Indulgences

An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. The faithful who are properly disposed and fulfill certain conditions obtain this remission through the Church, which distributes the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints (CCC 1471).

Sin Has Two Consequences

When a sin is forgiven in Confession, the eternal punishment (Hell) is remitted. But sin also leaves a temporal punishment: a disordered attachment that must be purified, either in this life through penance and good works, or in Purgatory after death. Indulgences address this temporal punishment (CCC 1472–1473).

Partial and Plenary Indulgences

A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment. A plenary indulgence removes it entirely. The conditions for a plenary indulgence typically include: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, prayer for the Pope's intentions, and complete detachment from all sin (CCC 1471).

Indulgences for the Dead

Indulgences may be applied to the souls in Purgatory by way of intercession — offering them on behalf of the dead and asking God to apply them to their purification. This is an expression of the Communion of Saints (CCC 1479).

Frequently Asked Questions

Are indulgences the same as forgiving sins? No. Indulgences do not forgive sins — that requires Confession and contrition. They remit only the temporal punishment that remains after forgiveness. They presuppose genuine repentance (CCC 1471).

Did the Church sell indulgences? Abuses in the administration of indulgences — including their association with financial donations — were a genuine scandal that helped spark the Protestant Reformation. The Council of Trent addressed these abuses. The theology of indulgences is sound; the historical abuses were a failure of discipline, not of doctrine (CCC 1471).