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What is the difference between the guilt of sin and temporal punishment in Roman Catholic teaching?
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purgatory
Anastasis (Christ ascending from hell), apse fresco, c. 1320; in the Church of the Holy Saviour at the Monastery of the Chora (now the Kariye Museum), Istanbul.
In Roman Catholic theology, a distinction is made between the guilt of sin (culpa) and the temporal punishment (poena) that remains even after that guilt is forgiven.1
- Guilt of Sin (Culpa): This refers to the moral offense against God caused by sin. According to Catholic teaching, this guilt is removed through the sacrament of penance via absolution.1
- Temporal Punishment (Poena): Even after the guilt is forgiven, the offender still owes a debt of temporal punishment because they have offended Almighty God. This punishment serves as a form of satisfaction for the offense. It can be expiated during one's lifetime through good works, such as prayer, charitable acts, or pilgrimages, or it must be satisfied in purgatory after death.12
The church teaches that indulgences can be used to remit this temporal punishment, helping the faithful amortize the remaining debt of their sins.1