What was an indulgence?
It allowed Protestants with special skills to live in Catholic countries
Catholics could give the church money and be "forgiven" of their sins
A special punishment for accused Protestants'
A discount on spices and silk brought from Asia
Catholics could give the church money and be "forgiven" of their sins
An indulgence was a practice in the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages and Renaissance where individuals could give money or perform certain acts to be granted forgiveness for their sins or reduce the punishment for their sins in the afterlife. It was believed that this practice would help to lessen the time spent in purgatory, a place of temporary punishment after death.
The correct answer is: Catholics could give the church money and be "forgiven" of their sins.
An indulgence in the context of the Catholic Church refers to a remission of the temporal punishment for sins. In Catholic theology, it is believed that after a person sins, they receive both eternal punishment (in the form of damnation) and temporal punishment (which is necessary for the soul's purification). An indulgence is a way to reduce or eliminate the temporal punishment.
During the medieval period, the Catholic Church began to offer indulgences to its followers as a means of obtaining forgiveness for their sins. This practice was especially prevalent during the 16th century. Catholics could give money, make pilgrimages, or perform other acts of devotion in exchange for indulgences. The Church claimed that through these acts, individuals could obtain a reduction in the amount of time they would need to spend in purgatory, or even have their sins completely forgiven.
However, it is important to note that the selling of indulgences, where individuals could simply purchase forgiveness, became a controversial practice. It was one of the key issues that led to the Protestant Reformation, as many reformers (such as Martin Luther) criticized the Church for what they believed to be an abuse of power and a departure from genuine faith.
To answer such questions, it is helpful to have a general understanding of historical events and concepts. In this case, having knowledge of the practices of the Catholic Church during the medieval period and the Protestant Reformation can help in understanding the nature and purpose of indulgences.