8.207. Why do traditional Catholics believe in indulgences and do specific acts to gain them? Isn’t that trying to earn salvation through works?
Indulgences are often misunderstood, especially by those outside the Catholic Church—or even by Catholics influenced by post-Vatican II confusion. The traditional Catholic understanding of indulgences is deeply rooted in Scripture, apostolic tradition, and the authoritative teaching of the Church throughout the centuries. Far from being an attempt to “buy” or “earn” salvation, indulgences are a merciful application of the Church’s treasury of merits to remit the temporal punishment due to sin.
1. What is an Indulgence?
An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. There are two types:
Plenary indulgence: removes all temporal punishment due to sin.
Partial indulgence: removes part of the temporal punishment.
To understand indulgences, one must first understand the Catholic doctrine of sin and its consequences:
Mortal sin severs the soul from sanctifying grace and merits eternal punishment (hell).
Venial sin weakens the soul but does not destroy sanctifying grace.
Even after absolution in confession, the temporal punishment due to sin remains. This must be purified in this life through penance or in Purgatory after death.
Indulgences do not forgive sins—only the sacrament of Penance does that. Indulgences apply the superabundant merits of Christ and the saints (the Treasury of the Church) to satisfy the justice of God.
This teaching was solemnly defined at the Council of Trent (Session 25):
“The Church... by the power granted her by Christ, dispenses indulgences and teaches that the use of them is most salutary to the Christian people.”
2. Are Indulgences Biblical?
Yes. The principles are found in Scripture:
Binding and loosing (Mt. 16:19; 18:18) – The Church has the authority to remit punishments.
Suffering has a reparative value (Col. 1:24) – “I fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His Body, the Church.”
Temporal punishment remains even after forgiveness (2 Sam. 12:13–14) – David is forgiven, but still punished.
Prayers and actions of the faithful benefit others (2 Macc. 12:46; Jas. 5:16) – The merits of one member of the Body help the others.
3. Why Do Traditional Catholics Still Practice Them?
Traditional Catholics maintain the Church's perennial teaching on sin, satisfaction, penance, and the communion of saints. They:
Acknowledge that God is just, and sin has real consequences, even after forgiveness.
Understand that indulgences are acts of mercy, not “earning heaven.”
Realize indulgences help us grow in humility, discipline, and detachment from sin.
Indulgences are often linked to:
Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross
Wearing the scapular, reading Scripture, visiting cemeteries (esp. during All Souls)
Acts of charity, pilgrimage, pious devotions on prescribed days
A plenary indulgence always requires:
Sacramental confession
Communion
Prayer for the Pope’s intentions (this requirement is satisfied conditionally by traditional Catholics)
Detachment from all sin
4. Has This Teaching Changed?
Yes, the post-Vatican II “church” drastically revised the concept of indulgences. The 1968 Apostolic Constitution Indulgentiarum Doctrina by Paul VI replaced the clear enumeration of indulgenced acts (in days or years) with vague “partial indulgences” and downplayed traditional practices. The motivation became psychological or motivational, rather than doctrinal or salvific. The seriousness of temporal punishment, purgatory, and reparation has largely been forgotten.
5. Indulgences and the True Faith
Indulgences reflect the nature of the Church as a true mother, drawing from the spiritual merits of Christ and the saints to help her children. They emphasize the real consequences of sin, the interconnectedness of the faithful, and the role of penance in sanctification.
Modern man recoils from the idea of punishment, penance, or guilt. Yet Christ clearly taught that,
“...unless you do penance, you shall all likewise perish.”
The traditional Catholic practice of indulgences is a powerful reminder of the need for penance, intercession, and holiness in every soul.
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Modern View (Post-Vatican II) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of Indulgences | Remission of temporal punishment using Church's treasury | Psychological or motivational help for devotion | Doctrine replaced with subjective interpretation |
| Basis | Justice of God and merit of Christ and saints | Focus on God’s mercy alone, minimizing justice | Modernism denies merit and punishment |
| Plenary Indulgences | Strict conditions (confession, Communion, detachment from sin) | Often simplified or omitted requirements | Weakens discipline and reverence |
| Examples | Rosary, Stations, Scapular, visits to cemetery | Few specific acts named; generalized exhortations | Lost rich devotional tradition |
| Post-VII Change | Retained in full by traditional Catholics | Redefined in 1968 (_Indulgentiarum Doctrina_) | Break with prior magisterial teaching |
| Spiritual Focus | Remission of punishment and aid to souls in Purgatory | Focus on self-improvement and “doing good” | Neglects communion of saints and purgatory |
Summary:
Traditional Catholics believe in indulgences because they affirm both the mercy and justice of God. Every sin, even when forgiven, leaves behind a debt of temporal punishment, which must be paid either in this life or in Purgatory. Indulgences are a merciful provision of the Church, allowing us to apply the infinite merits of Christ and the saints to remit this punishment.
The concept of indulgences is rooted in Scripture and was practiced from the early Church. They are based on the Church’s authority to bind and loose, the communion of saints, and the justice of God. Indulgences do not forgive sins—they deal with the consequences after sin has been absolved.
Post-Vatican II revisions attempted to make indulgences more “pastoral,” stripping them of their penitential framework. These changes neglected the doctrinal foundation of indulgences and aligned with the general modern trend of avoiding mention of judgment, punishment, and sanctification.
Traditional Catholics continue to embrace the clear, ordered, and reverent understanding of indulgences as taught by pre-Vatican II popes, councils, and saints. The practices associated with indulgences—such as the daily Rosary, Stations of the Cross, visiting cemeteries, and wearing the scapular—are not only rich in grace but reminders of the seriousness of sin, the communion of saints, and the need for constant reparation.
This emphasis on penance, sacrifice, and reparation is not “legalistic,” but a manifestation of love for God’s justice, trust in His mercy, and concern for the salvation of souls—including the Poor Souls in Purgatory.
Further Reading:
Encyclical Mirae Caritatis, On the Holy Eucharist (1902) – Pope Leo XIII
Council of Trent – Session XXV, Decree on Indulgences
Purgatory Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints – Fr. Schouppe