From the Friars: What is an Indulgence?
Are you confused about indulgences? Welcome to the club. Let us try to understand them a bit better. First, a brief definition: An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to forgiven sins, in virtue of the merits of Christ and His Church. The doctrinal basis for indulgences is explained in detail in the Apostolic Constitution Indulgentiarum Doctrina by St. Pope Paul VI.
Indulgences are related to the Sacrament of Confession. Mortal sin separates a person from God. This is “eternal punishment”. The repentant sinner is forgiven in Confession and that eternal punishment is remitted. Venial sins can also be forgiven. However, every sin does damage in various ways, especially to our relationship with God, with each other, and to ourselves. After forgiveness the damage must be repaired. “Temporal punishment” is making satisfaction for, restoring, healing or expiating this damage. Punishment is imposed by God because He is just and merciful and desires our purification and sanctification and the restoration of His Glory.
In the Mystical Body of Christ, we can help each other in expiating sin by our prayers and other acts of penance. The merits of Jesus Himself are infinite but He allows us to participate in the healing of sin’s destructive effects. With the merits of Our Lady and the saints the Church has a treasury that can be applied by the power of the keys given to Saint Peter and the Church. This is done through the various ways that an indulgence can be obtained.
To get to the main point, the practice of indulgences is to inspire us to practice charity and motivate us to grow in holiness. Besides the act of piety itself, Confession, Holy Communion and prayers for the Pope are external conditions required to obtain a plenary indulgence. But an internal condition is detachment from sin. This is the purity of heart that the Holy Spirit is working to bring about in us. Our deep and thorough conversion allows the Love of God to work through us. Thus, we will long to help our suffering brothers and sisters in Purgatory and seek our own sanctification so that the Holy Trinity will be glorified now and forever! Amen.
–Fr. Peter