Questions on plenary indulgences

[yellowbicycle]

Could I really free all of the dead people I know from purgatory?
Let’s say I have ten loved ones who have passed.
And I go to confession. And I am free from ‘attachment to sin’ (question on that in a moment). And I go to Mass. And I fulfill the obligations to receive a plenary indulgence.

Is my loved one really out of purgatory? And since there’s really no time in purgatory, if I went today and received a plenary indulgence, then my loved one would have NEVER been in purgatory, since I got them out, right?

What if, despite my best efforts, I sin again, later, after I have fulfilled the requirements for a plenary indulgence? Does that undo my plenary indulgence?

What if the person for whom I am getting the plenary indulgence is, God forbid, in hell? What happens to my intentions then? What if the person wasn’t goingt o spend any time in purgatory? Did I ‘waste’ my indulgence?

And, if plenary indulgences are that powerful, I mean, let’s be honest, I don’t really know how many of us will be so good as to get straight up to heaven when we die, and don’t we all want our loved ones to be immediately with christ when they die, why isn’t everyone running out and getting plenary indulgences for their loved ones? I mean, dang, skip the flowers for my funeral - get me out of purgatory instead!!

Regarding attachment to sin - I’m a gossip. Love it. Can’t get enough of it. I arrive early to my doctor’s appointments just to read people magazine. (By the way, i do NOT think Jon cheated on Kate.That’s just rubbish.) So, let’s say I confess that and I really and truly want to stop being such a gossip, is that good enough? Even if I’m fairly certain that the pull of gossip will pull me in again at some point?

I’m going to bop around CAF and see if I can find some of these answers…
Tahnks!

 

[Cathryn]

From Catholic encyclopedia:

"God alone knows what penalty remains to be paid and what its precise amount is in severity and duration. Finally, some indulgences are granted in behalf of the living only, while others may be applied in behalf of the souls departed. It should be noted, however, that the application has not the same significance in both cases.

The Church in granting an indulgence to the living exercises her jurisdiction; over the dead she has no jurisdiction and therefore makes the indulgence available for them by way of suffrage (per modum suffragii), i.e. she petitions God to accept these works of satisfaction and in consideration thereof to mitigate or shorten the sufferings of the souls in Purgatory. "

As far as your gossiping, if you repent and confess your sins of gossiping you need to intend to try not to gossip again. If and when you fail in this area, you repent, confess, and try again. Conversion is ongoing, not a one time thing.

 

[CassiusLonginus]

A little anecdote about plenary indulgences from catholic.org:

"The greatest hurdle is the last. Making a good confession is not particularly difficult, and going to Communion and praying for the Pope’s intentions are easier still. It’s being free from all attachment to sin that’s hard and it’s quite possible that even evi-dently good people, who seek plenary indulgences regularly, never, in their whole lives, obtain one, because they are unwilling to relinquish their favorite little sins.

There is an account of St. Philip Neri, who died in 1595, preaching a jubilee indulgence in a crowed church. A revelation was given to him that only two people in the church were actually getting it, an old char-woman and the saint himself. Not exactly encouraging, huh? But don’t worry. If you aren’t perfectly disposed and can’t get the plenary indulgence. you’ll at least come away with a partial."

 

[NeedImprovement]

…And who’s to say that God, in His infinite Mercy, could not find a soul who’d already paid part of his debt to God’s justice and would only need that partial indulgence to be delivered…?..so you still free a soul from Purgatory.

…
Is my loved one really out of purgatory? And since there’s really no time in purgatory, if I went today and received a plenary indulgence, then my loved one would have NEVER been in purgatory, since I got them out, right?..

I don’t think it can be said that there’s, “really no time in Purgatory” yellowbicycle. God is beyond time, but Purgatory is called “temporal” punishment due to sin. I believe this implies Purgatory is definitely linked/related to time.

For a little reflection, here are Our Lord’s words to St. Faustina, used for Day 8 of the Novena to the Divine Mercy:

Eighth Day

**“Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice.” **

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I have seen it noted that the Church’s, and the Pope’s, authority extends only to the Church Militant - those on earth. Our offerings for the souls in Purgatory certainly help them, but how and how much is God’s decision, not the Church’s.

That said, we can surely trust God to make the best decisions for all concerned.