Indulgences
by Paul Turner
An indulgence is the remission of punishment for a forgiven sin. If your child breaks a window at home and tells you, "I'm sorry," you may forgive the young offender, but you may still issue a punishment. In the Catholic Church the sacrament of reconciliation brings forgiveness of sins, which may still carry punishments. Indulgences relax the punishments.
Indulgences first appeared in the 11th century as a way of reducing the penance one was required to perform after confessing a sin. Several hundred years later they were understood to relax punishments after death - partially or totally. During the Reformation, the abuse of indulgences received sound criticism: People were selling them outright, claiming that you could buy your way into heaven.
In the past, some indulgences came with a certain number of days or years attached. The church explained that if you gained the indulgence it would speed your progress from purgatory to heaven by that amount of time. Today we no longer apply this metaphor of time.
Although the sale of indulgences has ceased, the practice of performing certain actions to obtain indulgences continues. The church believes that the good accomplished by Christ and the saints may be shared by the faithful who perform actions of prayer, charity, and self-sacrifice. Believers may even ask God to extend mercy to the faithful departed by remembering these benefits. An appreciation of indulgences is based on the belief that sinful behaviors carry consequences even after death and that God will respond favorably to prayers for mercy.
An indulgence is obtained by performing a devotional action, celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation, sharing the Eucharist, and praying for the intentions of the pope. It celebrates the mercy of God.
This bulletin insert originally appeared in MINISTRY & LITURGY, a pastoral planning resource used by the worship leaders in your parish as an aid for better liturgy. Copyright © 2000 Resource Publications, Inc., 160 E. Virginia St. #290, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 286-8505. Paul Turner, pastor of St. John Regis Parish in Kansas City, Mo., holds a doctorate in sacramental theology from Sant' Anselmo University in Rome. Comment online at www.rpinet.com/wwwboard/forum8/.
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