#12443 How Catholic Indulgences Actually Work? AMA w/ @shamelesspopery - Joe Heschmeyer
Catholic Answers Live
Catholic Answers
4.8 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 4 November 2025
⏱️ 55 minutes
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Summary
“What do Catholic indulgences actually work?” In this episode, we explore the Church’s teachings on indulgences, including what is offered through them. Additionally, we delve into the new Vatican document on “Co-Redemptrix,” discuss the state of souls in purgatory, and examine the Church’s authority over ecclesiastical traditions.
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Questions Covered:
- 07:30 – What does the Church actually offer in an indulgence?
- 15:41 – Joe explains the new Vatican document about “Co-Redemptrix.”
- 21:24 – Are the souls in purgatory in peace?
- 33:43 – What is the Catholic understanding of the atonement?
- 45:19 – Where does the Church get the authority to set binding ecclesiastical traditions like Sunday mass and others?
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Buying or selling your home, real estate for life can connect you with a pro-life real estate agent. |
| 0:05.2 | When Real Estate for Life receives a referral fee, they donate 65% to Catholic Answers. |
| 0:11.5 | Learn more at realestateforlife.org. Hello and welcome to Catholic Answers live. |
| 0:32.6 | I am Sykelet, your host. |
| 0:33.7 | Thanks so much for being here with us today. |
| 0:36.7 | We got Joe Heschmyer. We've got Tim |
| 0:38.3 | Staples. We've got big stuff to talk about. I mean, a new document from the Vatican on Mary. |
| 0:47.4 | Can I still pray the rosary? I think the answer is yes, but we'll find out from these apologists. |
| 0:51.3 | We've got also a wonderful opportunity. We're in a special season |
| 0:55.5 | of the year, which sometimes doesn't get talked about. We can talk about the special indulgence |
| 1:01.0 | that comes the first week of November. We're praying for the dead right now. November is the |
| 1:06.5 | month that we pray for the dead in the Catholic Church. And so if you have a loved one that has died, |
| 1:12.9 | for whom you would like to beg God for an indulgence for that person, |
| 1:18.9 | well, you're in luck. |
| 1:21.1 | Let me put it that way. |
| 1:21.8 | You are in luck. |
| 1:23.1 | But what is an indulgence? |
| 1:24.2 | We'll talk about all of that. |
| 1:25.5 | It's asked me anything both hours today. |
| 1:27.3 | 888-318-7-884 is the number, triple-8-387-884. Joe Heschmeier, our guest this hour. |
| 1:36.6 | And Joe, well, first of all, welcome, Joe. Thanks. Good to be here. And it's double duty for us |
| 1:43.1 | today, Joe. We've got to raise money as well. This is the last time. It's early this year. We're coming early. Often we're closer to Thanksgiving when we do our last pledge drive. But today, tomorrow, the next day, we will do a little bit of fundraising, ask people to fund us for the next three months. You know, I think I have the perfect sob story as well, which is both you and I |
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