What is an indulgence?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC #1471) “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”.
An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin (CCC #1471). Indulgences may be applied to oneself or to the dead, but not to other living persons.
Needless to say, many Protestants (and others) take issue with this.
There are several types of indulgences:
Plenary Indulgence: The word Plenary means complete. A plenary indulgence is a special type of indulgence that, if all the requirements are met, removes all temporal punishment due to one’s sin.
There are three conditions that must be met to receive a Plenary Indulgence:
- Make a sacramental Confession within 20 days before or after the day the indulgence is sought.
- Receive Holy Communion, also within 20 days before or after.
- Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father and say the Creed and Our Father.