What is an indulgence?

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I read in “Our Sunday Visitor” that Pope John Paul II has authorized indulgences for the Eucharist.

I’m sorry to say I didn’t understand much of the article.

Can someone explain: what, how, why, when?
 
Want to learn more about indulgences?
**A PRIMER ON INDULGENCES

James Akin**
ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PRIMINDU.HTM

*14-January-2005-- Vatican Information Service *ewtn.com/images/printer.gif
POPE GRANTS PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST

VATICAN CITY, JAN 14, 2005 (VIS) - A Decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary, dated December 25, 2004 and published today, states that during an audience granted on December 17, 2004 to Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Fr. John Francis Girotti, OFM.Conv., respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, “the Holy Father wished to enrich with indulgences several determined acts of worship and devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament, which are indicated below. … The Decree will be in force during the Eucharistic Year, starting with the day of its publication in the L’Osservatore Romano. Notwithstanding any disposition to the contrary.” Following are excerpts:

"A Plenary Indulgence is granted to all faithful and to each individual faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin), each and every time they participate attentively and piously in a sacred function or a devotional exercise undertaken in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, solemnly exposed and conserved in the tabernacle.

"A Plenary Indulgence is also granted, under the aforesaid conditions, to the clergy, to members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and to other faithful who are by law obliged to recite the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as to those who customarily recite the Divine Office out of pure devotion, each and every time they recite - at the end of the day, in company or in private - Vespers and Night Prayers before the Lord present in the tabernacle.

“The faithful who, through illness or other just cause, are unable to visit the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist in a church or oratory, may obtain a Plenary Indulgence in their own homes, or wherever they may be because of their ailment, if, … with the intention of observing the three usual conditions as soon as possible, they make the visit spiritually and with the heart’s desire, … and recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a pious invocation to Jesus in the Sacrament. “If they are unable to do even this, they will receive a Plenary Indulgence if they unite themselves with interior desire to those who practice the normal conditions laid down for Indulgences, and offer the merciful God the illnesses and discomforts of their lives.” The Decree asks that priests, especially pastors, inform the faithful “in the most convenient manner” of these dispositions, prepare, “with generous and ready spirit,” to hear confessions and to lead the faithful “in solemn public recitation of prayers to Jesus in the Sacrament.” The faithful are likewise exhorted “to give open witness of faith and veneration for the Blessed Sacrament” as proposed in such acts as Eucharistic procession and adoration, and Eucharistic and spiritual communion.”

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Here is the short answer:

There are two necessary steps to deal with our sins - first is “forgiveness”, where Jesus forgives us in ways such as through Reconciliation and receiving the Eucharist. But just like David was forgiven in the Bible, he was also punished - we have temporal punishments that will come to us when we die. You can read about this in the CCC or even in the Bible, when it talks about the “cleansing” of our souls that happens since no soul can enter heaven with a blemish of sin. So this cleansing can be paid for on earth through partial or full (plenary) indulgences, established by the Church for certain things we do (some based on event, some based on activities, etc. - see the above links).

I liken it often to your father forgives you for breaking the window (step 1), but your punishment is to wash the car all summer (step 2).

That’s what is so funny about people that go through life sinning like crazy but then believing “all I have to do is confess, or pray to Jesus (or whatever their Chrisitian religion dictates), and all is fine” - well you are forgiven but not cleansed!
 
The Council of Trent (1545-1563) infallibly defined that the Church does have the power to grant an indulgence. This is not an optional belief for a Catholic. In fact, on January 14,2005, Pope John Paul II offered a special indulgence for “The Year of The Eucharist” (October 2004- October 2005).

Pope Paul VI provided a concise definition of an indulgence:

“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 defined conditions through the ChurchÍs help when, as a minister of redemption, she dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions won by Christ and the saints.”

The Biblical principles underlying this doctrine and practice are solid. Basically, it is necessary to understand that sin has two consequences: guilt (loss of grace) and punishment (temporal penalty), and the Church has the authority from Jesus Christ to forgive sins. Loss of grace is restored via Sacramental Confession but the temporal penalty remains. God uses the Church when he removes both guilt and punishment. Penances have always been assigned as part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation after the sin has been forgiven, not as a condition for it being forgiven. This makes a lot of sense because in justice we need to compensate those who we have injured through sin. This is simply part of the role of the ministry of forgiveness that God has entrusted to his Church.

(From “The Salvation Controversy” by James Akin (2001); “Catholic Encyclopedia” (1910); “Indulgentiarum Doctrina” by Pope Paul VI (January 1,1967), “Catechism of The Catholic Church” (1997))
 
I struggle with this aspect of indulgences, “Remission of the temporal punishment due to sins” is gained through indulgences. Here is what I (honestly and humbly) don’t understand. To me the temporal punishment is the consequence of that sin. For example, if a person robs a bank, he goes to jail. If he cheats in school, he gets expelled, if he steals from his employer, he gets fired, etc. If the person repents and confesses the sin and then does that which is necessary for a plenary indulgence, is he no longer in danger of, for example, getting fired? Please help me understand how the indulgence can "remit the temporal punishment of, for example, stealing from ones employer.

Sincere question.

God bless

RCF
 
There are many places in the Bible where Gd forgave people but also punished them - they are two different things. That’s what I tried to communicate in my example above, about the broken window.
 
Hi Don. Yes I understand, but still have the question. Using the window example. If I break the window and then truly repent, I receive forgiveness. Then, if I perform the act necessary for the indulgence, will it cause my Dad to not make me have to wash the car? If no, then what temporal punishment has been remitted?

Sincerely,
RCF
 
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RCF:
To me the temporal punishment is the consequence of that sin.
Click to expand...
The examples you listed are just analogies for what the Church really means by “temporal punishment”. Yes, it is a consequence of sin, but a very specific kind of consequence.

Whenever we sin, we develop an unhealthy attachment to things. It follows from the very nature of sin. If we turn to God out of fervent charity, we’ll be cured of this unhealthy attachment. Indulgences is another way we can get this attachment taken care of.
 
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