Intercalary Fruits is a term in the Roman Cath- olic Church for the revenues of an ecclesiastical benefice accruing during a vacancy. In the xxivth Sess. of the Council of Trent (c. 18, be Reform.; c. 1 and 3, X. De prcebemJ. et dignitt.') it was decreed that whatever the deceased ecclesiastic had really earned was a part of the property of the deceased, but that the remainder should go either to his successor in office or to the, fahrica ec- clesi(v, or to him who is to appoint the successor, and to provide in the interim. It is frequently the case that these funds are transferred to societies of widows and orphans, or arc used for some benevolent objects in the Church. See Wetzer und Welte, Kirchen-Lex. v, 673 ; Aschbach, Kirchen-Lex. iu, 498; Theol. Univ. Lex. ii, 410.
Intercalary Month. See Calendar.
Intercession (":2, 'ivriv^it:) is the act of inter- position in behalf of another, to plead for him (Isa. liii, 12; lix, 16; 1 Tim. ii, 1). See Advocate.
INTERCESSION OF CHRIST. This refers, in a general sense, to any aid which he, as perpetual High- priest, extends to those who approach God confiding in him (Heb. iv, 16; vii, 25-27). He is also represented as offering up the prayers and praises of his people, which become acceptable to God through him (Heb. xiii, 15 ; 1 Peter ii, 5 ; Rev. viii, 3). Of the incercession of Christ we may observe that it is righteous, for it is founded upon justice and truth (Heb. vii, 26 ; 1 John iii, 5), compassionate (Heb. ii, 17; v, 8), perpetual (Heb. vii, 25), and efficacious (1 John ii, 1). See Mediator.
Intercession, in the sense of supplication, was not ap- propriate to the office of the Hebrew high-priest; he was the presenter of sacrifices on account of sins, and made intercession or atonement by sprinlding the blood of victims before Jehovah : this gave, as it were, a voice to the blood. Hence, if we attach a special idea to the term " intercession," as applied to the work of our glori- ous High-priest, may we not say that it is equivalent to propitiation or atonement? In the holiest of all, " the blood of Jesus speaketh" (Heb. xii, 24). The dig- nity and merit, power and authority of the JMessiah, in his exalted state, imply a continued presentafiun of his obedience and sacrifice as ever .valid and efficacious for the j)ardon and acceptance, the perfect holiness and eternal hajipiness, of all who are truly penitent, believ- ing, and obedient. Hence his intercession, or his acting as high-priest in the heavenly world, was represented by the Hebrew high-priest's entering into the most holy place, on the annual day of atonement, with the fragrant incense burning, and with the sacrificial blood wliich lie was to sprinkle upon the mercy-seat, over the ark of the covenant, and before the awfid symbols of Jehovah's presence. See High-priest,
" The need of an intercessor arose from the loss of the right of communion with God, of which Adam was deprived when he sinned. Before the fall, Adam was the high-priest of all creation, and, as such, privileged to hold free intercourse with (xod ; and tliis privilege, lost by Adam, was restored in Christ. Until the fidness of
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time came a temporary provision was made for man's acceptance with God in the sacritices of the patriarchal age, and the ceremonies of the Mosaic ritual ; bnt all these were shadows of the priestly function of the Son of God, which commenced from the time when he of- fered up himself as a sacrifice on the cross. The inter- cession of Christ is the exercise of his priestly office, which is carried on continually in heaven (Kom. viii, 34). He was fitted to become our high-priest by the union of his divine and human natures (Heb. vii, 25 ; Isa. liii, 12). His manhood enables him to plead on our behalf as the representative of human nature, and so to sympathize witli those needs and those sorrows which re(iuire his intercessions, that he offers tlieni up as one most deeply interested in our welfare (Heb. iv, 15). His priesthood, moreover, rctiuires an ottering, and it is still his human nature which furnishes both the victim and the priest. His Godhead rentiers that sacrifice an in- valuable offering, and his intercession all-eftectual (Heb. ix, 14)" (Blunt, Diet. s. v.).
INTERCESSION OF THE HOLY GHOST. Man intercedes with man, sometimes to procure an advan- tage to himself, sometimes as a mediator to benefit an- other ; he may be said to intercede for another when he puts Avords into the suppliant's mouth, and directs and prompts him to say what otherwise he would be unable to %a.y, or to say in a more persuasive manner what he might intend to say. The intercession of the Holy Spirit (Kom. viii, 2G) is easily illustrated by this adap- tation of the term. See Paraclete ; Invocation.
INTERCESSION OF SAINTS. In addition to the intercessions of Christ, and, indeed, that of angels like- wise, Roman Catholics believe in the efficacy of the in- tercession of the Virgin and the saints, who, however, as they state, do not directly intercede for men with God, but with the Saviour, the sinless One, who alone has the ear of the King of the miiverse. See Invocation of Saints.