Some doctrinal principles: It is a divinely revealed truth that sins bring punishments inflicted by God’s sanctity and justice. These must be expiated either on this earth through the sorrows, miseries, and trials of life, and above all through death, or else through purifying penalties in the life beyond. Moreover, they are to be expiated either by the sinner himself or also by others who make reparation, as far as possible, in his stead.

The just and merciful God imposes these punishments for the purification of souls, the defense of the sanctity of the moral order, and the restoration of his glory to its full majesty. Every sin, we believe, causes a disturbance in the order established by God, along with the destruction of precious values within the sinner and in the human community. Christians have always regarded sin not only as a transgression of the divine law, which it is; they have also seen it as disregard for the friendship between God and man, an offense against the Creator, and an ungrateful rejection of the love of God shown us in so many ways but especially in the person of Jesus Christ.

To obtain full remission of sins, therefore, two things are necessary. Friendship with God must be re-established by a sincere conversion of heart, and amends must be made for the injustice committed against his goodness. In addition, however, all the personal and social values and even those of the universal nature that have been diminished or destroyed by sin, must somehow be repaired. Call this reparation or reintegration. The important thing is that the restoration be done either by voluntarily “making up” for the wrong done or freely accepting the punishments demanded by an all-wise and holy Lord. As the Scriptures so eloquently declare, the very existence and gravity of the punishment should impress us with the folly and gravity of sin and its harmful consequences to mankind (See Fr. John Hardon S.J., The Catholic Catechism, Chapter Fifteen)

Indulgences form part of the meaning of the Sacrament of Penance/Confession and the forgiveness of sins. Even after forgiveness of sin that sin leaves a wound. This wound is an unhealthy attachment to some created reality, which must be purified. It’s called the temporal punishment due to sin. In other words, our love for God must be purified of rival loves which exist in opposition to His love and harm our relationship with Him and our neighbor. This is why we receive a penance after our sins are forgiven in Confession to heal that wound. In the early days of the Church, especially after the confession of serious sins, you had to do penance first before receiving forgiveness and the penances were very severe.

An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, which the faithful Christian, duly disposed, can gain under certain prescribed conditions. It is either plenary or partial. We do not go it alone in our need to make up for our sins. Every Christian is joined to Christ, but he or she is joined to all the other Christians who make up the Body of Christ, the family of the Church including those being purified in Purgatory and the angels and saints in heaven. Hence there is an everlasting link of love which joins all Christians together. In this exchange the holiness of one profits the other. This holiness includes Christ’s merits and all the spiritual goods of all the members of Christ’s Body especially the prayers and good works of the Virgin Mary and the saints. They are truly immense, and pristine in their value before God. It is a real treasury of holiness and love.

The Church through her power to bind and loose in Christ’s name through an indulgence gives the Christian a special share in the holiness of the treasury of the Church to help heal the wounds from sin but also to be applied to those of our family who are being purified in the afterlife in the state called purgatory. Hence indulgences involve shared love flowing from the mercy of God which heals.

A plenary indulgence heals all the wounds of our sins. A partial indulgences heal those wounds partially. Every day in our morning-prayer we should make the intention to God to gain all indulgences attached to our prayer, devotion, and good works.

The Church grants indulgences for various activities or special occasions. A book called The Enchiridion of Indulgences contains many of the grants of indulgences to benefit the spiritual lives of Catholics. For example, a plenary indulgence was granted for the public praying of the prayer Veni Creator Spiritus on January 1. However, many Catholics (most?) don’t know about indulgences and/or why they are important for our spiritual lives. Sad to say indulgences are rarely preached about or referenced by the clergy.

Nevertheless, indulgences are part of the Catholic Faith and they form part of the instruction on the sacrament of confession. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1471 and following.) Recall that in approaching the sacrament of Confession three acts of the penitent are involved:

(1) Contrition whereby the penitent expresses sorrow for sin.

(NOTE: Perfect contrition arises from a love by which God is loved above all else. This forgives venial sins and it forgives mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to get to confession as soon as possible. Imperfect contrition is sorrow because of the ugliness of sin and the fear of punishment. This does not obtain the forgiveness of mortal sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in Confession.)

(2) The confession of sins whereby all mortal sins must be recounted by number and kind to a priest.

(NOTE: The confession of venial sins is strongly recommended by the Church. This helps to form the conscience, to fight against our evil tendencies. This gives healing from Christ, and we progress in the life of the Holy Spirit. This is called a confession of devotion.)

(3) Making satisfaction is the third act of the penitent. All sins, even after forgiveness, leave a wound. Absolution does not take away all the disorder sin has caused: harm to self and to neighbor. This must be healed in this life or in the life to come.

This is why the penitent receives a penance from the priest to aid in the process of healing the wound of sin. To help heal the wound of sin the Church makes available indulgences to us.

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