Indulgences

~ Drawn from "CTS Essentials" ~

Indulgences - a long history
Indulgences are an ancient part of Catholic belief and practice. But they have also been controversial. Martin Luther attacked the doctrine of indulgences at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, and in recent decades they have almost faded out of popular Catholic devotion, perhaps because the subject inevitably involves speaking about the justice of God and punishment for sin, and many modern people are uncomfortable with this.

Yet indulgences are also a powerful statement of the mercy of God, and remain very much a part of Catholic belief. For example, Pope John Paul II granted special indulgences for the 'Great Jubilee' of the year 2000, and again for the 'Year of the Eucharist', 2004-2005. This leaflet briefly explains the Church's teaching on indulgences, and how to incorporate them into our Christian lives.

Punishment - the penalty for sin
Every sin is an offense against God, which brings punishment on the sinner. This punishment is not 'a kind of vengeance inflicted by God'. but rather flows 'from the very nature of sin' (Catechism, 1472). Of course, the Gospel teaches us that Jesus died for our sins, and through the sacramental life of the Church, we can receive forgiveness - no sin is so great that God cannot forgive it. But forgiveness of sin does not automatically imply the remission (i.e. removal) of the punishment due to sin. Sacramental absolution brings the remission of eternal punishment - permanent separation from God in hell - but there remains the possibility of temporal punishment - suffering we must undergo either in this life or the next, to atone for our sins and to purify our souls. In this context we think particularly of the holy souls in purgatory: they have died with their sins forgiven and are certain of meeting God eventually in heaven, but first they must go through a period of purification (1 Cor 3:13-15; 1 Pet 1:7). Even in this life, we can begin to atone for our sins by patiently embracing the little hardships and sufferings of life, offering them up to God to say 'sorry' for the times when we have offended him. But we do not have to rely on our own efforts alone.

The 'treasury of merit'
Christ's death on the Cross, through which our sins are forgiven, additionally established what the church calls 'the treasury of merit' (Catechism, 1476) for the benefit of believers. A merit means the reward given to someone for doing a good work. The merits Christ won by his life, death and resurrection are infinite. Through sharing in these merits, as member of the Church, the punishment due to our sins can be remitted, not by our own efforts, but simply as a free gift from God. Such gifts are termed indulgences. The Catholic church alone has the power to grant indulgences, a power included in the words of Christ to Peter: 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven' (Mt 16:19). Because of this authority, given to it by Christ, we say that the Church 'administers' the treasury of grace, and 'distributes' it in the form of indulgences.

In short, an indulgence can be defined as 'a remission of the temporal punishment due to sin', given out of the treasury of merit established by Jesus Christ and administered by the Church. Indulgences remind us that we do not walk the journey of faith alone - Christ helps us every step of the way.

Who can gain an indulgence?
An indulgence can be gained by any Catholic in a state of grace. We are in a state of grace if we have not committed any mortal (serious) sins since our last confession. to gain an indulgence we must have the intention of doing so, and we must say certain prayers, or carry out certain good works to which the Church has specifically attached an indulgence. A list of some of these prayers and good works is given at the end of this leaflet. To gain what is called a 'plenary' indulgence, some further conditions are attached (see below). We can also apply any indulgences we gain to the holy souls in purgatory.

"Partial" and "Plenary' Indulgences
Indulgences can be either 'partial' or 'plenary'. A partial indulgence remits part of the temporal punishment due to our sins - a 'plenary' indulgence omits the whole of that punishment: it is a great gift of grace which prepares us to meet god immediately. for this reason certain conditions are attached to obtaining of a plenary indulgence. These conditions are: going to Confession, receiving Holy communion and praying for the Pope's intentions. We should try to receive the Holy Communion on the same day that we gain the indulgence - we are allowed to go to Confession either a few days before or a few days afterwards. The prayers for the Pope do not need to be lengthy - an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be are usual. Finally, to gain a plenary indulgence a person needs to be free 'from all attachment to sin'. Without such detachment only a partial indulgence will be gained.

A word of warning
Obviously, indulgences are open to abuse (like any good thing). For example, many centuries ago some people used to 'traffic' in indulgences - buying and selling them for money - and this was obviously wrong. There is also the danger that people could use them to try and 'work out their own salvation' - obsessively saying as many prayers and trying to gain as many indulgences as possible, in a superstitious, unhealthy way. In fact, indulgences are meant to encourage us not to rely on our own efforts - but rather in the infinite merits of Christ. Used in a mature way, indulgences are one of the great treasures of the Church. They can help us to break down the barriers of sin, and draw us closer to God.

Some indulgenced by prayers
While some indulgences are connected to particular events )e.g. a Holy Year, a pilgrimage), many are attached to the ordinary prayers and rituals of Christian life.

For example, a plenary indulgence may be gained:
* by making the Stations of the Cross
* by a visit to the Blessed Sacrament that least at least half an hour
* by praying five decades of the rosary, while meditating on the mysteries
* by reading scripture for at least half an hour

Pope Paul VI also made three general grants of partial indulgence, as follows:
* a partial indulgence is granted to all Catholics who, in the performance of their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their minds with humble confidence to God, adding (even if only mentally) some prayerful invocation.
*a partial indulgence is granted to all Catholics who, in a spirit of love and mercy, give of themselves of their goods to help their brothers in need.
*a partial indulgence is granted to all Catholics who, in a spirit of penance, voluntarily deprive themselves of what is licit and pleasing to them. This might include abstaining from meat on Fridays, giving up some pleasurable thing during Lent, or simply bearing sickness or infirmity with Christian patience.

To gain these indulgences we need simply to have the intention of gaining them: once the intention has been made, it is never revoked, but it is a good practice to renew our intention from time to time, perhaps after going to confession.