Indulgence, << ihn DUHL juhns, >> is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a freeing from all or part of the temporal (earthly) punishment still due for sin after the sin has been forgiven. The church teaches that after death sinners may go to purgatory, a place where the soul atones (makes amends) for sins after dying and before going to heaven. The church pledges that it will prayerfully intercede (plead) for the rehabilitation (reform) of the sinner and reduce the time spent in purgatory. But the person must be sorry for the sins and perform works of devotion and charity, such as fasting, almsgiving (giving help to the poor), and making pilgrimages—that is, journeys to sacred places. Abuses surrounding the granting of indulgences were a significant cause of the Protestant Reformation in the early 1500’s.
