Indulgences

From Conservapedia

Indulgences, under the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, are specific recommended prayers or actions which are intended to help bring a person, dead or alive, closer to perfection. A result of this is the lessening of the burning needed to bring that person to a perfect state, necessary to enter Heaven. A person may seek an indulgence for a loved one who has passed away or for the temporal punishment of oneself. A plenary indulgence may be obtained for the living or the dead, known or unknown. While Sacramental Confession is needed for the forgiveness of sins, indulgences bring the sinner closer to perfection in his very person, thus reducing time spent in the state known as Purgatory. An indulgence cannot be seen as a replacement for confession, for obvious reasons.

Until the 1567 Council of Trent, indulgences could be bought for specific periods of time.

In the Middle Ages, indulgences were frequently sold. The attack by Martin Luther on the sale of indulgences began the Reformation.