abuses by some individuals in this matter, but they were never with the sanction of the Church. The Pope granted the favor of certain indulgences to those who would give alms towards the building of St. Peter's in Rome. But there is a difference between giving alms to a good work, and giving money to purchase something of equivalent value. Remember that Christ had a special blessing for the widow who gave her mite as an alms to the temple in Jerusalem. Would you accuse Him of selling that blessing for a mite?

1001. Are not Papal Bulls, and indulgences still sold in Spain, and cannot any crime be committed and an indulgence obtained, if sufficient money is forthcoming?

A Papal Bull is simply a Papal document with a leaden seal or bulla attached to it. It need have nothing whatever to do with indulgences. Indulgences have never been for sale as far as the Catholic Church is concerned, and are not sold in Spain or anywhere else. If a man commits mortal sin, not all the indulgences in the world could forgive it. They are not for the forgiveness of sin, but can be gained only after such sins have been forgiven by other means. Since they can be gained only by people in a state of grace they are an inducement not to fall into sin. And they may be obtained, not by money, but by certain good works such as prayer, almsgiving to the poor, etc.

Answer 3

To pay for the building of St. Peter's Basilica

Answer 4

He says that they can bring you to hell