What Are Indulgences? | The Catholic Teaching Everyone Misunderstands

Description

Indulgences are one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Catholic Church. They are not a “get out of jail free card,” they do not forgive sin, and they do not get anyone out of hell. The Church teaches that even after sin is forgiven, there remains a temporal wound or attachment that must be healed—either in this life or in purgatory. Indulgences apply the infinite merits of Christ, along with the merits of Our Lady and the saints, to help heal that wound. In this short video, we break down: • What indulgences are (and are not) • Why abuses happened in history • How indulgences help both the living and the faithful departed • Why Christ’s suffering provides an infinite treasury of grace • How indulgences help detach us from sin and grow in holiness A clear, faithful explanation for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. 🙏 Subscribe to Catholic Voices & Prayers for more Catholic teaching, prayer, and history.