Indulgences is one of the reasons the “universal” Catholic Church isn’t that universal anymore.
“When the coin on the bottom of the plate rings; the soul from purgatory springs!”
The original practice grew out of the Crusades. Your sins were absolved if you went on Crusade. But if you were somehow unable to go on Crusade; if you PAID someone to go on Crusade, that could also absolve your sins. From there is was a small step to just outright paying for sin.
Your sins were absolved if you went on Crusade.
I don't know how to say this in a polite way. That is simply not at all so. Indulgences do not have to do with the absolution of sin.
What is the deal here? Periodically, just to stir the pot, some Protestant publication produces a bunch of falsehoods about what the Catholic Church teaches? These are things that five minutes on Google could disprove! So it cannot be a concern for truth or for scholarly integrity which lies behind these works of fiction. What is it?
I mean, think for a minute! Suddenly the New York Times is a reliable source of information on something important? An Attack on what we teach is going to be based on an article in the NYT? You have GOT to be kidding!
This article is an embarrassment to the writer.
Indulgences don't "absolve sins" and they don't "pay for sins," either.
You wrote:
“Indulgences is one of the reasons the “universal” Catholic Church isn’t that universal anymore.”
The Church is more universal NOW then it was in 1517. The Church is now everywhere in South, Central and North America and throughout much of Africa and Asia. That was NOT the case in 1517.