A reader writes:
To be quite honest I am a pagan, my son, however is not. I was hoping to give him an plenary ndulgence for his Winter Holiday gift. It does seem a little more involved than I had thought it would be. I had been told by someone who used to be a practicing Catholic that it was just a matter of money. Well, I am not a wealthy person, but, still I thought this a better gift than a sweater or a pair of socks.
Okay, you may be thinking that I am not taking this at all seriously, however, while that may be true, my son, is not me, and therefore should not be confused with me. His father is, or was, raised Catholic. I was raised to believe that being a female didn’t matter in any way whatsoever and that religion was just something I had to deal with, and try to impart on any son I may have (whether that is really what the Jewish religion is all about I do not know, all I know is how I was raised). So, that said, is there a way to purchase a plenary indulgence or am I being silly? If so, please just say so and I will not bother you anymore.
No, ma’am, you’re not being silly. It is a good thing that you desire to do something to help your son in his Catholic faith at this time of year, and I hope I can help you in this regard.
Indulgences–plenary or otherwise–are not for sale. At one time the Church granted them in connection with people doing the spiritual act of giving alms (though even then they were never "sold"), but that time was long ago.
That does not mean that you can’t do something to help your son in his faith, though. You might consider doing something else for him, like buying him a crucifix or a rosary or a Bible or a Catechism or a book or something. Any of those would be very nice things to do, and I’m sure he’d appreciate it very much.
HERE’S A PLACE THAT YOU COULD LOOK FOR SUCH THINGS ONLINE.
Incidentally, if you ever have questions about the Catholic faith, that site’s a great one to get them answered at. They have lots of online resources, as well as online forums where you can ask questions and get them answered.
Hope this helps, and God bless! Thanks for reading the blog and taking the time to write!
