Indulgences: Alive and Well in Roman Catholicism

There is often a misconception in the evangelical church that indulgences in the Roman Catholic Church are a thing of the past, or if they do exist, they do not hold a place of prominence in Roman Catholic theology and practice. Usually what comes to mind is the German Dominican friar Johann Tetzel (1465-1519) and his famous slogan “when the coin in the coffers ring, a soul from purgatory springs.” The selling of these indulgences helped to finance projects of the Catholic Church, such as St. Peter’s Basilica.

While Tetzel’s slogan is no longer used, indulgences are very much alive and well in Roman Catholic theology and practice. This will be on full display during the upcoming Year of Jubilee (2025) the Church will celebrate. To say Jubilee is important is an understatement. It is currently estimated that Rome, Italy will see approximately 35 million pilgrims throughout 2025 (an average year sees between 6-7 million visitors).

Because there is a general lack of awareness and understanding of indulgences in the evangelical church, perhaps it will be helpful to provide a definition of them. There is a section devoted to indulgences in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. According to the CCC an indulgence:

“is 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 through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin. Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead” (CCC, 1471).

The guilt of original sin is forgiven with the administration of the sacrament of baptism. But because sins are still committed after baptism, the temporal effects of sin must be removed time and time again. It is for this reason that “The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance” (CCC 1471). The Catholic Church therefore teaches its faithful that they “should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the ‘old man’ and to put on the ‘new man.’” According to Roman Catholic theology indulgences are issued from the treasury of merits stored up and contained in the Church. It is up to the Church to decide how to dispense this treasury of merits, and indulgences are a way of benefiting from them. This makes the Church the “minister of redemption.”  

Recently the Catholic Church issued instructions on how the Catholic faithful can obtain indulgences (i.e. the remission of sins) during the Year of Jubilee and dip into the Church’s treasury of merits. Ways of obtaining indulgences include: making a pilgrimage to Rome; spending time in prayer in a basilica indicated by the Church; performing an act of mercy; fasting from social media; donating to a ministry that helps the poor; making a pious pilgrimage to a shrine, etc.

Evangelicals should immediately recognize the offense that indulgences are to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This offense is evident in (although not limited to) the following ways:

1. The teaching of indulgences underscores the weak view of sin in Roman Catholicism. If we are able in some way to contribute to the forgiveness of our sins (i.e. performing an act of mercy), then we have an overly optimistic view of human nature. Indeed, Roman Catholic theology teaches that sin is merely a wound to human nature (see CCC 1849). Scripture, however, does not permit this optimistic view of sin and human nature. Paul says that due to sin all mankind is dead in his sins and trespasses and is by nature a child a wrath (Eph. 2:1-4). There is nothing he can do to merit God’s grace and he cannot earn forgiveness through any act of his own. Indulgences make sin small, and in so doing also make the cross of Jesus Christ small.

2. The cross of Christ is further made smaller when indulgences claim the ability to “put off completely the ‘old man’ and to put on the ‘new man.’” This offense claims for man the ability to do (even in part) only what Christ alone can do through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the heart of the repentant and redeemed believer. Putting off the old man and putting on the new is a reference to Ephesians 4:22. From an evangelical perspective it is difficult to read those words in their larger context and understand how they can be cited to defend the practice of indulgences. Ephesians makes clear that the ‘old self’ is dead in its sins and trespasses and corrupt through its deceitful desires. It can make no movement towards God. The old self can only walk in newness of life through faith in the righteousness of Christ, a righteousness that becomes ours and makes all things new through faith in him alone.

3. Indulgences are an offense to the doctrine of justification recovered during the Protestant Reformation. Thanks to reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin and their articulation of justification, the lost and condemned sinner could have assurance of their salvation, an assurance that is not afforded to Roman Catholics. Justification in Roman Catholicism is synonymous with the evangelical understanding of sanctification. For the Roman Catholic justification is a lifelong process. We are constantly being converted and justified. The reformers recovered the biblical teaching that justification is a declarative act. That is, through faith in the perfect righteousness of Christ, God declares us innocent, and we are justified and saved. Because we are dead in our sin, righteousness is not an intrinsic quality of man. In him there is no righteousness that can save whatsoever. But praise be to God, through faith in Christ God puts Christ’s righteousness in us (imputes righteousness), and therefore it is Christ’s righteousness that saves us. Indulgences undermine the assurance of salvation. The biblical doctrine of justification corrects this.

Indulgences are indeed alive and well in the Roman Catholic Church. The Year of Jubilee is fast approaching. In your church or in your family are there those who might be attracted by a pilgrimage to Rome or to a shrine to obtain something that only Christ can obtain for us? For the sake of the gospel, be on guard and proclaim the biblical gospel, a gospel that condemns indulgences.