What is an Indulgence?
Plenary or Partial
What is an Indulgence?
When we sin, two things happen:
- The guilt of sin (which is forgiven in Confession)
- The “damage” or consequences of sin (what we call temporal punishment)
An indulgence is the Church helping to remove that “damage.”
Super Simple Analogy
Think of sin like hammering a nail into a wall:
- Confession = pulling the nail out (forgiveness)
- But there’s still a hole in the wall (the damage left behind)
- An indulgence = repairing the hole
Two Types of Indulgences
1. Plenary Indulgence (Full Clean-Up)
A plenary indulgence removes ALL the remaining “damage” from sin.
It’s like the wall is perfect again—no hole at all.
But it requires:
- Going to Confession
- Receiving Holy Communion
- Praying for the Pope’s intentions
- And this is key: having no attachment to sin (even small sins)
That last part is the hardest—it's about a truly free heart.
2. Partial Indulgence (Partial Clean-Up)
A partial indulgence removes SOME of the damage.
The wall is better, but not completely perfect yet.
These are easier to obtain and can happen through:
- Prayer
- Acts of charity
- Sacrifice
- Offering daily struggles to God
This is important
Indulgences help:
- Purify us now, so we become holier
- Reduce or eliminate time in Purgatory
- Help souls in Purgatory (you can offer indulgences for them because they can not offer them for themselves.)
How to remember
- Plenary = “Plenty” → everything removed
- Partial = “Part” → only some removed
Don’t get overwhelmed by the conditions. The Church isn’t trying to make this complicated—it’s inviting us into deeper love, repentance, and freedom.
Even striving for a plenary indulgence is already a powerful act of grace. And every partial indulgence still matters immensely.
