“Let me say first of all that, in a short video, I’ll not be saying all that could be said about indulgences. I’ll focus just on the essential points. The heart of the matter is this: an indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, and that remains after the guilt of sin has been forgiven in confession (cf. CCC, 1471). When we go to confession, what is forgiven is the guilt of our sin. The priest will also ask us to make satisfaction for our sins by assigning a penance. We are very familiar with this. But what about this “temporal punishment” that still remains?”
— Archbishop Richard Smith, March 17, 2020