I am clearly way too immersed in Reformed Theology because when I caught this article in the NY Times today, I did a double take.  You mean indulgences didn’t get discontinued with the Reformation?  That in spite of the logic and arguments of Martin Luther they continued?  I am astounded, and obviously uninformed.

According to the article indulgences were around right up to the Second Vatican Council and now are being reinstated.  The article says:

Like the Latin Mass and meatless Fridays, the indulgence was one of the
traditions decoupled from mainstream Catholic practice in the 1960s by
the Second Vatican Council, the gathering of bishops that set a new tone of simplicity and informality for the church.
Its revival has been viewed as part of a conservative resurgence that
has brought some quiet changes and some highly controversial ones, like Pope Benedict’s recent decision to lift the excommunications of four schismatic bishops who reject the council’s reforms.

And for those of us uneducated on the topic, the article contains some great background.  For instance, what was affected by the Reformation was the purchase of an indulgence — that was outlawed in 1567.  Now you have to earn it, but you can earn one by giving to charity combined with other good works.  And these are the comprehensive plenary indulgences which eliminate all your purgatory time, at least until your next sin.  And you can only earn one per day.  The Diocese of Brooklyn has it posted on the front page of their web site, but not all dioceses are offering them.  And this is a limited time offer associated with the church’s Pauline Year, but they will probably be offered again at another special anniversary.

The article explains that the indulgence can be an important motivational tool:  An individual who may have drifted from the church and not come to confession for a while can get “caught up” in one fell swoop (although confession is required to get the indulgence) and with a restored status may be more motivated to resume the traditions of the church.  It is a way around the “I’m not good enough to go to church” argument.  And it is a tool to highlight the significance and effects of sin and the value of penance.  The article says:

The latest offers de-emphasize the years-in-Purgatory formulations of
old in favor of a less specific accounting, with more focus on ways in
which people can help themselves — and one another — come to terms with
sin.

As a good introduction to this obscure topic it is a great article and I learned something today.

Clarification:  I did not make it clear that indulgences are for relief from temporal punishment in purgatory, not for forgiveness of sin.  That is why confession is still necessary with the indulgence.  For more technical detail you can find them in Between Two Worlds comments on this story.