What is an indulgence?

An indulgence refers specifically to a practice within the Catholic Church where individuals could obtain a reduction or remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins, typically in exchange for various acts such as prayer, penance, or charitable deeds. During the medieval period, this practice became notably associated with the selling of indulgences, where individuals believed they could pay for forgiveness of their sins, which ultimately generated significant controversy and criticism, particularly leading to the Reformation period.

This concept highlighted the Church's authority over spiritual matters and underscores the economic issues tied to religious practices of the time. The selling of indulgences was one of the provocations that Martin Luther and other reformers criticized, as they believed it contradicted the core teachings of Christianity regarding faith and salvation. Thus, the definition of indulgence closely aligns with the idea of it being payment for forgiveness of sins, reflecting the theological and social dynamics of the era.