QUESTION: What are partial indulgences and plenary indulgences? Is the concept of Catholic indulgences biblical? – Colin Jose

ANSWER: Jacob Parappally MSFS

The teachings of the Catholic Church on heaven, hell, purgatory, and indulgences are frequently misunderstood, even by many Catholics themselves. Human minds often struggle to comprehend realities that transcend space and time, such as these concepts. When thinking about heaven, hell, and purgatory, people often imagine them as physical places rather than states of life. The biblical language used to describe these concepts is often apocalyptic and metaphorical. Even Jesus employed such language, referring to “unquenchable fire, weeping, and gnashing of teeth” in hell. Some believers mistakenly interpret this language literally. A similar misunderstanding arises when the Church teaches about indulgences. Expressions like “fifty, hundred, three hundred, five hundred days of relief from temporal punishments” can reinforce a simplistic understanding of indulgences rather than promoting a deeper understanding.

The worst abuses of indulgences occurred during the Middle Ages, especially at the time of the Protestant Reformation. Luther criticized the Church for selling indulgences for financial gain. Such abuses were prevalent during that period.

Meaning of Indulgence

The term “indulgence” originally meant kindness or favour. In Roman law, it came to mean the remission of a tax or debt. In theological discourse, the term is used in its primary sense to express God’s kindness and mercy.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “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. Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead” (No. 1471).

Indulgences are an extra-sacramental remission of temporal punishment due to sin that has already been forgiven through the sacrament of reconciliation or confession. Even though sin is forgiven, the person who has received forgiveness is obligated to perform virtuous actions, prayers, and charitable works to repair the damage done to the glory of God and the holiness of the Church. This obligation to repair the damage is expressed in terms of temporal punishment.

“Indulgences are a means to grow in Christian maturity. While the concept of indulgences may be complex, it is rooted in the Church’s
understanding of communion, sin, forgiveness, and the spiritual life. When understood correctly, indulgences can serve as a means of spiritual growth and renewal.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church further explains: “To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the ‘eternal punishment’ of sin. On the other hand, every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the ‘temporal punishment’ of sin. 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” (No. 1472).

The Church grants indulgences as it is empowered by Christ to do so, just as he gave the “keys” to Peter to bind and to lose. However, this does not imply that the Church allows the sinner to repudiate his debts or obligations and disregard God’s claim of justice. St. Thomas Aquinas says (Supplement.25.1 ad 2um), “He who gains indulgences is not thereby released outright from what he owes as penalty, but is provided with the means of paying it.” The Church does not leave the penitent helplessly in debt. It does not acquit the penitent of all further obligations but enables the penitent to fulfill his or her obligations to be in right relationship with God and other humans.

Indulgences are received by those who dispose themselves to receive them in this world in order that they may be able to encounter God beyond this world in a less unworthy manner. It may be understood as the purification required to be united with God the Father through Christ and in the Holy Spirit at the moment of our transition from this worldly existence to a new mode of existence

Indulgences: Partial and Plenary

There are two types of indulgences: partial indulgences and plenary or full indulgences. A partial indulgence is the remission of a part of the temporal punishment that a person deserves for the sin he/she committed. A plenary indulgence is the remission of all the temporal punishment which a person deserves for his or her sins.

To receive a partial indulgence, one must perform certain actions with a contrite and humble heart and with the intention of receiving indulgences. Some of the prescribed devout actions include: making a brief prayer during daily work, performing acts of kindness, giving witness to one’s faith, visiting the Blessed Sacrament for adoration, reciting specific psalms, devoutly reciting the rosary, Hail Mary, angelus, Nicene creed, Apostles creed, praying before meals, renewing baptismal promises, studying Catholic doctrine, meditating, using devotional objects blessed by a priest or deacon, or abstaining voluntarily from a favorite food or activity. These devout activities must be done after a confession and in a state of grace.

The term “indulgence” originally meant kindness or favour. In Roman law, it came to mean the remission of a tax or debt. In theological discourse, the term is used in its primary sense to express God’s kindness and mercy.

A plenary indulgence can be obtained by performing the following activities with faith and devotion after receiving the sacrament of reconciliation: receiving holy communion, praying for the intention of the Pope by reciting an Our Father and Hail Mary, and being detached from all sins. Detachment from all sins is the most difficult condition for receiving a plenary indulgence. If it is not met, even though the other prescribed devout activities are performed, only a partial indulgence will be received. Some of the conditions to obtain a plenary indulgence include: adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for thirty continuous minutes, devout participation in the Eucharistic celebration, devout participation in the Eucharistic procession and the veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, devout recitation of the rosary with family members or a group, a retreat of at least three days, spiritual reading of the Bible for at least half an hour, and renewal of baptismal vows during the Easter Vigil celebrations. Fulfilling the conditions to obtain a plenary indulgence is challenging; therefore, it is not easy to obtain one. Even with theological imagination, it is difficult to conclude that someone who has received a plenary indulgence (which removes all temporary punishments after death) is immediately united with God in eternal life, like the Blessed Mother who was full of grace or other saints.

Biblical Foundation of Indulgences

Jesus Christ granted his apostles the power “to bind and to lose” (Matthew 16:19). This power extends to all apostles and, through them, to the legitimate authorities of the Church. The so-called “power of the keys” encompasses all bonds contracted by sin and its consequences of guilt and penalty. Therefore, when the Church, through an indulgence, remits this penalty, its action, according to Christ’s declaration, is ratified in heaven.

In 2 Corinthians 2:5-10, Paul addresses the case of a believer who committed incest and was excluded from the Church community but later repented. Paul states that the rebuke given by many was sufficient. However, he also adds, “Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ…” (2 Cor 2:10-11). St. Paul releases this person from the fetters of excommunication by exercising his authority in the person of Christ.

Even when a sin is forgiven, repairing the damage done requires the sinner to undergo some suffering. This is the so-called temporal punishment for sin. It must be removed by a legitimate authority in the Church. This is the biblical basis for the doctrine of indulgences.

The Church affirms that sins are forgiven through the sacrament of reconciliation or confession. However, one must still repair the damage done to the glory of God and the human community. Several biblical examples illustrate how God, while taking away eternal punishment, may still impose temporal punishments. For example, Hebrews 12:6 states, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Other examples include 2 Samuel 12:13-14, 1 Chronicles 21:9-10, and Hebrews 12:6-11.

Theological Foundation of Indulgences

An indulgence is granted to a person who is disposed to receive it by the application of the infinite merits of Christ through his humiliation, suffering, and death, together with the grace-filled life of Mary, the mother of the Lord, and the virtuous life of all the saints of the Church. This transfer is based on three theological principles: the Communion of Saints, Vicarious Suffering, and the Treasury of the Church.

Communion of Saints: St. Paul uses the Hebrew theology of corporate personality or inclusive personality in his writing. This means that in one person, all are included: all before him, all after him, and all contemporaneous with him. When God assumed humanity in Jesus Christ, everybody is included in him. All humans are included in Christ and form his body ontologically or in the level of their being. When one accepts this reality in freedom and faith, that person becomes one body with Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of baptism. Paul says, “So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another” (Rom 12:5). This communion of the faithful extends beyond this world and encompasses both the living and the dead. As each member shares the Body of Christ and each member profits by the prayers and good works of others, indulgences affirm the truth that the faithful can help one another, whether living or dead, through their good works and prayers.

Vicarious Suffering: It is universally accepted that suffering for others is noble. The greatest vicarious suffering that humans can imagine is the suffering of Christ for all of humanity. Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet 2:24). John says, “He [Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2). One’s conscious and freely offered sufferings for others have salutary effects not only on those intended by the sufferer but also on all in the Body of Christ. Paul writes to the Colossians about his works, “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church” (Col 1:24). What is lacking in the suffering of Christ is the required cooperation of the members of his Body. Aquinas declares, “All the saints intended that whatever they did or suffered for God’s sake should be profitable not only to themselves but to the whole Church” (Quodlib., II, q. vii, art. 16). Further, he says that what one endures for another being a work of love, is more acceptable as satisfaction in God’s sight than what one suffers on one’s own account, since this is a matter of necessity (Contra Gent., III, 158). Indulgences presuppose the readiness of the recipients to offer prayers and works of charity for the sake of others, whether they are alive or dead.

The Treasury of the Church: The Church firmly believes that it is endowed with the infinite treasure of the merits of Christ and the saints. This treasury is entrusted to the keeping of the Church, not the individual Christian. Therefore, it is made available for the faithful through the exercise of legitimate authority, which alone can determine how, on what terms, and to what extent, indulgences may be granted. The pope can grant all kinds of indulgences, and in some cases, bishops can grant them in a restricted way. Other Church officials can grant indulgences only if they are specifically authorized by the pope. While any faithful who is open and docile to the Holy Spirit can receive grace, indulgences are the explicit and certain way of sharing in the rich treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints that fill the Church.

The doctrine of indulgences, when properly understood, can be a great help for those who strive to live a meaningful and witnessing Christian life. The terms like “temporary punishment in purgatory” and the popular understanding of purgatory as a place to placate an angry God through expiation or propitiation, or the feudal concept of satisfying an offended lord, have entered into the theology of indulgences. These terms and concepts were meaningful in the Middle Ages. However, the Christian religious consciousness has evolved, and today these terms and concepts do not convey the reality of wholeness and liberation that Jesus Christ brought to all of humanity.

For this reason, Pope Paul VI in 1967 modified the understanding of indulgences by shifting the emphasis away from the satisfaction of punishment to the inducement of good works, greatly reducing the number of plenary indulgences and eliminating the numerical system associated with partial indulgences. This indicates that the Church needs to pay attention to adult catechesis, feeding the faithful with solid food instead of giving them only “milk” as Paul did to the Corinthians (1 Cor 3:2). Indulgences are a means to grow in Christian maturity. While the concept of indulgences may be complex, it is rooted in the Church’s understanding of communion, sin, forgiveness, and the spiritual life. When understood correctly, indulgences can serve as a means of spiritual growth and renewal.