A pardoner was a collector of money on behalf of a religious foundation. Another word for a pardoner is <em>questor.</em>
A pardoner worked under the authority of a bishop. He presented himself to a church congregation and made an appeal in aid od some worthy cause approved by the bishop. Many pardoners were actually fraudsters who extorted money for their own use. They falsified the letters from the bishop and begged money from good-willed people who hoped for redemption. The pardoners kept the money and did not give it to any noble cause.
