The Congregation for Indulgences and Sacred Relics ( la, Congregatio indulgentiarum et sacrarum reliquiarum) was a body of the Roman Curia, created in 1669 and suppressed in 1904.

History

Pope Clement IX Pope Clement IX ( la, Clemens IX; it, Clemente IX; 28 January 1600 – 9 December 1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 20 June 1667 to his death in December 1669. Biography Ear ...

established the Congregation for Indulgences and Sacred Relics in his apostolic letter ''In ipsis pontificatus nostra primordiis'' on 6 July 1669, giving permanent form to a commission of cardinals created on 4 August 1667. Initially the Congregation had a purely disciplinary character overseeing the application and observance of the decree

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trento, Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italian Peninsula, Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation ...

's decree ''De indulgentiis'' issued on 3-4 December 1563 and limiting the abuses introduced in the distribution of

indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...

s by the Secretariat of the Briefs. The Congregation also managed the authentication of relics, particularly when disputes were addressed in legal proceedings. The Congregation had its own staff of theologians and archaeologists, mostly Jesuits or Capuchins, to help resolve complex questions. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the Congregation began to distribute indulgences itself, a privilege that was recognized by

Pope Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758.Antipope ...

in 1742. Conflicts of jurisdiction and rival interests arose between the Congregation and the Secretariat of the Briefs until

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

, with his

motu proprio In law, ''motu proprio'' (Latin for "on his own impulse") describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term ''sua sponte'' for the same concept. In Catholic canon law, it refers to a do ...

''Fidelis domus Domini'' of 2 January 1855, deprived the Congregation of the rights Benedict XIV had granted it. Pius IX's instructions were reiterated with greater force by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

in the motu proprio ''Christianae reipublicae'' of 31 October 1897. On 28 January 1904, with the motu proprio ''Quae in Ecclesiae'',

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...

united the Congregation with the

Congregation of Rites The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by '' Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it had its functions reassigned by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 1969. The Congregation was charged with the ...

, and on that same day he made Cardinal Luigi Tripepi, who had been Prefect of the Congregation of Indulgences and Sacred Relics since 7 January 1903, also the Pro-Prefect of the Congregation of Rites. On 29 June 1908, with the apostolic constitution ''Sapienti consilio'', Pius X suppressed the Congregation and transferred its responsibilities for indulgences to the

Holy Office The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from heresy and is the body responsible f ...

. Finally,

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His ...

on 25 March 1917, with the motu proprio ''Alloquentes proxime'', assigned those responsibilities to the

Apostolic Penitentiary The Apostolic Penitentiary (), formerly called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is a dicastery of the Roman Curia and is one of the three ordinary tribunals of the Apostolic See. The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribu ...

Prefects

* Raffaele Cosimo de' Girolami (23 September 1743 – 21 February 1748) *

Joaquín Fernández Portocarrero Joaquín Fernández de Portocarrero y Mendoza, 4th Marquis of Almenara, 9th Count of Palma del Río (27 March 1681 – 22 June 1760) was a Grandee of Spain who served Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor as Viceroy of Sicily and interim Viceroy of N ...

(? – 22 June 1760) *

Nicolò Maria Antonelli Nicolò Maria Antonelli (8 July 1698 – 25 September 1767) was an Italian Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, a learned canonist, ecclesiastical historian, and Orientalist. Antonelli was born in Senigallia. He wrote ''De Titulis Quos S. E ...

(1760 – 25 September 1767) *

Ludovico Calini Ludovico Calini (9 January 1696 Calino – 9 December 1782, Brescia) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal. Biography Cardinal Calini was born in Calino on 9 January 1696. He was ordained priest on 17 December 1718 and elected b ...

(October 1767 – 9 December 1782) *

Antonio Eugenio Visconti Antonio Eugenio Visconti (17 June 1713 – 4 March 1788) was an Italian cardinal and archbishop of the Catholic Church. Biography Antonio Eugenio Visconti was born in Milan on 17 June 1713, the son of Annibale Visconti, a fieldmarshall of the ...

(1782 – 4 March 1788) * Diego Innico Caracciolo (1808? – 14 December 1818) * Giorgio Doria Pamfilj Landi (1822 – 16 November 1837) *

Antonio Maria Frosini Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...

(1 October 1826 – 8 July 1834) *

Castruccio Castracane degli Antelminelli Castruccio Castracane degli Antelminelli (Urbino, 21 September 1779 – Rome, 22 February 1852) was an Italian clergyman, who was made a cardinal by Pope Gregory XVI in the consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a coun ...

(11 December 1834 – 7 October 1837) *

Gabriele Ferretti Gabriele Ferretti (; Ancona, 31 January 1795 – Rome, 13 September 1860) was an Italian Catholic cardinal and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals. Personal life He was born into nobility, the son of Palatine Count ''Liverotto Ferret ...

(14 March 1843 – 17 July 1847) *

Charles Januarius Acton Charles Januarius Edward Acton (6 March 1803 – 23 June 1847) was an English cardinal. Born in 1803 in Naples, he was the second son of Sir John Francis Acton, 6th Baronet. The family, a cadet branch of the Actons of Aldenham Park, near Bridg ...

(22 December 1846 – 23 June 1847) *

Fabio Maria Asquini Fabio Maria Asquini (14 August 1802 – 22 December 1878) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences and Sacred Relics and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals. He was born on 14 August ...

(2 May 1847 – 8 May 1863) *

Antonio Maria Panebianco Antonio Maria Panebianco (13 August 1808 – 21 November 1885) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He became cardinal in 1861 and held several senior positions in the Roman Curia. Biography Niccolò Panebianco was born on 13 August 1 ...

, O.F.M. Conv. (23 April 1863 – 17 January 1867) *

Giuseppe Andrea Bizzarri Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it. The feminine form of the name is Giusep ...

(17 January 1867 – 31 August 1872) *

Lorenzo Barili Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...

(6 September 1872 – 8 March 1875) *

Innocenzo Ferrieri Innocenzo Ferrieri (1810–1887) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Ferrieri was appointed Titular Archbishop of Side on 4 October 1847. He was elevated to Cardinal on 13 March 1868 by Pope Pius IX and appointed Cardinal-Pries ...

(31 March 1875 – 6 July 1876) * Luigi Maria Bilio, B. (12 July 1876 – 20 December 1876) *

Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano Luigi Oreglia di Santo Stefano (9 July 1828, Bene Vagienna, Italy – 7 December 1913, Rome, Italy) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church in the late nineteenth century. He was Bishop of Ostia e Velletri and Dean of the Sacred College of Cardin ...

(23 December 1876 – 27 March 1882) *

Johann Baptist Franzelin Johannes Baptist Franzelin (b. at Aldein, in Tyrol, 15 April 1816; d. at Rome, 11 December 1886) was an Austrian Jesuit theologian and Cardinal. Life Johann Baptist Franzelin was born 15 April 1816, in Aldein, Austria, the son of Pellegrino and ...

, S.J. (1885.03.28 – 1886.12.11) *

Tommaso Maria Zigliara Tommaso Maria Zigliara, OP (29 October 1833 – 11 May 1893) was a Corsican priest of the Catholic Church, a member of the Dominicans, a theologian, philosopher and a cardinal. Early life Zigliara was born on 29 October 1833 at Bonifacio a s ...

, O.P. (16 December 1886 – 28 October 1887) *

Gaetano Aloisi Masella Gaetano Aloisi Masella (30 September 1826 – 22 November 1902) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1887 and served as Prefect of the Congregation of Rites from 1899 until his death. Bi ...

(16 November 1887 – 3 October 1889) *

Serafino Vannutelli Serafino Vannutelli (26 November 1834 – 19 August 1915) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal and official of the Roman Curia where he held several of the highest administrative posts. Made a cardinal in 1887, he was named ...

(13 February 1888 – 14 March 1889) * Carlo Cristofori (14 March 1889 – 30 January 1891) * Giuseppe d'Annibale (22 June 1890 – 17 July 1892) * Luigi Sepiacci, O.E.S.A. (1 August 1892 – 26 April 1893) *

Ignazio Persico Ignazio Camillo Guglielmo Maria Pietro Persico (30 January 1823, Naples – 7 December 1895) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served multiple assignments including as Vicar Apostolic, bishop, Apostolic delegate to Ire ...

, O.F.M. Cap. (30 May 1893 – 7 December 1895) *

Andreas Steinhuber Andreas Steinhuber, S.J. (11 November 1824 – 15 October 1907) was a German prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in education as a teacher and administrator, was made a cardinal in 1893, and then held senior positions in the Roman Curia. H ...

, S.J. (12 December 1895 – 1 October 1896) *

Girolamo Maria Gotti Girolamo Maria Gotti, O.C.D. (29 March 1834 – 19 March 1916), sometimes erroneously called Giuseppe Gotti, was a friar of the Discalced Carmelite Order, who served in various offices of the Holy See as a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

, O.C.D. (1 December 1896 – 20 November 1899) *

Domenico Ferrata Domenico Ferrata JUD (4 March 1847 – 10 October 1914) was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal who spent most of his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See and in the Roman Curia. Life Ferrata was born in Gradoli, near Viterbo to Gio ...

(20 November 1899 – 23 October 1900) *

Serafino Cretoni Serafino Cretoni (4 September 1833 – 3 February 1909) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites from 1903 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1896. Bio ...

(23 October 1900 – 7 January 1903) * Luigi Tripepi (7 January 1903 – 28 January 1904)

References

;Further reading *

External links

* * {{Roman Curia footer Congregations of the Roman Curia Former departments of the Roman Curia 1669 establishments in the Papal States 1904 disestablishments in Vatican City