INDULGENCES

Just as the Church has the power, given by Christ, to forgive sins "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Jn. 20:23), she also has the power to remit the penalties to due sin. This is where indulgences come in. The following are some basic questions and answers regarding indulgences.

Q. What are Indulgences?

A. An indulgence remits temporal punishment due to sin which is already forgiven.

"Can. 992 An indulgence is the remission before God of temporal punishment for sins whose guilt is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful gains under certain and defined conditions by the assistance of the Church which as minister of redemption dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints." (1983 Code of Canon Law)

"An indulgence is the remission in the eyes of God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose culpable element has already been taken away. The Christian faithful who are rightly disposed and observe the definite, prescribed conditions gain this remission through the effective assistance of the Church, which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively distributes and applies the treasury of the expiatory works of Christ and the saints." (Norms for Indulgences)

Q. Do indulgences forgive sin?

A. No. Indulgences do not forgive sin, but remit punishment due to already forgiven sin.

Q. Why does one need indulgences?

A. We need indulgences because we commit numerous sins each day, as Scripture says, "For the just man falls seven times" (Prov. 24:16). Even when we confess our sins, the slight penances given in Confession are not sufficient to remit the temporal punishment due to sin and leave a "debt of justice" to God. If this debt is not paid here, it must be paid after our death (e.g. in purgatory). Indulgences, drawn from the inexhaustible "Treasury" of the Church (which contains the merits of Christ, his blessed Mother, and the saints), are a relatively easy way of discharging the debt owed to God.

Q. How does one obtain an indulgence or what are the requirements?

A. One may obtain an indulgence by having the proper intention, being properly disposed, and properly performing the prescribed works (on specified days, if so required). If one seeks a plenary indulgence, one must also receive sacramental confession, worthily receive Holy Communion, pray for the pope's intentions (e.g. reciting the Our Father and Hail Mary for his intentions), and be free from all attachment to sin (even venial). If a visit to a church or oratory is prescribed, this may require a devout visit, including recitation of the Lord's Prayer and Creed (unless the indulgence requires otherwise).

As stated in the 1983 Code of Canon Law: "Can. 996 §1. To be capable of gaining indulgences, a person must be baptized, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace at least at the end of the prescribed works. §2. To gain indulgences, however, a capable subject must have at least the general intention of acquiring them and must fulfill the enjoined works in the established time and the proper method, according to the tenor of the grant." And: "Can. 997 As regards the granting and use of indulgences, the other prescripts contained in the special laws of the Church must also be observed."

Q. What is the difference between a plenary and a partial indulgence?

A. A plenary indulgence is a complete remission of all temporal punishment due to sin. A partial indulgence frees a person from some of the temporal punishment due to sin. As stated in the 1983 Code of Canon Law: "Can. 993 An indulgence is partial or plenary insofar as it partially or totally frees from the temporal punishment due to sins."

Q. Where may I find a list of indulgences?

A. You may scroll down to view some general indulgence information, however, you should refer to an official list of approved indulgences for complete and accurate information. For assistance in locating such information, contact your parish or diocese.

Q. Are old indulgences still applicable?

A. Only currently approved indulgences are still applicable. Note that sweeping changes were made to the regulations for indulgences after the Second Vatican Council.

Q. What other changes were made since the Second Vatican Council?

A. In the wake of the Second Vatican Council, various changes were made to the regulations for indulgences such as: a reduction in the number of plenary indulgences, the suppression of many traditional indulgences, the elimination of the distinction between real/personal indulgences, elimination of the measurement of days/years for partial indulgences, and the reduction of the comprehensive list of traditional & beautiful indulgenced prayers (e.g. in the Raccolta) to a small number of prayers, and an increased emphasis on good works.

Q. What does it mean when an indulgence is measured in days or years?

A. Traditionally, partial indulgences were measured in days or years. This time referred to an equivalent amount of days or years of penance that would be remitted. For example, a 300 days indulgence would cancel out the same amount of punishment that would have been remitted had one done 300 days of prescribed penance (e.g. the canonical penance in the early Church). [Note that this refers to days of penance - not days in purgatory.] This longstanding practice of measuring indulgences in days and years was - some argue, very sadly - eliminated in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.

Q. Can a person in mortal sin obtain indulgences?

A. No. One must be in the state of grace to receive indulgences. As St. Thomas Aquinas states: "A dead member receives no inflow from the other members that are living. But one who is in mortal sin, is like a dead member. Therefore he receives no inflow, through indulgences, from the merits of living members."

Q. Do indulgences eliminate the need for Confession?

A. Indulgences do not eliminate the need for or substitute for Confession, but rather presuppose that one has already received sacramental absolution in Confession (for those who were in a state of mortal sin).

Q. Do indulgences eliminate the need for restitution?

A. No. Indulgences do not eliminate the requirement of restitution, but should be obtained in addition to making restitution. For example, if someone were to steal an item from another, he should go to Confession (and receive sacramental absolution), restore the item (or otherwise make full restitution), and obtain indulgences.

Q. Can indulgences be applied to others, either living or dead?

A. One may be able to apply indulgences to the dead (if allowed), but one cannot apply indulgences to other living persons. As stated in the 1983 Code of Canon Law: "Can. 994 Any member of the faithful can gain partial or plenary indulgences for oneself or apply them to the dead by way of suffrage." It should be noted that it is an act of charity to gain indulgences for those in purgatory and may even be considered our Christian duty to assist the poor souls (especially one's deceased friends and relatives who may be languishing in the pains of purgatory, unable to help themselves.) Note: For more information on purgatory, please click here.

Q. What does a "toties quoties" indulgence refer to?

A. A "toties quoties" indulgence is one that may be gained as often as one desires (and does the required works).

Q. Can one obtain an indulgence in advance of sinning?

A. No. Indulgences remit punishment only for already forgiven sin. Indulgences do not pardon future sin!

Q. Can indulgences be bought?

A. Usually, indulgences consist in a certain work. In the past, indulgences have allowed the giving of certain sums for various causes (e.g. to build churches). Although such practices may have led to abuse, the concept of giving money for an indulgence is not contrary to reason - just as a criminal might have to pay a fine rather than perform community service. It is important to remember that the sins were already forgiven and any money paid was not to forgive sins.

Q. Who in the Church is authorized to grant indulgences?

A. Generally, the pope grants indulgences. Bishops (or others, if permitted by the pope) may be allowed to authorize certain, limited indulgences. As stated in the 1983 Code of Canon Law: "Can. 995 §1. In addition to the supreme authority of the Church, only those to whom this power is acknowledged in the law or granted by the Roman Pontiff can bestow indulgences. §2. No authority below the Roman Pontiff can entrust the power of granting indulgences to others unless the Apostolic See has given this expressly to the person." Note that, In the Vatican, the Apostolic Penitentiary handles matters regarding indulgences.

Q. What can one do to help ensure that he/she gets all indulgences that may be available on any given day?

A. To obtain as many indulgences as possible each day, it is a good habit to include with one's morning prayers a request for all that day's indulgences. Remember that one must have at least a general intention of gaining the indulgences in order to receive them. It is also advisable to pray for the pope's intentions at that time. Of course, it will also be necessary to perform the necessary works and satisfy the other conditions to obtain the indulgences (see above).

Q. What are some other facts / requirements concerning indulgences?

A. The following are some additional facts / requirements concerning indulgences:

The language of prayers for indulgences is not limited to English or Latin, but the translation must be suitable and in accordance with the official guidelines for indulgences.
One may be limited to the gaining of a single plenary indulgence per day (except at death).
One may obtain multiple partial indulgences per day.
Acts a person is already obliged to perform may not be indulgenced.
Indulgences may be adjusted for those with impediments.
The Church may change, suspend, cancel, or transfer indulgences, limit them to certain areas or periods of time, change the requirements, etc.
Indulgences may be limited to the living only or may be limited to those in purgatory.
For information on certain new/special indulgences, try contacting your parish / diocese or try the Vatican / Apostolic Penitentiary website.
The term "usual conditions" may refer to: "doing the good works prescribed...receiving the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist and...praying for the intentions of the pope." (Catholic Dictionary)
Generally, Confession may be made and Holy Communion may be received within a certain number of day(s) before or after the day in which the works are to completed.
For prayers, it may be necessary to "articulate them with the lips" (but not necessary aloud).
Traditionally, the intentions of the pope "are ordinarily; the common good of the Church, the spread of the faith, conversion of sinners, heretics and schismatics, and peace; it is not necessary to advert to these in detail." (Catholic Dictionary)

"He who gains an indulgence is not, strictly speaking, absolved from the debt of punishment, but is given the means whereby he may pay it." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"The effect of sacramental absolution is the removal of a man's guilt, an effect which is not produced by indulgences. But he who grants indulgences pays the debt of punishment which a man owes, out of the common stock of the Church's goods." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"Since the power of granting indulgences was conferred by Christ on the Church, and she has made use of such power divinely given to her, [cf. Matt. 16:19; 18:18] even in the earliest times, the holy Synod teaches and commands that the use of indulgences, most salutary to a Christian people and approved by the authority of the sacred Councils, is to be retained in the Church, and it condemns those with anathema who assert that they are useless or deny that there is in the Church the power of granting them..." (Council of Trent)

"We must also thank God for all those indulgences...but we pay no attention to them. We tread upon indulgences, one might say, as we tread upon the sheaves of corn after the harvest. See, there are seven years and seven quarantines for hearing the catechism, three hundred days for reciting the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, the Salve Regina, the Angelus. In short, the good God multiplies His graces upon us; and how sorry we shall be at the end of our lives that we did not profit by them!" (Catechism of the Cure of Ars)

"Now one man can satisfy for another... And the saints in whom this super-abundance of satisfactions is found, did not perform their good works for this or that particular person, who needs the remission of his punishment (else he would have received this remission without any indulgence at all), but they performed them for the whole Church in general, even as the Apostle declares that he fills up 'those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ... for His body, which is the Church' to whom he wrote (Colossians 1:24). These merits, then, are the common property of the whole Church. Now those things which are the common property of a number are distributed to the various individuals according to the judgment of him who rules them all. Hence, just as one man would obtain the remission of his punishment if another were to satisfy for him, so would he too if another's satisfactions be applied to him by one who has the power to do so." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"And lest in the future anyone should allege ignorance of the doctrine of the Roman Church concerning such indulgences...or excuse himself under pretext of such ignorance, or aid himself by pretended protestations, but that these same persons may be convicted as guilty of notorious lying and be justly condemned, we have decided that you should be informed by these presents that the Roman Church, which the other churches are bound to follow as their mother, has decreed that the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter the key bearer, and the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, by the power of the keys, to which it belongs to open the kingdom of heaven, by removing the obstacles in the faithful of Christ (namely the fault and punishment due to actual sins, the fault by means of the sacrament of penance, but the temporal punishment due for actual sins according to divine justice by means of the indulgence of the Church), for the same reasonable causes can concede indulgences from the superabundant merits of Christ and the saints to these same faithful of Christ, who belong to Christ by the charity that joins the members, whether they be in this life or in purgatory; and by granting an indulgence by apostolic authority to the living as well as to the dead, has been accustomed to dispense from the treasury of the merits of Jesus Christ and the saints, and by means of absolution to confer that same indulgence or to transfer it by means of suffrage. And for that reason that all, the living as well as the dead, who have truly gained such indulgences, are freed from such temporal punishment due for their actual sins according to divine justice, as is equivalent to the indulgence granted and acquired. And thus by apostolic authority in accordance with the tenor of these letters we decree that it should be held by all and be preached under punishment of excommunication, of a sentence [automatically] imposed [latae sententiae]..." (Pope Leo X, 1518 A.D.)

"All admit that indulgences have some value, for it would be blasphemy to say that the Church does anything in vain. But some say that they do not avail to free a man from the debt of punishment which he has deserved in Purgatory according to God's judgment, and that they merely serve to free him from the obligation imposed on him by the priest as a punishment for his sins, or from the canonical penalties he has incurred. But this opinion does not seem to be true. First, because it is expressly opposed to the privilege granted to Peter, to whom it was said (Matthew 16:19) that whatsoever he should loose on earth should be loosed also in heaven. Wherefore whatever remission is granted in the court of the Church holds good in the court of God. Moreover the Church by granting such indulgences would do more harm than good, since, by remitting the punishment she had enjoined on a man, she would deliver him to be punished more severely in Purgatory. Hence we must say on the contrary that indulgences hold good both in the Church's court and in the judgment of God, for the remission of the punishment which remains after contrition, absolution, and confession, whether this punishment be enjoined or not. The reason why they so avail is the oneness of the mystical body in which many have performed works of satisfaction exceeding the requirements of their debts; in which, too, many have patiently borne unjust tribulations whereby a multitude of punishments would have been paid, had they been incurred. So great is the quantity of such merits that it exceeds the entire debt of punishment due to those who are living at this moment: and this is especially due to the merits of Christ: for though He acts through the sacraments, yet His efficacy is nowise restricted to them, but infinitely surpasses their efficacy." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

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