Question on indulgences

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Oumashta

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According to what I’ve heard, in order for one to receive a plenary indulgence one has to go to confession, receive Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Pope, and do an act that has a plenary indulgence attached to it.

A: Lets just say that I go to confession, receive Communion, pray for the Pope, and say the Rosary in a group with the intention to receive the indulgence. Does that mean that I have received a plenary indulgence and that all my temporal punishment is wiped out completely and if I were to die immediately after receiving the indulgence I would go straight to heaven? Is it really that simple:D?

B: Must I do all these things in order? Can I go to confession, pray a Rosary, receive communion, and then pray for the intentions of the Pope?

Just one last question:)! Hope its not too much…
I made another thread before, but I didn’t ask this question.
I felt moved to do the Heroic Act of Charity for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.

fisheaters.com/prayingforthedead.html#heroic
(if you don’t know what I’m talking about)

C: If I offer up all of the satisfactory value (not the merits) of all of my sufferings and works of the rest of my life and of any time I may spend in Purgatory for the relief of the souls in Purgatory, does that mean that if I receive a plenary indulgence it automatically applies to the souls in Purgatory? Does that mean that I can no longer apply any indulgence to myself?:confused:

Thanks all so much:)!
God bless.
 
According to what I’ve heard, in order for one to receive a plenary indulgence one has to go to confession, receive Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Pope, and do an act that has a plenary indulgence attached to it.
Lets just say that I go to confession, receive Communion, pray for the Pope, and say the Rosary in a group with the intention to receive the indulgence. Does that mean that I have received a plenary indulgence and that all my temporal punishment is wiped out completely and if I were to die immediately after receiving the indulgence I would go straight to heaven? Is it really that simple?
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No it isn’t, not at all. An additional condition is that one must have*** no attachment of any kind*** to ANY sin, be it mortal or venial.

In practice this is incredibly difficult. We pretty much all have our pet sins, be they big or small, that we keep repeating, keep trying to justify to ourselves, keep sweeping under the carpet, or that we just don’t ‘feel’ are really as ‘bad as all that’. In other words, we are still attached to these sins.

In fact St Phillip Neri reportedly was among a crowd of thousands who were gathered in a particular church on a particular feast day for the purposes of gaining a certain plenary indulgence. It was revealed to him that of all those thousands who were trying that day, only two successfully gained the plenary indulgence - the saint himself and an old lady among the crowd. Only two out of thousands!
 
St. Philip Neri lived in the 1500’s, when the faithful had little information about obtaining indulgences due to lack of a printing press. I can appreciate that few had the proper dispositions for obtaining one due to lack of formation.

That is not true of our time, when the conditions are easily learned by any who are desirous of availing themselves of the Church’s wonderful grants.
Lets just say that I go to confession, receive Communion, pray for the Pope, and say the Rosary in a group with the intention to receive the indulgence. Does that mean that I have received a plenary indulgence and that all my temporal punishment is wiped out completely and if I were to die immediately after receiving the indulgence I would go straight to heaven? Is it really that simple?
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Yes, thanks be to God for His loving mercy that wishes all to come into his presence without the penalty of punishment. Father Corapi has praised this grant of Holy Mother Church, since he admits of a very sinful past.

Consider well your interior disposition after going to confession. If you have resolved in your heart to never commit another sin of any kind, nor even to offend Our Lord with a voluntary imperfection, then you are in the right disposition of “no attachment to sin” and may obtain the full plenary indulgence. Keep up this good practice of obtaining the plenary frequently, not only for yourself, but for those in purgatory. We don’t know for sure whether God will apply a full release of all punishment for these souls, but it is still a worthy practice to help them.
 
LilyM said:
No it isn’t, not at all. An additional condition is that one must have*** no attachment of any kind*** to ANY sin, be it mortal or venial.
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If one was in such a state, and had fulfilled the other requirements, would one really require an indulgence? Is it even possible to be in such a state if you subscribe to the idea of original sin?
 
LilyM said:
No it isn’t, not at all. An additional condition is that one must have*** no attachment of any kind*** to ANY sin, be it mortal or venial.

In practice this is incredibly difficult. We pretty much all have our pet sins, be they big or small, that we keep repeating, keep trying to justify to ourselves, keep sweeping under the carpet, or that we just don’t ‘feel’ are really as ‘bad as all that’. In other words, we are still attached to these sins.

I!
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I agree. I may have just gone to confession but still may harbor resentment toward someone, I may have inordinate attachment to some possessions, I may be in a slightly sinful situation that I don’t really want to give up yet or in the process of seeking to rectify. It’s that being free from attachment to sin, all sin, that makes plenary indulgences difficult to achieve.
 
Sirach2 said:
St. Philip Neri lived in the 1500’s, when the faithful had little information about obtaining indulgences due to lack of a printing press. I can appreciate that few had the proper dispositions for obtaining one due to lack of formation.

That is not true of our time, when the conditions are easily learned by any who are desirous of availing themselves of the Church’s wonderful grants.

Yes, thanks be to God for His loving mercy that wishes all to come into his presence without the penalty of punishment. Father Corapi has praised this grant of Holy Mother Church, since he admits of a very sinful past.

Consider well your interior disposition after going to confession. If you have resolved in your heart to never commit another sin of any kind, nor even to offend Our Lord with a voluntary imperfection, then you are in the right disposition of “no attachment to sin” and may obtain the full plenary indulgence. Keep up this good practice of obtaining the plenary frequently, not only for yourself, but for those in purgatory. We don’t know for sure whether God will apply a full release of all punishment for these souls, but it is still a worthy practice to help them.
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Thanks for this information:) If I leave the confessional in a “I NEVER want to sin again, and I want to only do good… but on the inside I know that I may fail again” state is that ok? 🙂

Oh, do you have any information on my question about the Heroic Act of Charity?🙂 I really would like to know how it works.
Thanks
God bless.
 
Thanks for this information If I leave the confessional in a “I NEVER want to sin again, and I want to only do good… but on the inside I know that I may fail again” state is that ok?
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Excellent! You are not willing to hold on to any pet sins that are venial in nature, but fully resolving to walk the straight and narrow. Some just cannot let these go, believing that if they are not mortal, and if they commit them again, it doesn’t matter. See the difference?

Keep in mind that it is not always easy to know oneself through and through, as God does. But if we ask Him, He will reveal to us our hidden faults or attachments, little by little, especially if they are displeasing to Him. You will find that your intention is absolutely pure with regard to “NEVER” want to sin again. God bless you!
 
Sirach2 said:
Excellent! You are not willing to hold on to any pet sins that are venial in nature, but fully resolving to walk the straight and narrow. Some just cannot let these go, believing that if they are not mortal, and if they commit them again, it doesn’t matter. See the difference?

Keep in mind that it is not always easy to know oneself through and through, as God does. But if we ask Him, He will reveal to us our hidden faults or attachments, little by little, especially if they are displeasing to Him. You will find that your intention is absolutely pure with regard to “NEVER” want to sin again. God bless you!
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Oh, I understand:) I always ask God to reveal to me any problems in my life. Such as resentment, complaining, ect… Thank you so much for your help:) Do you know anything about the Heroic Act of Charity?
 
You are not yet a Catholic, and this is a very serious commitment to make the heroic act of charity. Later on, you may regret having done that. Hold off and give it a lot of prayer. This is not something that the majority of Catholics feel called to do, nor is it necessary in order to be Catholic.

I find the devotion problematic, to be honest. As you noted, it removes all ability to apply the suffrage to those of our choice, including oneself. It would be wise to seek more information from the priest who is giving you formation, or another trusted cleric.
 
Bluegoat said:
If one was in such a state, and had fulfilled the other requirements, would one really require an indulgence? Is it even possible to be in such a state if you subscribe to the idea of original sin?
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Not at all. Indulgences are to do with removing all temporal consequences (not spiritual but other) relating to PAST sin. What is required to gain an indulgence is a CURRENT state of great aversion to all sin, even minor sins. And a high level of determination to in FUTURE avoid all sin, even minor sins.

Let me draw an analogy - if I have dealt drugs in the past, I am required to pay the penalty, usually imprisonment. My CURRENTLY being horrified by the very idea of dealing drugs, my deeply regretting that I did so in the past, and my being utterly determined to avoid doing so in the future (in other words my ‘detachment’ from the crime) won’t change the penalty I should pay for my past misdeeds one little bit.

But it just may, assuming my attitude to the crime is sincerely completely reformed, move the judge to waive the penalty - that waiving of the penalty is the indulgence. And it’s something, obviously, the judge would not consider doing if my attitude was less than completely reformed, or if I was still ‘attached’ (if I thought it wasn’t such a big deal, even though I was sorry for it, for example).

And original sin is a different thing again. Original sin is a general sort of inclination of our natures towards sin in general. Whereas attachment to sin is a hanging on in one sense or another to specific types of sin that we have committed in the past such that we are half-hearted in our desire and attempts to avoid repeating those sins in the future.

I’ve never done illicit drugs, for example, so I can’t be said to be attached to the sin of illicit drug use. My never having done it shows on the contrary that I am NOT attached to it. By means of original sin I am SUSCEPTIBLE, however, to sinning in potentially any and all ways, including illicit drug use as much as any other type of sin.
 
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