Medieval Indulgence From 1357 For An Entire Parish. One-page oblong vellum document, 4 x 9½", Salzburg, 5th day before the calends of September, 1357, noted on the verso, "Grant of Indulgence by the Bishop of Seckau, 28 Aug. 1357. It reads: "Ulric by the Grace of God Bishop of Seckau to everyone for ever. If we recommended to praise the Lord in his [saints] it is truly worthy, right and healthful for us that we should render to him praises of devout veneration and thanks, in that by which he daily restores spiritually the memory of the body. Induced therefore by this consideration, we mercifully release in the Lord, to all those who are truly penitent and have confessed, and who while the sacrament of the body is being carried by the priest to the sick in the parish of Zell in [Pongau] in the diocese of Salzburg, re stirred up by it with due reverence of devotion to prayers,trusting in the mercy of Almighty God and of his blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, forty days from the penance imposed upon them, subject to the consent of the Ordinary of the place." Fine. Noted at the bottom, "40 days when the sacrament is carried." A fascinating document, over 650 years old.
An indulgence was a certain amount of time off one's sentence in purgatory (a state after death, according to Roman Catholic belief, in which the soul is made pure through suffering before going to heaven), and could also be allotted to a loved one already in purgatory. The wording of this particular document, "forty days from the penances imposed upon them," indicates that the Parish of Zell might have been under some kind of interdict or punishment. There was also a widespread use (and abuse) of indulgences to raise funds for building major projects such as cathedrals and for lining church officials' pockets, so although there was no payment recited by this grant, one might have been received from the town. Widespread sale of indulgences ultimately became a scandal, leading Martin Luther and others to see them as antithetical to religion and an indication that the Church was corrupt, leading to the Protestant Reformation. Early Church documents of this significance are of the utmost rarity; this is the only indulgence we have seen on the market. In Latin with a full translation.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
The Arden Family Holdings of Beverly Hills.
Christian
