It became customary to commute penances to less demanding works, such as prayers, alms, fasts and even the payment of fixed sums of money depending on the various kinds of offenses (tariff penances). By the 10th century some penances were not replaced by other penances but were simply reduced in connection with pious donations, pilgrimages and similar meritorious works.
Penances started being substituted with less rigorous tasks such as prayers, alms, fasting, or fixed monetary contributions based on the type of offense (tariff penances). By the 10th century, some penances were not replaced by other penances but were merely reduced in connection with pious donations, pilgrimages, and similar meritorious works.