Could you explain how indulgences work? Who may receive them? I read that the Pope has made indulgences available…this year, 2008 to anyone visiting Lourdes, France or parishes named for Our Lady of Lourdes, to mark the 150th anniversary of our Blessed Mother’s apparition to St. Bernadette….
The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives a nice summary on indulgences. It says “every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory.” (CCC 1472) The guilt of sin may be forgiven and our eternal punishment lifted, but our “temporal punishment” which is this unhealthy attachment to sin must be purified in some way. This is where indulgences come into play. An indulgence is “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven….” (CCC 1471) We are not left alone to purify ourselves; instead, we can draw on the treasury of spiritual goods of Christ. We also can share these goods in the Body of Christ, so that through our efforts, the efforts of the saints, and the efforts of others we can “be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.” (CCC 1475) So an indulgence is a special way the Church declares that we can obtain this spiritual help, this purification from sin and temporal punishment for ourselves or for whomever we intend it for (including those in purgatory).
Anyone among the faithful may receive an indulgence, but there are always conditions. The one you mentioned I am too late in answering since it involved celebrating the anniversary on of Our Lady of Lourdes in early February. However, for those who want to make the pilgrimage to Lourdes, there is an indulgence for doing so this whole year.
Perhaps an easier way to receive an indulgence occurs today on Divine Mercy Sunday. For those who take part in the devotion to Divine Mercy today in a church or chapel, make a sacramental confession within a few days, receive the Eucharist, pray for the intentions of the Pope, and are completely detached from any affection for sin (that’s the hardest condition) will receive a plenary indulgence (meaning a total purification). However, for those of us who do not meet all the conditions, we at least would receive a partial indulgence. So please give it a shot; we all need all the help we can get!
-Fr. Greg
