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The document published in 1998, Conditions for Gaining the Jubilee Indulgence, as the Vatican prepared for the jubilee year, explains in detail how indulgences are obtained: Catholics must have been to confession, and on the day they wish to receive the indulgence they must receive the Eucharist and pray in one of various places, such as churches in Rome, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth, in a Catholic cathedral or in any place where they are visiting those in need or in difficulty. An indulgence can also be obtained in a jubilee year by refraining from smoking or alcohol and "donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor" or by "devoting a suitable portion of personal free time to activities benefiting the community, or other similar forms of personal sacrifice."

Hundreds of thousands of Catholics traveled to Rome last year to obtain an indulgence.

At this month's consultation two Catholic theologians presented papers on the history of and teaching about indulgences. Two Lutheran and two Reformed theologians were invited to present response papers. All the presentations will be published this year.

Both Dr Noko and his counterpart at WARC, Dr Setri Nyomi, who also took part in the consultation, welcomed the fact that the talks had taken place and expressed hope that it would lead to further discussions. But both officials also made it clear that the talks were not a bid to reach an agreement on the Catholic doctrine of indulgences, but were intended rather for clarification.

Theologians on the staff of WARC and LWF who were in Rome for the talks also welcomed the discussions, but pointed out that indulgences had no place in Protestant teaching. Both Dr Odair Pedroso Mateus, a Brazilian theologian on WARC's staff in Geneva, and Sven Oppegaard, an ordained Norwegian theologian with the LWF, told ENI that while the theological documents, such as the papal declaration Incarnationis Mysterium:Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, included some impressive pastoral theology, the instructions for obtaining an indulgence did not really reflect this theology. The problem was the nature of indulgence itself.

Oppegaard said that many Protestants faced a difficulty over the issue - that "such beautiful theology should boil down to such a practice."

Dr Mateus said that for many ordinary Catholics without theological training, indulgences appeared to be a "market exchange. The structure is: I do something for God and I get something from God. This kind of mentality is similar to the theology of prosperity of neo-pentecostal churches which teach that you can get rich if you are faithful to God, if you give money to the church, [or] if you follow the instructions of the church. It legitimizes the idea that life is not about grace and gratefulness but about exchanging goods, about buying and selling, about capitalism."

Asked by ENI whether the consultation had served a usefulpurpose, Dr Mateus said: "I believe these conversations have a role of admonition - it's a case of the Protestant church reminding the Roman Catholic Church that efforts should continue so that one day this practice [indulgences] will lose the aspects we reject."

Oppegaard told ENI that "there was genuine willingness on the Catholic side to listen to the way our tradition has understood and related to this practice. But the most important result of the consultation was a clarification of the broader pastoral issues that are relevant in all our church traditions." He said that all the churches faced a challenge to find pastoral practices regarding penance for sin which could be meaningful and helpful to all their members. "It is an enormous challenge, and one in which ecumenical cooperation could be of great assistance."

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February (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45