@minolasaldanha
October 31, 2026
Thoughts on Plenary Indulgence
I was someone who found it difficult to understand and accept this, anyone with me ? What are your thoughts on this.
7 comments
7 Comments
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@denverOct 31Think of a plenary indulgence as suffering your due temporal punishment while alive.
Actually getting a plenary indulgence is very difficult. The most important component is the complete detachment from sin. This is a state only achieved by people who eventually get canonised as saints.
Actually getting a plenary indulgence is very difficult. The most important component is the complete detachment from sin. This is a state only achieved by people who eventually get canonised as saints.
@minolasaldanhaOct 31Hey thanks for your response, Any reading you would recommend to explore this a little more? I've read quite a few on the internet though
@mau_wavOct 31@denver I'm not sure about that, it just means you're rejecting sin with your all your will and your heart is not divided. I think that should be the goal after getting out of the confessional.
@minolasaldanha if your question is about how can the Church grant that, I'd say ultimately it's because of Christ's authority conferred to the Church. It doesn't mean that the exercise of granting indulgences is free from error, though. In the middle ages, some clergy sinned by selling indulgences (simony). It's an ugly fact of history, but keep trusting the Church and remember the parable of the sower. Wheat and weeds will grow together until the harvest. Hope this helps!
@minolasaldanha if your question is about how can the Church grant that, I'd say ultimately it's because of Christ's authority conferred to the Church. It doesn't mean that the exercise of granting indulgences is free from error, though. In the middle ages, some clergy sinned by selling indulgences (simony). It's an ugly fact of history, but keep trusting the Church and remember the parable of the sower. Wheat and weeds will grow together until the harvest. Hope this helps!
@minolasaldanhaOct 31@mau_wav Thanks for your response!
@denverNov 1@minolasaldanha There’s not much reading I’ve done on this so I won’t be able to recommend a written work. There’s a Matt Fradd episode with Karlo Broussard where he answers most common questions related to purgatory, which you need to fully understand before trying to understand indulgences, and in it there’s discussion on how indulgences work to reduce one’s temporal punishment.
@misericordiaOct 31A plenary indulgence is something that takes away the temporal punishment of sin. So after your sins are forgiven in confession, there are still temporal punishments left (think of it as breaking a window - you can get forgiven for breaking the window, but the window still has to be repaired, that's temporal punishment). It's a great treasure of the Church that shows how merciful God is to us.
Is there anything specific you find difficult to accept? (I didn't understand it when I just became Catholic either, so totally get that!)
Is there anything specific you find difficult to accept? (I didn't understand it when I just became Catholic either, so totally get that!)
@minolasaldanhaOct 31Thank you, I will connect with you personally on this.
