Listener Karen from Illinois wrote in asking what a plenary indulgence is, and Patrick did not disappoint.
So, what is an indulgence anyway?
Patrick breaks it down like this:
Sin is forgiven in confession, but its effects still linger (like spiritual scars).
Jesus paid the penalty for sin once and for all, but we still need to heal the damage done (to us, others, and the world).
Imagine sin is like breaking a window. Confession = forgiveness. But... someone still has to fix the window.
The indulgence.
The Church, using the authority Jesus gave her ("whatever you bind on Earth..."), can apply the spiritual riches of Jesus and the saints to help wipe away the lingering effects of sin. This is what indulgences are all about.
Partial Indulgence = Some of that damage is repaired.
Plenary Indulgence = All the effects of sin are wiped clean.
How to learn more?
Patrick recommends:
The Handbook of Indulgences: Norms and Grants
Why does this even matter?
Because... nothing unclean can enter Heaven (Revelation 21:27). Indulgences help clean you up now, so you don’t have to get purified later in Purgatory.
Patrick says it's totally doable to gain a plenary indulgence every single day (!!!) if you meet the conditions (like Confession, Mass, prayer for the Pope, detachment from sin, etc.).
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