In the Roman Catholic Church, an indulgence is the remission of the punishment that remains due for sin after sacramental absolution. This remission, which is granted by ecclesiastical authority, applies only to temporal punishment, in this world or in purgatory, and is to be distinguished from divine forgiveness.
Johann Tetzel, a German Dominican friar, was a preacher of indulgences. The system of indulgences, which developed out of the penitential discipline of the early church, became, in the medieval period, a means by which punishments for breaches of church discipline were commuted for proportionate fines. This practice was so general that the sale of indulgences was an important source of church revenue. The proceeds were used for many worthy purposes, such as the maintenance of religious orders and the building of churches. …
