What are rosary indulgences?

[TheLittlestFlower]

I've gotten back into the habit of praying a rosary when I wake up and before I go to bed. 

I'm using my grandma's prayer book from 1953, and on the last page it talks about indulgences. What does all of this mean? Thanks!

 

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=16joajm&s=8#.VckXnxaCOnM

 

[MarysLittleFlower]

Indulgences lessen purgatory. They're based on how in the early Church your penance could be shortened if a Christian imprisoned for their faith prayed for you. So if a holy person praying on ones behalf can lessen Purgatory .. Then what Indulgences do is they apply the merits of Jesus, Mary and all the Saints (treasury of merits) to you, instead of getting the purification you need through Purgatory.

You get indulgences here on earth (though you can also get them for other souls in Purgatory now) and they're always some sort of acts that are helpful spiritually. I don't know if that's clear but hopefully others would answer too! Old books have a number beside the Indulgence referring to how many days of early Church penances would have been lessened. Now it says the words partial or plenary. Plenary indulgences take away ALL the effects of sin that lead to Purgatory and partial take away some. There are conditions though and if a condition for plenary indulgence isn't met (like detachment from all sin) then it becomes partial. This link is good: http://www.catholic.com/tracts/myths-about-indulgences

purgatory is for temporal punishiment for sin, which isnt the guilt but the effects of sin. Mortal sins must be forgiven to go to Purgatory . if the are not forgiven then the soul goes to hell, so purgatory isnt like a second chance, but a purification for effects of sin, venial sins and imperfections. Indulgences help to avoid Purgatory which is great cause its not a fun place to be its actually quite painful but the Church has LOTS of indulgences to offer. One is Divine Mercy Sunday: https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/

 

Also if a person gets a Plenary Indulgence for real and then dies before sinning again, they go straight to Heaven. There are Indulgences that are meant for the hour of death and a number of these are associated with being in some Confraternity. That is... A spiritual association of the faithful that you sign up for...there are lots.  Here's one I'm part of: http://philomenafamily.org/?page_id=62

And one for the Rosary http://www.rosary-center.org/nroscon.htm

 

Not all of them offer indulgences for moment of death but they tend to offer indulgences in general for members associated with certain feasts  

Edited August 10, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower

[MarysLittleFlower]

(However, there are tons of indulgences for all Catholics where you don't have to be part of any Confraternity!) They change over time and more get added but there are ways to find out what they are. Here it gives various indulgences and the conditions to getting them http://www.catholic.org/prayers/indulgw.php

 

Edited August 10, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower