Indulgences (from the Latin verb 'indulgere', meaning "to forgive", "to be lenient toward") [13] are a help towards achieving this purification. An indulgence does not forgive the guilt of sin, nor does it provide release from the eternal punishment associated with unforgiven mortal sins.

2025年1月8日 · indulgence, a distinctive feature of the penitential system of both the Western medieval and the Roman Catholic Church that granted full or partial remission of the punishment of sin. The granting of indulgences was predicated on two beliefs.

—An indulgence is the extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due, in God ‘s justice, to sin that has been forgiven, which remission is granted by the Church in the exercise of the power of the keys, through the application of the superabundant merits of Christ and of the saints, and for some just and reasonable motive.

2025年1月6日 · Indulgences are making a welcome reappearance in the spiritual life of Catholics. After centuries of slow decline in their use, punctuated by decades of almost complete neglect after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the power of indulgences to enliven a sense of charity and to sharpen a healthy sorrow for sin is finally being rediscovered.

2024年4月10日 · To understand the true meaning and purpose of indulgences, one must consider them within the broader context of God’s abundant love and the nature of the Church. With this foundation, one can appreciate better how indulgences can be misused and how they really work in the life of a believer.

2017年11月20日 · Indulgences can be gained for yourself, or applied to the holy souls in purgatory, but not to another living person. To gain an indulgence, you must be a baptized Catholic, not excommunicated, and not in a state of mortal sin at …

2024年11月6日 · Indulgences are essentially the means by which the pope distributes these spiritual goods. Indulgences are deeply rooted in several key Catholic theological concepts, such as the nature of purgatory, the church's authority, the spiritual power of prayer and sacrifice and the communion of saints.

2024年9月24日 · Discover the theology of indulgences in Catholicism, exploring their historical roots, significance, and impact on sin, grace, and spiritual growth. Understand how to obtain indulgences today.

In Roman law and in the Vulgate of the Old Testament ( Isaiah 61:1 ) it was used to express release from captivity or punishment. In theological language also the word is sometimes employed in its primary sense to signify the kindness and mercy of God.

An indulgence is the remission (removal) of temporal punishment for sin in response to certain prayers or spiritual works. In common parlance an indulgence would reduce the time spent in purgatory if one should need to go there on one’s way to heaven.