ON 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 prescribed conditions through the action of Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.

An understanding of indulgence follows from an understanding of two teachings of the Catholic Church:

1. The double consequence of sin

2. The Church’s treasury of satisfaction or merit.

1. Every mortal sin committed has a two-fold effect on us.

i. An eternal consequence or guilt of sin

ii. A temporal consequence or debt of sin.

The *eternal consequence* of sin is the separation or loss of communion with God. This is the deadliest effect of mortal sin for if we die in this state, we are eternally separated from God and suffer everlasting punishment in Hell.

The *temporal consequence* comes from the fact that every sin, no matter how small causes an unbalance in this our present world. For example government officials who embezzle retirees’ pensions don’t just offend and separate themselves from God (eternal consequence/guilt) but cause a serious disruption in the lives of those affected pensioners. Same for those who slander other people. If such people become contrite and feel truly sorry for their misdeeds, God will forgive them. But the hardship and pain they have caused to other people remains and doesn’t disappear because they are now contrite. This is the temporal consequence or debt of their sins. 

In cases where the sin does appear to affect our neighbour such as blasphemy, idolatry, etc or can’t truly be undone or repaired (adultery, fornication), there is always an attachment that these sins form in the sinners. Such that even when the sinner becomes contrite, this attachment remains in the soul. This attachment is also a temporal effect or debt of sin.

The consequence of the temporal effect of sin, is that if a person dies without fully paying for those debt, then they must be paid for in the afterlife, in purgatory. 

Venial sins only have one effect, the temporal or debt of sin.

2. The Church’s treasury of merit: Christ, by His incarnation, passion and death offered to God, a satisfaction or merit that did not just undo the effect of the sin of Adam, but that is infinite in value. To this infinite treasury of merit, God has been pleased to allow to be added the merits of the Blessed Virgin and all the saints in heaven (from the good works they performed during their lives on earth). The Church, being the bride of Christ and empowered by Him (Matt 16:19) can disperse from this treasury of merit as she deems proper. One of the ways the Church does this, is through indulgence.

Let’s look at the case of those who have slandered (told malicious lies against) their neighbour. If a man who has slandered his neighbour becomes contrite, regrets his action and appeals to God, God will forgive him. But he must make every effort possible to undo and repair the damage he has done to his neighbour’s name. But the truth is that it would be almost impossible to completely undo the damage. Some persons who heard the lies would have told others, who would in turn have told others. Some of those people may have travelled to distant places and some may have even died believing the lie. So even with the best possible intention and effort, it would not be possible to repair the damage done to the neighbour’s name. 

Same with those who have become attached to certain sins. Repentance and contrition would not remove the effect these sins have formed on their souls. 

Thus, the Church through the mercy and wisdom of her founder, Jesus Christ, developed indulgence as means of applying the treasury of merit to the removal of the temporal effect of sins that have already been forgiven for her members. Certain conditions are required before one can obtain the indulgence. One must be in a state of grace (thus the requirement of Sacramental Confession), we must pray for the intention of Christ vicar on earth (the Pope) and the carrying out of some assigned task. It is this application of the treasury of merit that makes the performing of a seemingly simple task to have such a great effect in freeing us from the temporal effects of our sins. 

Indulgence can either be plenary, which removes all the temporal effect of all our sins, or

 partial, which removes only part of the temporal effect.