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Link0126
Guest
can someone explain this to me in a basic way, I am struggling with the idea of them, but I also don’t think I fully understand what they are…
Thank you.
Thank you.
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Pug
Guest
Prayers and penances help make us better people inside, with our eyes fixed on God, and remove our attachments to sin or remove certain types of consequences of our previous forgiven sins. Indulgences are like a value-added plan or a matching 401K plan for consequence removal, in a loose sense. The Church opens the treasury of merits and adds on value in certain situations. So, you get more for the one prayer, when the Church has attached a partial indulgence to the prayer. This assumes you do the prayer in a reverent, appropriate way and state of mind.
Indulgences don’t apply to the consequences of unforgiven sins. Repentance and confession are essential.
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NeelyAnn
Guest
There are two kinds of punishment due to sins. There is the eternal punishment of hell, and temporal punishment. The enternal punishment due to mortal sin is forgiven in confession. Temporal punishment is simply making up for the damage done on the temporal level. So, for example, if you intentionally break someone’s window, God will forgive you for the sin if you repent, but you still have the broken window that needs repair. The temporal punishment is like repairing the broken window.
There are various ways of making up for the temporal damage caused by our sins. If we are mean to someone, we can do good to them or pray for them in an attempt to repair the damage done. Some sins are very bad and require much to make up for them. God alone knows how much temporal punishement each person has to make up for due to their past sins.
Purgatory is where a person goes when his sins have been forgiven in confession, but he dies prior to satisfying for all of the temporal damage done.
A partial indulgence removes a certain amount of temporal punishment, while a plenary indulgence removes every bit of temporal punishment due to sins. If a person gained a planary indulgence and died before committing any more sins, he would go straight to heaven.
Did that help?
There are various ways of making up for the temporal damage caused by our sins. If we are mean to someone, we can do good to them or pray for them in an attempt to repair the damage done. Some sins are very bad and require much to make up for them. God alone knows how much temporal punishement each person has to make up for due to their past sins.
Purgatory is where a person goes when his sins have been forgiven in confession, but he dies prior to satisfying for all of the temporal damage done.
A partial indulgence removes a certain amount of temporal punishment, while a plenary indulgence removes every bit of temporal punishment due to sins. If a person gained a planary indulgence and died before committing any more sins, he would go straight to heaven.
Did that help?
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Link0126
Guest
yes. how do you get the indulgences?
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NeelyAnn
Guest
Various ways. There are four requirements for a plenary indulgence.
1.) The first requirement is to perform the particular action. Either say a certain prayer, or perform a certain good deed, or visit a certain Shrine, etc. There are many different prayers you can say to gain the indulgence. Sometimes the Pope will declare that all those who visit a certain Church during a particular year can gain an indulgence. In short, there are many different things you can do to satisfy this first requirement. You can probably find a list online.
2.) The second requirement is that you go to confession within 8 days of performing the particular work mentioned in #1 (above).
3.) Go to communion the same day you perform the work.
4.) This one is the kicker. No attachment to venial sin. What does that mean?
I thought you would ask 
No attachment to venial sin means that you have no affection for any sinful behavior. This is the difficult one. Let’s say that you have a habit of gossiping, which gives you a certain pleasure (affection). This pleasure that you have for this behavior is an attachment to the sin. This can’t be present when you gain the indulgence. I’ll give you a few pieces of advise for removing the attachment to sin.First you have to examine your conscience and find out what sins you have an attachment to. Next, **hate the sin. ** Hatred is not always bad. It can actually be used in a good way. Hatred is a great way of overcoming the attachment to sin. What you do is consider this particular sin as your worst enemy. Learn to really hate the sin. Hatred for the sin will remove the affection, and attachment, for the sin. Second, pray that God will help you to remove any affection for the sin, at least while you are gaining the indulgence.
If you have an attachment to sin while trying to gain a plenary indulgence you will instead gain only a partial indulgence, which isn’t bad either.
Does that help?
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Link0126
Guest
yeah. But all that stuff sounds made up. I’ve never heard of anything like that from the Bible or elsewhere before…
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NeelyAnn
Guest
When Jesus founded the Church, He gave it the ability to bind and loose sin (Mt 16:18, Mt 18:18). The granting of indulgenses flows from the power of loosing sins.
If you rely on the Bible alone, you will have no way of knowing for sure which books belong in the Bible. After all, the Bible did not float down from heaven leather bound and containing all 73 books (66 in the Protestant versions). The New Testament began as individual scrolls, and there is no divinely inspired list to tell us which of the letter of the early Church were Divinely insired. It was the Catholic Church who determined which books belonged in the Bible and which did not. And it is this same Church that has the power to grant indulgences.
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Link0126
Guest
yeah, I was not trying to cling to sola scriptura but was just wondering what the basis for these claims are. That makes sense that they are grounded in those verses just like confession in general.
I am still getting used to idea that the church has power b/c it was given power. I was raised Catholic but spent 6 years in the protestant world so this concept is quite different from what they claim their churches are… which is slightly above a breakfast club.
I am still getting used to idea that the church has power b/c it was given power. I was raised Catholic but spent 6 years in the protestant world so this concept is quite different from what they claim their churches are… which is slightly above a breakfast club.
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Luke65
Guest
Well, that’s probably because you had bad teachers.
Here are Indulgences in the Bible:
“Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
So you see, works of charity “cover over” the temporal punishments for our sins. This obviously does not refer to the forgiveness of sins, because only the pure Sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus can do that, and can save us from eternal punishment.
And here is temporal punishment in the Bible:
“Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.” (Colossians 3:25)
“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:47-48)
Notice, these are our Lord’s servants. They are the Elect, and they will pay a price for their sins - there is no favoritism. On the contrary, those who have been given more will have to produce more, otherwise…
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." (Matthew 5:25-26)
Our Lord is telling us: You do not want to go to Purgatory! Stop sinning, and do the good works that He expects of you, and it can be avoided or at least mitigated. And Indulgences are a good way to “settle matters”.
And if you’re coming out of the sola scriptura mindset, Scripture Catholic should be a great help to you. God bless.
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Link0126
Guest
yeah, I checked scripture catholic but didn’t see an article about indulgences. Thanks.
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Genesis315
Guest
The doctrine of indulgences is linked with the doctrine of the communion Saints. The elements of this doctrine are all biblical and were present in the early Church East and West–it is more obvious in the penitential practice of the early Church, but it still applicable today of course.
First, it bears pointing out that there are three parts to repentance–contrition, confession, and bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance (this last part is often called “satisfaction.”) It is the third part that is related to indulgences. Here are some biblical references to this last part (note: the DRV which I am citing uses the phrase “do penance” or the word “penance” in the place many translations use “repent” and “repentance” but the meaning is the same):
Now, there are various ways by which one brings forth fruit worthy of repentance or, in other words, makes satisfaction for sins. This is done through prayer, acts of charity, and self-denial, etc but also suffering through the chastisments that God may send Himself.
If someone were to die before bringing forth worthy fruits, that process was and is understood to be finished in the afterlife as the Council of Florence explained:
Anyway, since the need to make satisfaction extends into the afterlife, it followed logically that the indulgence would also.
Otherwise, if one were loosed on earth, but it did not take effect in the afterlife, the indulgence would be a cruelty deceiving the penitent into thinking he had brought forth sufficient fruits when he had not.
Nowadays in the West, since prescribed penances are generally meant to simply turn the penitent back to God through prayer rather than equal the total fruits worthy of repentance, the focus of indulgences is more on their effects in the afterlife.
continued…
First, it bears pointing out that there are three parts to repentance–contrition, confession, and bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance (this last part is often called “satisfaction.”) It is the third part that is related to indulgences. Here are some biblical references to this last part (note: the DRV which I am citing uses the phrase “do penance” or the word “penance” in the place many translations use “repent” and “repentance” but the meaning is the same):
(see also Matt. 3:8, Luke 3:8 )
Now, there are various ways by which one brings forth fruit worthy of repentance or, in other words, makes satisfaction for sins. This is done through prayer, acts of charity, and self-denial, etc but also suffering through the chastisments that God may send Himself.
The Church from the very beginning also prescribed such acts of satisfaction. One common one, early on, was cutting the sinner off from the sacraments for a period of time (this is still common in the East and for certain more serious sins in the West). St. Paul prescribes such satisfaction for the incestuous man in Corinth here:
Later, the Church adopted other forms of satisfaction in different times and places many taking months or even years to complete. For example, someone who committed a very grievous sin might have to live a strict disciplined life in a monastery for a period of time (this is why prisons are often called penitentiaries, from the root “penitent.”)
If someone were to die before bringing forth worthy fruits, that process was and is understood to be finished in the afterlife as the Council of Florence explained:
An indulgence is a remittance of this need to make satisfaction either partially or fully (a "plenary indulgence). St. Paul granted such a pardon to the same incestuous man in Corinth:
It should be noted that during certain periods, partial indulgences were delineated by periods of time like days or years to correspond to prevailing penitential disciplines, but today they are generally called “partial” only and their value is relative to the act on which the granting of the indulgence is conditioned.
Anyway, since the need to make satisfaction extends into the afterlife, it followed logically that the indulgence would also.
(see also Matt. 16:18)
Otherwise, if one were loosed on earth, but it did not take effect in the afterlife, the indulgence would be a cruelty deceiving the penitent into thinking he had brought forth sufficient fruits when he had not.
Nowadays in the West, since prescribed penances are generally meant to simply turn the penitent back to God through prayer rather than equal the total fruits worthy of repentance, the focus of indulgences is more on their effects in the afterlife.
continued…
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Genesis315
Guest
continued from above…
So how is this related to the communion of Saints? It is from the communion Saints that indulgences have their efficacy. Since we are all one Body, the satisfaction made by some members can be applied to other members for whom it is wanting. St. Paul rejoices in this fact:
Those Saints (canonized and unknown) along with Christ Himself who have brought forth fruits far exceeding their own needs for repentance are applied to the person receiving the indulgence–it is why an indulgence can be granted without derogating from God’s justice.
Anyway, I hope that helps!
So how is this related to the communion of Saints? It is from the communion Saints that indulgences have their efficacy. Since we are all one Body, the satisfaction made by some members can be applied to other members for whom it is wanting. St. Paul rejoices in this fact:
(see also 1 Cor. 12:26).
Those Saints (canonized and unknown) along with Christ Himself who have brought forth fruits far exceeding their own needs for repentance are applied to the person receiving the indulgence–it is why an indulgence can be granted without derogating from God’s justice.
Anyway, I hope that helps!
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Alexander_Roman
Guest
Ultimately, I think it is better to assume that we are to perform works of reparation all our lives and the indulgenced prayers help us in that regard - they are also a way the Church has of approving of certain forms of prayer (i.e. Rosary, Stations of the Cross, continual reading of Scripture etc.).
There will never be a time in our lives when we will not have to pray and do penance. Affection for sin can only be achieved through the Grace of God. That means a life consecrated to prayer and penance - for all of us.
Alex
There will never be a time in our lives when we will not have to pray and do penance. Affection for sin can only be achieved through the Grace of God. That means a life consecrated to prayer and penance - for all of us.
Alex
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kitkatty
Guest
Alex, that
s the best view of indulgences Ive heard so far. Conversion and true repentence is truly a lifes work.
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Alexander_Roman
Guest
And I meant to say “Disaffection for sin.” 
Sorry about that . . .
Alex
Sorry about that . . .
Alex
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hartleymartin
Guest
From one document I read, entering a church for the purpose of adoring Jesus Christ for at least 30 minutes gains an indulgence.
Other ones include praying the Divine Office, and a multitude of other prayers.
You can also gain indulgences during the start of November on the Solemnity of All Souls. I believe you must: 1.) Have sacramental confession and penance 2.) Receive Holy Communion 3.) Have detachment from venial sin 4.) Visit a grave or burial site.
The last is rather convenient for me, as the Anglican church down the street from my local Catholic Church has a small grave-yard attached.
Other ones include praying the Divine Office, and a multitude of other prayers.
You can also gain indulgences during the start of November on the Solemnity of All Souls. I believe you must: 1.) Have sacramental confession and penance 2.) Receive Holy Communion 3.) Have detachment from venial sin 4.) Visit a grave or burial site.
The last is rather convenient for me, as the Anglican church down the street from my local Catholic Church has a small grave-yard attached.
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