What’s the distinction? A plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment due to sin. It is a complete cleansing, as though the disorder caused by sin were fully healed. This means that if a person fulfills the necessary conditions for a plenary indulgence, they can be completely freed from the consequences of their sins, assuming they are in a state of grace and have the intention to receive the indulgence. The conditions typically include sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Pope, along with performing the specific work to which the indulgence is attached (Catechism, 1471)

A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment. It is a real but incomplete purification, lessening the burden but not entirely eliminating it. The degree of temporal punishment removed is not specified and can vary based on the individual’s disposition and the nature of the act performed. The Church encourages the faithful to seek partial indulgences through various prayers and acts of charity, as these can contribute to one’s spiritual growth and sanctification (Catechism, 1472).

Both types of indulgences require that the person be baptized and in the state of grace with the intention of seeking the indulgence. Both types require the carrying out the specified actions, e.g., praying the Rosary, reading Scripture, visiting a cemetery. There are additional conditions for plenary indulgence: Sacramental confession (within about 20 days before or after), Eucharistic Communion, prayer for the intentions of the Pope. and a complete detachment from all sin, even venial sin. This last condition is the hardest, and it is the real dividing line: if there is no total detachment, the indulgence becomes partial.

The essential difference is not the type of spiritual practice performed but the interior disposition of the soul: only a heart totally detached from sin can receive the full grace of a plenary indulgence.

Have we made progress? Depends on the meaning of “we.” The Church has taken steps to clarify its teaching and in so doing highlights the importance of the intention behind the actions taken to receive indulgences, noting that true contrition and a desire for holiness are essential components. The Church encourages the faithful not to obsess over the “math” of indulgences but to see them as acts of love: uniting prayer, penance, and charity with the merits of Christ and the saints.

Have the faithful made progress? That is a question each person must ask of themselves. As a priest my concern is that when people ask about specific indulgences the questions and the language used strikes me as transactional: “if I do these things, I get…” What is going on in one’s heart? I can only explain the teachings of the Church as best I can. Beyond that I am not the gate keeper of indulgences. That is between Christ and the person.

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