Why are plenary and partial indulgences still a part of the Catholic faith today?

Answer 1

+ Purgatory +

To discuss indulgences, first we have to talk about Purgation (or Purgatory).

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves into perfect beings. Depending on the amount of change needed by different people this can be an easy or slightly harder process.

Everyone in purgatory is on their way to heaven. I don't think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

+ Indulgences +

The concept is that a person can do acts of penance now on earth to make purgation easier, kind of like spiritual exercises.

Penance is internally turning one's heart toward God and away from sin in hope in divine mercy and externally by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

A corruption grew in the Church many years ago where rich people would give enough alms (money to the Church) to essentially buy an easy way to heaven. This was one of Martin Luther's protests (hence Protestants) and shortly thereafter the Catholic Church cleaned up this practice.

In 1567 Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions.

But remember because everyone in purgatory is already on their way to heaven, indulgences do not get you into heaven. They just make purgation easier.

I guess if you did not believe in purgatory then there would be no reason to worry about indulgences.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

First of all, one who denies the existence of Purgatory should not be concerned with this matter at all, since the effect of an indulgence is limited solely to that of releasing souls from Purgatory.

Indulgences never had the power to get anyone out of hell, and they never had the power to obtain forgiveness for unconfessed and unrepented sins.

Indulgences serve to mitigate the temporal punishment due for sins that God has already forgiven, but whose consequences and effects continue to resonate across time and space.

For example: A murder kills someone. The murder victim would have eventually given birth to a scientist who would have discovered the cure for cancer, saving millions of people from a painful and unnecessary death. But now, due to the murder, there will be no cure.

And while the murderer might confess his sin and receive forgiveness from God for it, the effect of that sin would continue on for generations, indirectly causing the deaths of millions more.

Since Jesus only paid the price for the forgiveness of our sins ... the injury to all mankind remains ... and divine justice determines that a debt remains, too ... a debt that will not be fully paid until the soul of the repentant sinner serves an appropriate stint in Purgatory.

An indulgence draws on the infinite holiness and merit of Jesus and the saints, and applies that merit to the specific needs of a soul in Purgatory, affecting an early release. And since all those in Purgatory are ultimately destined for heaven, their immediate admittance there.

Indulgences are appropriately granted by the power of the church and the office of the Pope, which has the power to bind and loose, both on earth and in heaven.

The theology behind indulgences is sound, with ample scriptural precedent in both the old testament and the new, so there was never anything wrong with the concept of indulgences, but there were some abuses of the original system, which has been reformed.

In earlier days, it was possible to pay money for an indulgence, and to transfer that indulgence to someone else who was alive on earth.

This led to abuse, and those well known abuses were the cause of scandal in the church.

Today, indulgences may only be obtained by spiritual efforts, and indulgences may only be applied to the soul of the one who obtained the indulgence, or to the soul of someone else who has gone before, in death.

So now, absent the possibility of abuse, and when applied along with all the sacraments of the church, indulgences constitute one of God's greatest gifts to the faithful, especially at or near the time of death.

Properly obtained and applied, indulgences can make it possible for any faithful Christian to be fully prepared and completely worthy of heaven (pending the final judgment of Christ) when they die.

For compete information on indulgences, go here:

http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/indulge/index.html

Answer 3

I think so. When something is not properly understood, it is usually shoved under the carpet to be taken out at a later date to be re-examined. (Like the Rosary) But us ninja-type Catholics know what their real value is, and trust me, if you knew, you would want all of them too.

Answer 4

because what is required to obtain the indulgence is wonderful spiritual practices that do help in soul healing.

CJ just quit---I worry for you. If you do not quit the Lord himself will intervene you know. I would not want to fight against the Lord.

Answer 5

Just one of the countless false doctrines of the catholic cult. Catholics are not saved and are not Christians. Catholics believe a false gospel of works that leads to eternal hell.

Bible teachers that said that the Vatican and the catholic cult are an antichrist:

John Bunyan, John Huss, John Wycliffe, John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox, Thomas Bacon, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Samuel Cooper, John Cotton, and Jonathan Edwards

Answer 6

Because, like all churches and religions, it's about power and control - and money helps.