The phrase “temporal punishment” sits at the heart of indulgences and purgatory, but it is often poorly understood. In Catholic theology, “temporal punishment” refers to the consequences of sin that remain even after the guilt of the sin has been forgiven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1472) offers that sin has a double effect: separation from God but also the disorder that sin leaves in its wake. 

By analogy, this can be seen in your having broken a window in the family house (the sin). You confess your sin and the parents “forgive” you – but there is still the matter of the broken window that needs to be fixed, to make the window whole again (or to borrow from Leviticus, to be made pure). The “punishment” is that you have to fix the window. I am sure that a modern communications specialist or public affairs professional would find a different term than “temporal punishment,” but we have what we have. Fixing the window is only “temporary” in that it will take a limited amount of time, but it will be time away from being with friends or family or doing something enjoyable. In that sense it can seem like a punishment. But hopefully the youthful you will not just remedy the broken window, but take the time to reflect and find true sorrow for the “sin” and a deeper appreciation and love for all that the parents provide for you, at no cost to you. This last part is the “purification” and helps you to take a more full place in the family. The window is just a window. When will the “temporal punishment” be over? When you have processed the whole event (and hopefully the window is fixed.)

Temporal punishment is understood as the necessary purification for the disorder caused by sin, which can be addressed either in this life through acts of penance, prayer, and good works, or in the afterlife in the purifying process in Purgatory where one “lets go” of the last vestiges of a life not fully given over to love. Like in life, we might need help.

If you are 10 years old and break a window, I doubt you know how to replace the pane of glass (or even the whole window!). You’re going to need a little help. That is where mom or dad (…and these days YouTube) step in. In our analogy, this is where the prayers of the living for the faithful departed come in. 

Image credit: All Souls’ Day | Jakub Schikaneder, 1888 | National Gallery Prague | PD-US