Doctrine of Indulgences

[peter26]

Thank you for that, that actually makes me feel a lot better about the subject.

 

[thistle]

Why has the Doctrine of Indulgences been neglected in recent years?
For example, I have had ten years of catholic education; however, I was never told what indulgences were or how to obtain them. I have even asked other Catholics if they knew how to obtain indulgences, and they had no idea. Why would catholic educators not teach this important doctrine?

Catholics are not required to obtain indulgences and they are not required for salvation.

 

[Padres1969]

Might be due to their shady past - buying indulgences was so big in the 16th century it required major reigning in by the Council of Trent…

I’m not a historian, just googled the basics, but I recall that indulgences were a question on the Virginia World History SOL several years ago.

Well that and the abuse of indulgences was one of the many issues that prompted the Reformation as well. But the OP is right, Indulgences are not something that was part of Catholic education as recently as the Pontificate of John Paul II. I personally despite 13 years of Catholic primary and secondary education didn’t learn about them until College. And even then it was more in the context of a history class than any kind of religious instruction. They’re just not part of any of the general Catholic education anymore and until much later I wasn’t even aware that they still existed.

Speaking of Indulgences, is there such a thing as a 9 First Friday Mass attendance indulgence? My Catholic grandfather insisted such a thing existed until the day he died since he achieved it (for lack of a better term) (and it often made my now departed Catholic grandmother angry that he did so because she thought he was full of it with regard to such a thing existing).

 

[simspt]

can one someone point to the development of the doctrine or teachings re indulgences? There connection to the doctrine of communion of saints? Purgatory? thanks

 

[LordHaveMercy]

For me personally, I began to appreciate indulgences more when I started reflecting on purgatory. There is plenty to read on the subject, and it honestly sounds just dreadful and extremely long (though I understand that it cannot necessarily be described in terms of time). Then when I think about the departed members of my family possibly being there, with none of their children still praying for them, I realized my duty to seek indulgences for the Souls in Purgatory.

Also, to earn a plenary indulgence you have to have gone to confession within a certain number of days, so it would make sense that the practice of obtaining indulgences would drop off with the drop off in Catholics receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Additionally, I was scolded by a Catholic relative who was very offended that I was praying for my great grandmother, because she said it was offensive that I would think she “wasn’t a good person” and didn’t “go straight to heaven”, let alone that she could still be in purgatory 6 years after her death, so there is some confusion on that point as well.

 

[simspt]

I just found a helpful article on the subject.
calledtocommunion.com/2011/01/indulgences-the-treasury-of-merit-and-the-communion-of-saints/