Catholics, how you get a plenary indulgence? and what is it?

• Purgatory •

To discuss indulgences, first we have to talk about Purgation (or Purgatory).

Are you perfect now? Most people would say no.

Will you be perfect in heaven? Most people believe yes.

Purgatory (or purgation) is the process of God's love changing our imperfect selves into perfect beings. Depending on the amount of change needed by different people this can be an easy or slightly harder process.

Everyone in purgatory is on their way to heaven. I don't think Mother Teresa of Calcutta had a very hard time of it.

• Indulgences •

The concept is that a person can do acts of penance now on earth to make purgation easier.

Penance is internally turning one's heart toward God and away from sin in hope in divine mercy and externally by fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

A corruption grew in the Church many years ago where rich people would give enough alms (money to the Church) to essentially buy an easy way from purgatory to heaven. This was one of Martin Luther's protests (hence Protestants) and shortly thereafter the Catholic Church cleaned up this practice.

In 1567 Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions.

But remember because everyone in purgatory is already on their way to heaven, indulgences do not get you into heaven. They just make purgation easier.

I guess if you did not believe in purgatory then there would be no reason to worry about indulgences.

With love in Christ.

This website has some information on plenary indulgences.

http://plenary-indulgences.webs.com/

In brief an indulgence is gained by performing, under certain conditions, a particular act of prayer and devotion specified by the church. Often it will be tied to a particular feast day or other event. The function of an indulgence is to save the individual from the suffering in purgatory which their sins would otherwise merit. A plenary indulgenge (from the latin 'plenus' - full) removes the entire penalty, whereas a partial indulgence is less effective.

Yes, you can do things to gain indulgences.

"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." (1983 Catechism ¶ 1471)

An indulgence is NOT: permission to commit sins in the future; they are not "get out of Hell free" cards; they are not the forgiveness of the guilt of sin. They have nothing to do with eternal salvation; they are only for the temporal effects of sins that have already been forgiven through Penance

Sin has both eternal consequences and temporal consequences

If I repent and receive forgiveness through the Sacrament of Penance, the eternal consequences -- satisfied for by Christ at Calvary -- are no longer an issue because I receive the effects of His atoning Sacrifice (I will have been justified) when I reconcile with the Church through a good Confession. But I still have to pay for the temporal consequences of my sin because God is not only merciful, He is just.

The temporal effects of repented sins that are not paid for in life through the effects of natural law, personal penance, penance given by the priest at Confession, or mystical penances given to me by God, are paid for in Purgatory.

An indulgence can be either partial, which remits only some of the temporal punishment due to sin, or plenary, which remits all temporal punishment due to sin.

http://www.fisheaters.com/indulgences.html