Indulgences and the effects of forgiven sin

Question 231

What is an Indulgence?

An Indulgence is the remission in whole or in part of the temporal punishment due to sin.

Question 232

Is an Indulgence a pardon of sin, or a license to commit sin?

An Indulgence is not a pardon of sin, nor a license to commit sin, and one who is in a state of mortal sin cannot gain an Indulgence.

Question 233

How many kinds of Indulgences are there?

There are two kinds of Indulgences—Plenary and Partial.

Question 234

What is a Plenary Indulgence?

A Plenary Indulgence is the full remission of the temporal punishment due to sin.

Question 235

What is a Partial Indulgence?

A Partial Indulgence is the remission of a part of the temporal punishment due to sin.

Question 236

How does the Church by means of Indulgences remit the temporal punishment due to sin?

The Church by means of Indulgences remits the temporal punishment due to sin by applying to us the merits of Jesus Christ, and the superabundant satisfactions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the saints; which merits and satisfactions are its spiritual treasury.

Question 237

What must we do to gain an Indulgence?

To gain an Indulgence we must be in the state of grace and perform the works enjoined.

Forgiveness is not a license

Questions 231, 232

Question 232 supplies the first essential guardrail: an indulgence does not forgive an unrepented sin and never makes a future sin permissible. Catechism 1471 defines it in relation to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. Catechism 1472 then distinguishes eternal punishment—the loss of communion with God caused by grave sin—from temporal punishment, the unhealthy attachment and consequences that require purification. The word punishment here should not be reduced to an arbitrary extra charge after God forgives; the Catechism describes a healing process arising from the nature of sin and communion with God.

Partial and plenary

Questions 233, 234, 235

Partial and plenary describe whether the temporal punishment is remitted in part or in full. They do not rank people by spiritual worth, and they do not measure forgiveness in days or years. Paul VI's 1967 reform abolished the former measurement of partial indulgences by periods of time and emphasized the faithful person's action and disposition. The distinction therefore belongs within sincere conversion, not spiritual bookkeeping.

Christ's treasury and the communion of saints

Questions 236

The Church's treasury is first of all the inexhaustible value of Christ's redemption, not a material store or a fund that can be bought and sold. Catechism 1476–1477 also speaks of the prayers and good works of Mary and all the saints because Christians are united in Christ's one body. Matthew 16 places binding and loosing within Christ's promise to Peter; the doctrine of indulgences understands the Church's ministry under Christ's authority, never independently of him.

Disposition and current discipline

Questions 237

The historical answer—be in a state of grace and perform the prescribed works—is a brief summary, not a complete current checklist for every indulgence. The actual grant identifies the indulgenced work and its conditions. Paul VI's norms say sincere conversion and union with God are indispensable; plenary indulgences ordinarily also require sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, prayer for the Pope's intentions, and freedom from attachment to sin. A reader seeking to gain a particular indulgence should verify its current grant rather than infer conditions from this 19th-century lesson alone.

Matthew 16:13–20

Jesus' promise concerning the keys and binding and loosing supplies context for the Church's ministerial authority under Christ.

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11–15

Paul distinguishes the one foundation, Christ, from the testing and loss that can concern a person's work while the person is saved.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

2 Corinthians 2:5–11

Paul urges forgiveness, consolation, and restored communion after discipline, keeping correction ordered toward reconciliation.

5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.