An indulgence, in Roman Catholic theology, is the (full or partial) remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution. The belief is that indulgences draw on the storehouse of merit acquired by Jesus' sacrifice and the virtues and penances of the saints. Wetterau, Bruce. World history. New York: Henry Holt and company. 1994. They are granted for specific good works and prayers.
Indulgences replaced the severe penances of the early church.
Indulgences, and the abuses that crept into granting them, were a major point of contention when Martin Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation (1517).
