Indulgences
- By Anne Van Tilburg
- Published 02/11/2008
- Catechism
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Rating:
What is an Indulgence?
"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part of all of the temporal punishment due to sin. Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead." (#1471, Catechism of the Catholic Church.)
An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, after the sin itself has been forgiven. The word indulgence is commonly used at the present time to denote unlawful pleasures and amusements. For this reason, the doctrine of the Church about indulgences is at times misunderstood by many people. An indulgence is not a permission to indulge one's passions not to commit sin. Neither is it a pardon for sin committed. It is a remission of the temporal punishment that remains after sin is forgiven; and it is granted by the Church in return for the doing of some good work. This may consist in prayers, fasting or alms deeds. Temporal punishment does remain to be undergone sometimes, after God has pardoned a sin.
Thus Nathan said to David when he repented: "The Lord hath taken away thy sin, and thou shalt not die. Nevertheless because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, the child that is born to thee shall surely die. (11 Kings 12:13-14.) David fasted and wept, but even that did not avert God's punishment.
There are those who commit serious sins, and who by God's mercy have sufficient sorrow to obtain pardon. But some of these may have to suffer long years in Purgatory unless they do penance in this life. The Church, as a kind mother, has a way of assisting us to make reparation in an easier manner, and so to escape at least part of this temporal punishment; it is by granting indulgences.
"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part of all of the temporal punishment due to sin. Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead." (#1471, Catechism of the Catholic Church.)
An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, after the sin itself has been forgiven. The word indulgence is commonly used at the present time to denote unlawful pleasures and amusements. For this reason, the doctrine of the Church about indulgences is at times misunderstood by many people. An indulgence is not a permission to indulge one's passions not to commit sin. Neither is it a pardon for sin committed. It is a remission of the temporal punishment that remains after sin is forgiven; and it is granted by the Church in return for the doing of some good work. This may consist in prayers, fasting or alms deeds. Temporal punishment does remain to be undergone sometimes, after God has pardoned a sin.
Thus Nathan said to David when he repented: "The Lord hath taken away thy sin, and thou shalt not die. Nevertheless because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, the child that is born to thee shall surely die. (11 Kings 12:13-14.) David fasted and wept, but even that did not avert God's punishment.
There are those who commit serious sins, and who by God's mercy have sufficient sorrow to obtain pardon. But some of these may have to suffer long years in Purgatory unless they do penance in this life. The Church, as a kind mother, has a way of assisting us to make reparation in an easier manner, and so to escape at least part of this temporal punishment; it is by granting indulgences.