Sin and Indulgences

Dear Grace, Could you please explain what an “indulgence” is and how someone may obtain one?

This is a very good question because many Catholics do not have a full understanding of what an indulgence is or how to gain one. In order to answer your question, we will have to discuss sin and the consequences of sin, and that is a subject we often do not want to talk about. We may think that it makes God seem harsh and unforgiving, but this is not so at all. In fact, the opposite is true. Our God is a loving, merciful and forgiving Father. When we incur a consequence or punishment due to our sin, it is always a means to a true conversion of heart and the complete purification of the sinner.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following: "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” (CCC 1471). The doctrine on indulgences is closely linked to the Church’s teaching on purgatory and the communion of saints.

In order to understand the Church’s practice of granting indulgences, we must realize that sin is, above all, an offense against God. When the sin is grave, it can even cut off our communion with Him. Sin has two consequences — eternal punishment and temporal punishment, depending on the type of sin committed. Eternal of course means forever, so that refers to the possibility of hell, or eternal damnation. Temporal, on the other hand, refers to something that lasts only for a time (not eternal). It is this temporal punishment that we are concerned with when we speak about indulgences. In other words, even after sin has been forgiven and communion with God has been restored, there still remains some attachment to sin and this needs to be purified either here on earth, or after death in purgatory, before the soul can go to be with God (CCC 1472). Now, who wants to go to purgatory? If you do not, then indulgences are a means to avoid it.

One may ask, “Where does the indulgence come from and how is it that the Church has the power to grant them?” This requires an understanding of the doctrine of the communion of saints, which teaches that there is a link between (1) the faithful who have already reached heaven, (2) those whose souls are being purified in purgatory, (3) and those who are still struggling on earth in their journey towards heaven. And all of the saints, no matter what state they are in, care for one another (CCC 1475).

We believe that those saints who died in faithfulness to God’s friendship and love have gone to be with Him in heaven. We also believe that, by their good works, the saints have earned merit and that all of this merit makes up the Church’s treasury. This would of course include the merit earned by Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church, by the “power of the keys” given to Peter by Christ, has authority to dispense merits from this treasury as she sees fit. When these merits are applied to the saints in purgatory, who are in a state of purification in order to enter heaven, or to the saints on earth who are still struggling to reach heaven, they have the power to remit or wipe away their temporal punishment due to sin. An indulgence is partial or plenary, as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.

If you would like to know more about indulgences and how to gain one, a very good source would be a publication authorized by Pope Paul VI titled Handbook of Indulgences. All of the prayers and practices and norms are listed there and would be too many to include here. For example, norm 17 of the Handbook states that, “A plenary indulgence is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly take part in the adoration of the Cross during the solemn liturgy of Good Friday.” Keep in mind that plenary means a “total” remittance (wiping away) of all temporal punishment due to sin. Usually, as in the one just mentioned, in addition to a particular good work, the Church requires three basic conditions for obtaining an indulgence: Confession, Communion, and prayer for the Holy Father. For additional norms, one would need to consult the Handbook.

The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead for the remission of temporal punishment due to sin (CCC 1471). We should especially never neglect to pray for the souls in purgatory. They long to reach heaven, and we can help them. And how consoling it is to know that they in turn will pray for us when they have arrived at that beautiful home that awaits us all.

I don't see the construct of purgatory in either of the citations.

That's too bad.

Does 2 Maccabees also glorify suicide ?
Is this G-d's Word ?

Well, I don't see either Ptolomy Macron's or Razia's suicides as being glorified. Ptolomy was kind toward the Jews, but despaired when his friends called him a traitor. While Razia had tried to keep a life "pure in the Jews' religion," he was too proud to "suffer abuses unbecoming his noble birth." But his prolonged "noble birth" death scene is so embarrassing, it's almost funny. You cut it off too short by ending with verse 41.

41 Now as the multitude sought to rush into his house, and to break open the door, and to set fire to it, when he was ready to be taken, he struck himself with his sword:
42 Choosing to die nobly rather than to fall into the hands of the wicked, and to suffer abuses unbecoming his noble birth.
43 But whereas through haste he missed of giving himself a sure wound, and the crowd was breaking into the doors, he ran boldly to the wall, and manfully threw himself down to the crowd:
44 But they quickly making room for his fall, he came upon the midst of the neck [the space between the buildings].
45 And as he had yet breath in him, being inflamed in mind he arose: and while his blood ran down with a great stream, and he was grievously wounded, he ran through the crowd:
46 And standing upon a steep rock, when he was now almost without blood, grasping his bowels with both hands, he cast them upon the throng, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit, to restore these to him again: and so he departed this life.

Rather than suffer and die upright as a martyr at the hands of others, he opts for a "noble" death by his own hand. He fails with the sword, fails with the leap, spews blood and guts on all nearby, and in the end is pitifully calling on the Lord to bring him back to life.

I don't deny that Paul had difficult times, but I would like to see where the Bible tells us his life was spend earning indulgences...

Late to the game today. I'm only good for one quick post today.

Bearing in mind that the doctrine of indulgences only involves remittance of temporal (not eternal) punishment still due to sin (not the forgiveness of the actual sin itself), and also bearing in mind that this doctrine is linked, Biblically and (Sacred) Traditionally, with other doctrines such as the communion of Saints, purgatory, vicarious satisfaction, the authority of the Church given by Christ to bind and loose, etc., the perspective should not be to treat the Holy Scriptures as a "look-up" manual or dictionary on a doctrine such as this. That is, this concept is scattered throughout Scripture in established principles. Another question to ask, is where does Scripture positively deny this doctrine? In attempting an answer you'll find that it doesn't. Just as belief and formulation of the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity requires forming interpretive conclusions from the narrative text of Holy Scripture, so too with the doctrine of indulgences. In both cases, the terms do not exist in the text, nor do the formulated definitions - as definitions - as you might find in a catechism book. Also bear in mind that the very Scriptures themselves were composed and ratified under inspiration of the Holy Spirit within the context of the living, active Church which Christ founded and Whose founding is recorded in said Scriptures. They must be interpreted in light of Her living Tradition as the same Holy Spirit continually guides Her.

But for one quick quote from Scripture to answer 'Bard's question, we have St. Paul in his epistle to the Colossians, in I believe the first chapter (yes, verse 24), writing (or dictating is probably more correct) concerning his own works:

"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the Church, ..."

There are other "quotes". More importantly, there is the whole body of Scripture. Since all Scripture must conform with itself, all passages must be interpreted within light of hte others. A good action, "work", of a person living in the state of Grace (the life of God in us), can not only be meritorious (for the person in union with God alone), but also contain expiation (in union with Christ, of course). In this quote, not only does St. Paul assume that, he offers it on behalf of others, namely the Church.

This one passage shows clearly the principles of indulgences as understood and used by the Church (a few minor historical abuses by some in the past notwithstanding). A thread like this could easily become a Bible study in connecting the doctrines I mentioned earlier together.

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