Pardoner

A pardoner is a person, especially in the context of the Middle Ages, who is authorized to sell indulgences, which are pardons for sins or reduction of penalties imposed for them. They often traveled to preach, offering the faithful a pathway to salvation through monetary donations to the Church.

Pardoner meaning with examples

• As a pardoner in the medieval church, he wandered from village to village, urging the people to purchase indulgences and promising them forgiveness for their wrongdoings in exchange for their generosity.
• In Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales,' the pardoner is depicted as a corrupt figure who exploits the fears of the faithful, selling bogus relics and fake pardons in his quest for wealth.
• The role of a pardoner was often viewed with suspicion; many clergy believed that selling indulgences undermined the true essence of repentance and forgiveness as it commodified spiritual grace.
• When the pardoner arrived at the town square, the locals gathered, enticed by his persuasive speech that claimed their sins could be erased for a mere donation to the Church.
• Despite his position as a pardoner, he struggled with guilt, often questioning whether the money he received truly absolved others or if it was merely a deception for personal gain.