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How did the Treasury of Merit relate to indulgences and purgatory?
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purgatory
Anastasis (Christ ascending from hell), apse fresco, c. 1320; in the Church of the Holy Saviour at the Monastery of the Chora (now the Kariye Museum), Istanbul.
In Roman Catholic theology, the Treasury of Merit refers to the storehouse of the superabundant satisfaction of Jesus Christ and the excess merits of the saints. This treasury is considered effective for the salvation of others and is available for dispensation through indulgences.1
The relationship between these concepts is central to the medieval penitential system:
- Purgatory and Debt: Purgatory is viewed as a place where souls undergo temporal punishment to cancel the debt of sins that were forgiven but not yet fully satisfied.2
- Indulgences: These are grants that remit this temporal punishment. Because the Church is a community of mutual help, the merits contained in the Treasury could be drawn upon to liberate souls from purgatory.2
- Papal Authority: In 1343, Pope Clement VI decreed that the pope held control over this Treasury, allowing him to dispense these merits to the faithful or on behalf of the dead.2
While intended to aid salvation, the system became linked to financial contributions, leading to significant controversy and criticism during the Reformation.2