Michael Brooks
The Catholic Church's practice of granting indulgences, which are a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins, has been a source of controversy and criticism for centuries. Indulgences were granted by the Church in exchange for good works, charitable acts, prayers, or pilgrimage, but the practice became corrupted in the Middle Ages when they were sold for money, sparking the Reformation. While the Church itself never approved of the sale of indulgences, individuals within the Church did sell them, and the practice was eventually abolished in the 16th century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Did the Catholic Church sell indulgences? | The Catholic Church has never approved of the sale of indulgences. However, individual Catholics did sell indulgences, acting against Church regulations. |
| What are indulgences? | Indulgences are a remission of the punishment of sin. They are a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins. |
| How do indulgences work? | Indulgences draw on the treasury of merit accumulated by Jesus's death on the cross and the virtues and penances of the saints. They are granted for specific good works and prayers in proportion to the devotion with which those works are performed or prayers recited. |
| Why did the Church grant indulgences? | The Church granted indulgences as a relief to Christians hoping to avoid purgatory and as a way to encourage them to fight in the Crusades. |
| When did the Church stop selling indulgences? | In 1567, Pope Pius V abolished the sale of indulgences. |
| What was the impact of indulgences on the Reformation? | The selling of indulgences was one of the causes of the Reformation. Martin Luther's famous rejection of indulgences in the 16th century was a catalyst for the Reformation. |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church's official stance on indulgences
The Catholic Church teaches that indulgences draw on the treasury of merit accumulated by Jesus's death on the cross and the virtues and penances of the saints. They are granted for specific good works and prayers in proportion to the devotion with which those good works are performed or prayers recited. The granting of indulgences is a power conferred by Christ on the Church.
The Catholic Church's practice of granting indulgences has been criticised and was a major point of contention when Martin Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Luther and other Protestant theologians attacked the abuses in the practice and teaching on indulgences, particularly the selling of indulgences.
The Catholic Church, however, maintains that it has never approved the sale of indulgences. While individual Catholics, such as the German Dominican Johann Tetzel (1465-1519), did sell indulgences, they acted contrary to explicit Church regulations. In 1567, Pope Pius V forbade tying indulgences to any financial act, and the Catholic Counter-Reformation curbed the abuses of indulgences.
Today, the Catholic Church still grants indulgences, although they are no longer tied to financial exchanges. For example, from November 2021 to November 2022, the National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in Chicago offered indulgences to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the canonization of Mother Cabrini, the first American citizen to be declared a saint.
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The selling of indulgences by individuals within the Church
The Catholic Church's practice of granting indulgences has been a source of controversy and criticism for centuries. Indulgences are a "way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The granting of indulgences was based on the belief that all humans are born with original sin, and despite their efforts, they are likely to sin again. Thus, indulgences were intended to offer remission from the temporal punishment of sin through acts of piety, good deeds, or charitable acts.
While the Church itself did not approve of selling indulgences, individuals within the Church, notably corrupt bishops and priests, did engage in this practice during the Middle Ages. This abuse of power, known as simony, was a significant point of contention and contributed to the Protestant Reformation. The German Dominican Johann Tetzel (1465-1519) is one of the best-known individuals who sold indulgences, acting contrary to explicit Church regulations.
The sale of indulgences continued until the 16th century, when religious reform movements sought to address these abuses. German friar Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, for example, argued that salvation should be accessible to all through faith alone, without the need for penance or payment. Luther's criticisms were not directed at the concept of indulgences itself but rather at the theological implications and the perceived corruption within the Church.
In response to these criticisms, Pope Pius V abolished the sale of indulgences in 1567, forbidding any financial transactions tied to indulgences. However, he affirmed the validity of indulgences as long as no money was exchanged. The Catholic Counter-Reformation further curbed the abuses surrounding indulgences, and they continue to play a role in modern Catholic doctrine and religious life, albeit in a different form.
Today, indulgences are still granted by the Catholic Church, but they are not sold or exchanged for money. Instead, they are earned through specific good works and prayers, with the number and nature of indulgences granted proportional to the devotion with which those acts are performed.
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The impact of indulgences on the Reformation
The Catholic Church's practice of granting indulgences, criticised by Martin Luther in the 16th century, was a significant trigger for the Protestant Reformation. The Church taught that an indulgence was "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The more an individual had sinned, the greater the punishment they would face. By purchasing an indulgence, an individual could reduce the length and severity of punishment that heaven would require as payment for their sins.
The Church's teaching on original sin contributed to the importance of indulgences. According to St Augustine of Hippo, all human beings are born with the stain of original sin, and regardless of their efforts, they are likely to sin again. To sin is to show "contempt for or disregard" of God's moral law.
In the medieval era, the Church developed the concept of purgatory, where people would go after death to suffer whatever punishment was required to wash away their sins. The Church taught that indulgences could reduce the time a person spent in purgatory, and they could be earned through good deeds, pilgrimage, prayer, or donations to the Church.
In 1517, Pope Leo X offered indulgences for those who gave alms to rebuild St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The aggressive marketing practices of Johann Tetzel in promoting this cause provoked Luther to write his Ninety-Five Theses, condemning what he saw as the purchase and sale of salvation. Luther objected to the idea that people could buy their way into heaven, which he believed was against the teachings of Jesus and the point of seeking forgiveness and redemption. Luther also rejected the existence of purgatory, which was contrary to the teachings of the Church and its doctors, such as Thomas Aquinas.
In response to Luther and the Reformation, the Papacy banned the sale of indulgences in 1567, but they still existed within the system. Pope Pius V affirmed the validity of indulgences as long as no money was exchanged, and in 1563 he endorsed a comprehensive doctrine on indulgences that emerged from the Council of Trent. This doctrine was revised in 1967 by Pope Paul VI and remains one of the Church's teachings today.
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The evolution of indulgences
The Catholic Church's practice of granting indulgences has evolved over the centuries, with the concept of indulgences itself dating back to the early church. The practice was criticised and targeted by reformers like Martin Luther in the 16th century, and while the Church curbed abuses, it continues to play a role in modern Catholic doctrine.
Early Church
In the early church, penances for sins were often severe, and indulgences were introduced to allow for their remission. Absolution from a priest was not enough to wipe the slate clean; a person still had to be temporally punished for their sins. The granting of indulgences provided a way to reduce this punishment.
Middle Ages
Indulgences became increasingly popular in the Middle Ages, granted for displaying piety and doing good deeds. The Church started granting two types of indulgences: 'plenary' (full) and 'partial', with the former remitting all need for punishment of sin, and the latter dealing with part of one's debt. This was a relief to Christians hoping to avoid purgatory and also served as an incentive to fight in the Crusades.
Reformation
The selling of indulgences, or tying them to financial acts, became a serious issue. People could effectively buy salvation by donating to charitable causes or paying for church buildings. This practice was opposed by Martin Luther, who argued that salvation should be free to all by faith alone. The abuses of indulgences were a major point of contention in the Protestant Reformation, leading to the Catholic Counter-Reformation, which curbed these abuses.
Modern Times
The Catholic Church still retains the practice of granting indulgences, but without any financial exchange. Reforms in the 20th century abolished the quantification of indulgences in terms of days or years, and greatly reduced those granted for visiting particular places. Indulgences today are granted for specific good works and prayers, in proportion to the devotion with which they are performed.
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The modern view of the Church on indulgences
The Catholic Church's modern view on indulgences is that they are valid as long as no money is exchanged. Indulgences are still granted by the Catholic Church, although they are considered controversial within Catholic circles and beyond. The practice is rejected by other branches of Christianity, such as Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Catholic Church teaches that indulgences reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for forgiven sins. They do not forgive the guilt of sin, nor do they provide release from the eternal punishment associated with unforgiven mortal sins. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, indulgences are:
> "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".
The recipient of an indulgence must perform an action to receive it, such as saying a specified prayer, going on a pilgrimage, visiting a particular place, or performing specific good works.
The granting of indulgences is based on two beliefs. Firstly, in the sacrament of penance, it is not enough to have the guilt of sin forgiven through absolution alone; one must also undergo temporal punishment. Secondly, indulgences are based on the belief in purgatory, a place in the afterlife where one can continue to cancel the accumulated debt of one's sins.
The Catholic Church's modern view is that the term of indulgences relates to penance rather than remission of time in purgatory. The Church teaches that even when a person has been ritually forgiven, God's justice still requires some punishment to purge the sin. This punishment can be welcomed, as it purifies the soul and heals the stain of original sin.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church has never officially approved the sale of indulgences. However, it is undeniable that individual Catholics, including German Dominican Johann Tetzel (1465-1519), did sell indulgences, acting contrary to explicit Church regulations.
Indulgences are a remission of the punishment of sin. Absolution alone, granted by a priest, is not enough to wipe the slate clean. An indulgence is a way to reduce the punishment for sins accumulated in life.
The Church granted two kinds of indulgences: ‘plenary’ (or full), which remitted all need for the punishment of sin, and ‘partial’, which dealt with part of one’s debt of sin. By the late Middle Ages, indulgences were used to support charities for the public good, including hospitals.
The granting of indulgences was conferred by Christ on the Church. Indulgences draw on the treasury of merit accumulated by Jesus's death on the cross and the virtues and penances of the saints.
The sale of indulgences continued until the 16th century, a time of religious reform. Abuses in the practice and teaching of indulgences were a major point of contention when Martin Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation. In 1567, Pope Pius V abolished the sale of indulgences, forbidding tying indulgences to any financial act.
