On sin, mercy and indulgences

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 the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.””

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1471

The Church recognizes that sin has two distinct consequences: destruction of a person’s communion with God, and an unhealthy attachment to things of this earth.

The relationship with God is made new by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and his loving, merciful grace given through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The unhealthy attachment to earthly things must be purified in this life or after death.

“This purification frees one from what is called the ‘temporal punishment’ of sin,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 1473. “These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.”

Throughout the centuries, for the greater glory of God and a more universal appreciation of his humanly-unfathomable love and mercy, Christ’s successors on this earth have exercised their authority and obligation to extend God’s mercy — “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:23, Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18) — while encouraging the faithful to participate in an activity that helps them grow spiritually.

That is the nature and purpose of an 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 the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1471)

In the Apostolic Constitution On Indulgences, promulgated by in 1968, Pope St. Paul VI (+1963-1978) wrote of the “perennial link of charity” that exists “between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth” in the Communion of Saints.

“Between them,” he wrote, “there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things by which, with the expiation of all the sins of the entire Mystical Body, divine justice is placated. God’s mercy is thus led to forgiveness, so that sincerely repentant sinners may participate as soon as possible in the full enjoyment of the benefits of the family of God.”

That abundance comes exclusively through God, whose willingness to forgive and be reconciled with the people he created is infinitely beyond all human understanding.

Pope St. John Paul II (+1978-2005) emphasized the truth his predecessors had upheld, namely that sins are forgiven by God, through sacramental confession, and that the performance of penance “does not mean that there are no enduring consequences of sin from which we must be purified.”

Monsignor John Radano, while serving as an official at the council for Christian unity, said the Catholic view is that “an indulgence is an expression of God’s mercy for a penitent and contrite sinner conveyed through the Church.”

The acts performed by the penitent are not designed to earn the indulgence, but are “gestures which outwardly express an inner repentance,” Msgr. Radano stated in 2001.

The Council of Trent condemned the abuse of indulgences but reaffirmed the right of the Church to grant them. Pope St. Pius V (+1566-1572) enacted further restrictions on the granting of indulgences in 1567, including forbidding the practice of offering an indulgence to those making financial contributions to the Church.

Msgr. Radano emphasized that the Church does not teach that an indulgence is necessary for salvation, nor that an indulgence adds anything to the saving action of Christ.

However, Christians are called to embrace willingly and communally the crosses and sacrifices that come with leading one another — and in the same way, being led — into full Communion with God.

That is what being part of the Church is all about.

Portions of this article from 2007 are adapted from a report by Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service, and the “In defense of the Roman Catholic Church” website.