Indulgences
The practice of indulgences in the Roman Catholic Church is part of the sacrament of penance. It has its roots in ancient penitential discipline. Initially, indulgences were a form of commutation for lengthy public penances. Over time, the concept evolved, particularly during the Crusades, from an expression of sorrow for sin to an act of merit pleasing to God. Indulgences became a means to remit temporal punishment for sins, often through financial contributions to churches, monasteries, or specific causes. The proliferation of indulgences was significantly boosted by the advent of the printing press, which made them widely available to the public. While the Church maintained that indulgences required contrition and were not a means of gaining salvation, abuses did occur, particularly in their sale as a fundraising method. These abuses, exemplified by figures like John Tetzel, ultimately motivated Martin Luther to write his famous Ninety-Five Theses, sparking the Protestant Reformation.
