Asher Sisneros

Indulgences fell into disfavor by the Protestant Reformation because the Roman Catholic Church perverted them. There has been a large misconception about indulgences ever since then. They are not “free passes” to sin. The Christian does not obtain salvation by purchasing or engaging in an indulgence. It is necessary to understand what penance is to fully comprehend indulgences. 

There are two types of punishment according to the Roman Catholic Church: eternal and temporal. They are not the same. Hell is the eternal punishment for sins committed knowingly. Purgatory is the temporal punishment for sins committed in ignorance. 

Penance is the requirement for avoiding hell and entering heaven. The first step of penance is confession. By confessing their sins, that person is acknowledging their wrong to the rest of the world. God promises forgiveness in the Bible, but they need to confess. After a confession, a priest would subscribe them to an earthly punishment. It was usually a form of humiliation. Divine grace is only found through penance, according to the Catholics. 

Indulgences were a way to avoid the temporal punishments in purgatory or on earth. Unlike protestants, the Catholics believe in purgatory. It is a place of torment in the afterlife before being sent to heaven or hell. All temporal punishments are inflicted in purgatory before a soul is sent to heaven or hell. Salvation is obtained through penance, not indulgences. This is a common misconception. After the crisis during the Reformation, many adopted the belief that indulgences allowed people to purchase eternal life by donating to a church. That was and is not the case. Indulgences only alleviate the temporal punishments in purgatory but do not provide eternal life. It is also a misconception that indulgences were exclusively monetary donations. Once again, that was not the case. There were a wide variety of indulgences. Some were donations, while others included reciting a prayer or going on a pilgrimage. But indulgences only relieved people of temporal punishments, they did not grant eternal life.

In conclusion, there is a misconception regarding indulgences. They do not give people the right to sin, and they do not provide eternal life. Indulgences only forgive temporal punishments. In the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrine, eternal life comes through penance, not indulgences.