INDULGENCES—Can These Release Suffering Souls from Purgatory?
Or is it just another false religious concept?

Catholics often go to great lengths to obtain merits, called “indulgences,” so that they or their loved ones can exit Purgatory sooner than what would otherwise be necessary. (Hopefully, you have read the article titled “PURGATORY—Does It Exist?” before venturing into this one, since it lays the foundation for this entire concept.)

The word “indulgence” comes from the Latin word indulgentia which means leniency or kindness. So, indulgences are considered gifts from God, expressions of His leniency, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and love. The official Catechism explains:

“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. The faithful can gain indulgences for them­selves or apply them to the dead.” (CCC 1471)

Let me break down that lengthy definition into five shorter points that hopefully make it easier to understand:

(1) Indulgences remove the temporal punishment due to sin that has already been forgiven through Confession and Penance.

(2) Indulgences are only granted when a Catholic fulfills certain actions or activities that the church authorizes for that purpose.

(3) The church claims the ability to do this because of the infinitely inexhaustible treasury of good works and prayers from the life of the Lord Jesus and those who are perfectly united with Him in heaven: Mary and all the saints.

(4) Indulgences are either partial (removing part of the punish­ment) or plenary (removing all the punishment) due to sin.

(5) Catholics are taught that they can secure indulgences for them­selves or for the dead—but not for other living Catholics.

Here’s a more thorough explanation of the concept of “temporal punishment”:

“Temporal punishment for sin stands in contrast to eternal punishment for sin. Eternal punishment for sin is that punishment which is everlasting. Without end. Thus, eternal. That is the punishment due to mor­tal sin. Temporal punishment for sin is a punishment which will have a definite end, when the soul is pu­rified and is permitted into heaven. Thus temporary. Temporal punishment for sin is that which is experi­enced in Purgatory.”¹

Normally, believers must be Catholic to earn indulgences and they must be in a state of grace. The Catholic Catechism explains:

“An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of in­dividual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal pun­ishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity.” (CCC 1478)

Although the doctrine and practice of obtaining indulgences is not found in the Bible, the claim is made that it has “a solid foundation in divine revelation which comes from the Apostles and develops in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit.”²

In other words, though not biblical in origin, it is still considered divinely inspired. However, regardless of denomination, the test of any doctrine is whether it can be found clearly stated in the written Word of God. The Bible is the “Rock” on which we must all build our lives. If “revelation” is not a part of this doctrinal, rock-solid foundation, it is most likely a mutation of the truth, or a deviation from the truth altogether.

The difference between a “plenary” and a “partial” indulgence

“A plenary indulgence means that by the merits of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the full remission of the temporal punishment due to sacramentally forgiven sins is obtained. The person be­comes as if just baptized and would fly immediately to heaven if he died in that instant. A partial indulgence means that a portion of the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin is remitted. Partial indulgences are received either by doing some act to which a partial indulgence is attached (e.g., praying a partially indulgenced prayer), or by the incomplete fulfillment of the conditions at­tached to a plenary indulgence.”³

Only one plenary indulgence can be earned in a single day, but numerous partial indulgences can be earned. There are many sources (Catholic books, websites, articles, etc.) that supply lists of religious actions, authorized by the church, that allegedly result in the se-curing of indulgences.

The following examples and quotes, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the English version of the Manual of Indulgences: NORMS AND GRANTS, an authoritative resource put out by the “United States Conference of Catholic Bishops” in collaboration with the Holy See (a term meaning the hierarchy of the church in the Vatican and its sphere of authority worldwide). This manual provides a very lengthy, detailed, and complicated overview of this religious belief and prac­tice. I will only share a few of the options listed.

Plenary indulgences

There are “four prerequisites” for plenary indulgences to be activated. Those seeking such divine intervention must:

1. Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin,
2. Participate in Confession,
3. Receive Communion,
4. Pray for the intention of the Holy Father (the Pope).

These four prerequisites must be performed within days of each other, if not at the same time.⁴ If these actions are taken, plenary in­dulgences are granted to the faithful who fulfill any of the following:

• “Who read the Sacred Scriptures as spiritual reading, from a text approved by competent authority and with the reverence due to the divine word, for at least a half an hour; if the time is less, the indulgence will be partial.”
• “Who devoutly recite the Marian rosary in a church or oratory, or in a family, a religious community, or an association of the faithful,”
• “Who visit [a sacred place] and there devoutly recite an Our Father and the Creed,”
• “Who visit the Blessed Sacrament to adore the same for at least half an hour,”⁵
• Who “attend a ceremony in honor of a new saint during the first year after canonization (available once),”⁶
• “Who make a three day retreat.”⁷

Partial indulgences

Partial indulgences are granted to the Christian faithful who ful­fill any of the following:

• “Who, led by the spirit of faith, give compassionately of themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in need,”
• “Who, at the celebration of the Easter vigil or on the anniversary of their own Baptism, renew their baptismal vows in any legitimately approved formula,”
• “Who devoutly sign themselves with the sign of the cross, us­ing the customary words: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
• “Who devoutly recite either the Apostles’ Creed or the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed,”
• “Who, in the particular circumstances of daily life, voluntarily give explicit witness to their faith before others,”
• “Who, in a spirit of penance, voluntarily abstain from some-thing that is licit for and pleasing to them,”
• “Who invoke St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a duly approved prayer,”
• “Who devoutly visit one of the ancient Christian cemeteries or catacombs.”

A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful:

• “Who on any and each day from November 1 to 8, devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed.” (Any other time of year, doing this obtains only a partial indulgence for souls in Purgatory.)
• Who “on All Souls’ Day . . . devoutly visit a church or an orato­ry and recite an Our Father and the Creed.”

These quotes are just a small sampling of the many options pro-vided to Catholics to obtain either plenary or partial indulgences. Because all human beings falter, to smaller or greater degrees, those who believe in this doctrine must constantly be monitoring their acquisition of indulgences to escape the punishment of Purgatory that will inevitably result from any sins or errors. Watching the clock carefully is very important, too. Because if you accidentally read the Bible for only twenty-nine minutes, you only get a partial indulgence, but if you keep reading just another sixty seconds, a plenary indulgence kicks in. Just sixty seconds of reading God’s Word could determine your destiny at death, if you happen to pass away shortly afterward. Does that not strike you as a preposterous claim?

Of course, none of these instructions can be found in the Gospels (the record of Jesus’ teaching), nor the book of Acts (the record of how the early church functioned), nor the epistles (that provide many rules for New Covenant believers). So, the whole laborious process is totally absent from the original expression of authentic Christianity, as recorded in the Bible. Then why do people believe in it?

Two questions that need to be answered

As I ponder the complicated details of this process of dealing with personal sins, obtaining indulgences, and diminishing time in Purgatory, two primary questions immediately come to mind:

Question #1—How can spiritual cleansing and Christlike char­acter be purchased through religious rituals?

If Purgatory is for the purpose of cleansing, and cleansing should result in the development of Christlike character (“the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven”), how can someone purchase that by obtaining indulgences through various religious activities?⁸

No one can acquire Christlike character by simply repeating a prayer or visiting an ancient cemetery; so how can anyone purchase cleansing or Christlike character for themselves or for others who have already passed on? Christian virtues are not commodities that can be bought and sold; they result from personal commitment to a God-pleasing lifestyle over a lengthy period and from God’s grace.

Question #2—How can intercessors who try to obtain indul­gences for the dead know when the process is finished?

If Catholics attempt to earn indulgences for their loved ones, how can they tell when those persons are finally released to go to heaven and no longer require intercession? Of course, there would be no way of knowing if only partial indulgences are secured. If it was a legiti­mate process, there is a strong possibility that a Catholic could inter­cede for a loved one, obtaining indulgences for them, many decades after the process had already been completed.

The reason “temporal punishment” is supposedly required

The phrase, “temporal punishment” means something lasting only temporarily. So, here is the logic behind this concept in Catholicism. When a person repents, God removes the sense of guilt and the eternal punishment. However, even though guilt is wiped away, and the eternal punishment is canceled, temporal penalties may remain.

A passage of scripture that illustrates this is 2 Samuel 12. When Nathan the prophet confronted David over his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, David, in sorrow and brokenness admitted, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Then Nathan responded, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die” (2 Samuel 12:13-14). A Catholic commentator explains, “God forgave David, but David still had to suffer the loss of his son as well as other temporal punishments (2 Samuel 12:7-12).”⁹

This is also true with respect to penalties exacted for unlawful behavior in the legal systems of this world. Even if God forgives a truly repentant criminal, he or she may still need to serve time in prison to pay for crimes committed. So, yes, there really are consequences for sin or evil behavior, at times, that are not removed by God’s forgiveness. That is unquestionable. But those consequences are in this life, not the next, if we are claiming salvation through Jesus. However, as pointed out by a Catholic writer seeking to validate this belief:

“When we first come to God we are forgiven, and when we sin later we are able to be forgiven, yet that does not free us from the penalty of physical death. Even the forgiven die; a penalty remains after our sins are forgiven. This is a temporal penalty since physical death is temporary and we will be resurrected” (Daniel 12:2).¹⁰

So far, I agree with this line of logic. However, just because there are consequences of sin that we encounter in this world, that does not prove that those who are forgiven of their sins in this life will yet face a time of suffering in Purgatory. How could that be true? Moreover, how could the securing of an indulgence on the part of a person living in this world hasten the purification of someone in the netherworld—when, as I have already pointed out, no one can buy character. It must be developed. If we cannot buy it for ourselves, we certainly cannot buy it for others.

Does this scripture support a belief in Purgatory?

This process of securing indulgences for the dead is neither logical, nor biblical. However, some Catholic theologians interpret 2 Timothy 1:16–18 to be supportive of the practice of praying for the dead. Paul seemed to make a prayerful plea in his letter to Timothy:

     The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus; for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously, and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

It seems that Onesiphorus had passed, and that Paul was expressing hope that the kindness Onesiphorus had shown to him would result in added mercy being granted to him in the Day of the Lord’s return, when works are tried by fire.

This does not demonstrate the need of interceding for the dead; it just reveals a prayerful desire Paul harbored in his heart—that what Onesiphorus had sown, he would also reap in the form of an eternal reward (just as the Bible promises—See 2 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 6:7-8).

It would be like someone praying, “Oh God, return to my mother eternally a blessing for all the ways she sacrificed for me in her life.” It is not actually necessary to pray that prayer for it to happen; it simply expresses a sincere desire based on gratitude.

Changing the “Good News” into the “Not-So-Good News”

The Gospel is supposed to be “Good News” (in fact, that’s what the word means). But the introduction of the idea of Purgatory changes it to the “Not-So-Good News.” Read the following Scripture promise carefully to rediscover and reclaim the “Good News” (a passage already highlighted under Question #8):

     My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

The word “propitiation” means satisfaction for the demands of justice. Either Jesus’ death and resurrection were sufficient to satisfy the demands of justice, or they were not. Hebrews 10:10 asserts that we have been “sanctified” (cleansed from the defilement of sin) “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

May I repeat those last three words again—“once for all”? That was a price paid “once for all” those who trust in that price, and nothing else needs to be added.

Important conclusions about indulgences

Indulgences are in direct conflict with the Gospel. We could never buy our way into a state of righteousness with money, even if we donated millions of dollars to the church for candles and special Masses. We could never earn eternal life, even if we racked up ten thousand hours of memorized prayers. The existence of such a doctrine indicates a serious failure to see the efficacy and sufficiency of what Jesus did on the cross as our means of justification. Of course, for me to make such a claim is a serious matter. During the Council of Trent (that was convened from 1545 to 1563 A.D.), a curse (anathema) was pronounced over anyone professing the point of view I have expressed in this chapter. The following quote references that pivotal meeting:

“Indulgences are part of the Church’s infallible teach­ing. This means that no Catholic is at liberty to disbelieve in them. The Council of Trent stated that it ‘condemns with anathema those who say that indulgences are use­less or that the Church does not have the power to grant them’ (Trent, session 25, Decree on Indulgences).”¹¹

The selling of indulgences is a practice that was started during the Crusades. It helped to raise money for the church at a time when expenses were escalating because of war, and it was used to encourage believers to enlist in this conflict. In fact, “the first known use of plenary indulgences was in 1095 when Pope Urban II remitted all penance of persons who participated in the Crusades and who confessed their sins. Later, the indulgences were also offered to those who couldn’t go on the Crusades but offered cash contributions to the effort instead.”¹² It was also a method utilized to raise funds to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Such non-biblical practices were never implemented by the early church leaders.

One of the more famous back stories from the history of this doctrine involves a Dominican monk named Johann Tetzel (1465—1519) who would ride into a German town, set up a stage, and begin to appeal to the people to buy indulgences that would set their loved ones free from Purgatory.

An often-quoted statement attributed to him is, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from Purgatory springs.” This blatant hawking of purchasable deliverance from the underworld was the offense that motivated an already zealous and sincere monk named Martin Luther to nail his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

That one act was one of the primary things that helped to ignite the fire of reformation burning across Europe. Remember, the Reformation came through a Catholic, not a non-Catholic—a Catholic who was threatened with excommunication and execution—yet he boldly declared at the Diet of Worms (a gathering of church leaders in 1521):

“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain rea­son—I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.”¹³

I agree with Martin Luther’s assessment in this matter, though I certainly do not agree with everything he taught or did. If mere of­ferings could catapult a soul out of Purgatory sooner than what was deemed necessary, Jesus went to the cross in vain. We could all just buy our own soul’s salvation if we had enough money to do so. If a portion of our salvation is purchasable—with money or religious practices—then all of it is purchasable.

Entertaining the idea that the glorious gift of eternal life could somehow be earned by human effort is a grievous insult to the suffering Savior who paid such an agonizing price to provide that gift freely. (See Romans 6:23.) Some leaders in the Catholic Church expressed partial agreement with this assessment in the Catholic Counter-Reformation and veered away from the original practice. Here’s a good example:

“In 1567, following the Council of Trent, Pope Pius V issued a decree declaring that it is forbidden to attach the receipt of an indulgence to any financial act, includ­ing the giving of alms.”¹⁴

However, I am still concerned. What’s the difference between buying indulgences with money and buying indulgences with some action, like quoting a prayer or reading the Bible, except for the church not benefiting monetarily? The latter may not look as reprehensible to non-Catholics, but it is still the same basic principle.

My encouragement to you

I encourage those who have trusted in these related concepts of Purgatory and indulgences to reconsider what is truly biblical. Hopefully, you will reach the conclusion that many Catholic and non-Catholic believers have reached, summed up by the Latin word sola which means alone. The Five Solas that were introduced during the Reformation era are the five things that alone are sufficient to bring salvation and eternal life—and each one stands alone in its unique area of dependency:

THE FIVE SOLAS

Sola Scriptura (only Scripture)
Sola Fide (only faith)
Sola Gracia (only grace)
Solus Christus (only Christ)
Soli Deo Gloria (only for the glory of God)

To better understand these statements, let’s add to each one of these powerful declarations the explanation of the opposite, false religious dependency it cancels:

Sola Scriptura (only Scripture) — not a catechism that often teaches unbiblical doctrines
Sola Fide (only faith) — not a required membership in any church organization
Sola Gracia (only grace) — not religious works like penance and indulgences
Solus Christus (only Christ) — not a mediatorial priesthood
Soli Deo Gloria (only for the glory of God) — not the glory of any religious authority or institution

Yes, allow me to sum up this chapter with passion by worshipfully shouting—“The Bible alone, faith alone, grace alone, and Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.”

The often heard rebuttal from Catholic apologists

The often-heard rebuttal from Catholic apologists concerning the first Sola especially goes something like this:

“The church did not have the Bible until the end of the fourth century (382 A.D.). They survived and thrived on oral tradition—so tradition established by church authorities should still have an equal place in determining proper beliefs and behavior.”

However, even though the early church did not have the compilation of 27 books later canonized and bound together as one book (The New Testament), they did have copies of the Gospels and the epistles of Paul and the other apostles and respected Bible writers—so the Word-standard of the Christian belief system had already been established. We do not need any new doctrines, practices or traditions added to it. Paul spoke very sternly concerning that in his writings (that were already recognized as being Scripture in his day—by none other than the apostle Peter / 2 Peter 3:15-16). Here is Paul’s blistering rebuke that should still echo in the halls of Christianity today:

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10)

A gospel that includes infant baptism is “a different gospel.”
A gospel that includes an exclusive priesthood is “a different gospel.”
A gospel that includes confessing sins to a priest is “a different gospel.”
A gospel that includes praying to the saints is “a different gospel.”
A gospel that includes the rosary is “a different gospel.”
A gospel that includes the ever-virgin status of Mary is “a different gospel.”
A gospel that includes Purgatory is “a different gospel.”

And it is also true:
A gospel that includes indulgences is “a different gospel.”

The main reason that indulgences do not work is the fact that Purgatory does not even exist. For centuries, these two false beliefs have held millions of people in the chains of religious bondage.

I pray that this revelation penetrates your heart in a powerful way and sets you free. May the love of God expressed through the crucifix­ion and resurrection of Jesus, and the truth of His Word, impact your heart and life in an unprecedented way—so that you may declare, along with millions of other Jesus-loving people, I am “free indeed” (John 8:36)!

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1. https://www.catholic365.com/article/2909/temporal-punishments-for-sin-what-does-that-mean.html, accessed 6/27/2022.
2. Manual of Indulgences: NORMS AND GRANTS, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, accessed 6/11/2022.
3. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/what-13361, accessed 5/23/2022.
4. https://visitationproject.org/pages/list-requirements-plenary-indulgences, also https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/conditions-13362, accessed 6/28/2022.
5. Father Winfrid Herbst, S.D.S., New Regulations on Indulgences (Tan Books and Publishers, Inc, Rockford, Illinois, 1970, 1977) e-book version.
6. https://catholicallyear.com/blog/catholic-indulgences-what-they-are-when/, accessed 6/11/22.
7. , accessed 6/11/2022.
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purgatory accessed 11/12/2021. In Wikipedia it states as the source: Catechism of the Catholic Church § 1030-1031 (section enti­tled, “The Final Purification, or Purgatory); cf. Council of Florence (1439): DS 1304; Council of Trent (1563): DS 1820; (1547): 1580; see also Benedict XII, Benedictus Deus (1336): DS 1000., accessed 5/27/2022.
9. https://www.catholic.com/tract/primer-on-indulgences, accessed 5/27/2022.
10. , accessed 5/27/2022.
11. https://catholicallyear.com/blog/catholic-indulgences-what-they-are-when/, quoting from https://www.catholic.com/tract/primer-on-indulgences, accessed 6/11/2022.
12. https://www.famous-trials.com/luther/295-indulgences, accessed 11/15/2021.
13. , accessed 11/16/2021.
14. https://brewminate.com/forgiveness-for-sale-indulgences-in-the-medie­val-church/, accessed 8/11/2022.