This has already been posted. It is a ridiculously silly misrepresentation based on deep journo ignorance.
The notion of "temporal sins" is unknown in Catholic theology or teaching. It is a figment of the journalist's imagination.
See my post
here, repeated below. The references to Purgatory apply equally to "temporal sins" (whatever those are).
Sigh. Another utterly unbelieveably idiotic article by an ignoramus (not blaming the OP - he just fell for it).
This is pure bollllockkkks.
The Catholic Church never has, never will and cannot ever offer/promise "time off purgatory". This story is based on seriously erroneous misrepresentations over centuries by Protestant and other anti-Catholic polemicists. There is no informed Catholic who for a femtosecond ever believes or has ever believed in 2000 years that Indulgences offer "time off purgatory". That judgment is God's alone. Amen.
For those vaguely interested in the reality, you can check it out for yourself in the
Cathechism, or in a hundred thousand other Catholic websites, or even on
Wikipedia -- or you can continue to sni
gger at a straw-man silliness retailed by another ignorant journalist.
Sigh.
The article contains many howlers (and falsities). For example, the journalist says says Indulgences " roughly amounts to a “get out of Purgatory free” card".
Pure bollocks. Never has. Never will.
Briefly, for those interested, most sins have two elements:
1) the guilt of the sin itself, and
2) the natural consequences of the sin (called the temporal effects of sin, ie in space-time).
Now, in Christian teaching, only God forgives the guilt of a sin. But the effects of the sin remain, and these can and must be removed before one can enter heaven, for nothing imperfect can enter heaven and be in the presence of Almighty God.
Example/analogy: Johnny disobeys dad and throws the cricket ball inside the house, breaking a window. Johnny is guilty of disobedience and recklessness.
Dad forgives Johnny (ie he forgives the guilt of the transgression). But the window remains broken and it still needs to be repaired. This is a cost and is real, and must be paid. This "temporal effect and cost" roughly equates to the temporal effects of sin in relation to Almighty God.
God forgives sin. But we still have to repair the temporal effects of sin. That is all an indulgence does - it relates not to the guilt but to the effect. So if you lie, there is the guilt of the sin itself (ie telling an untruth, which offends Almighty God, who is Truth itself), and if the lie affects another, you need also must repair any injury to that person, eg ask for their forgiveness and repair their reputation if you injured it (for example). You confess the sin to Almighty God, and in His generosity He forgives the guilt (subject to several important and essential conditions) -- and you still need to be 'repaired' (the part in you that has a proclivity to lie remains, is imperfect, etc).
There's absolutely nothing strange, foreign, or odd about this. It's makes perfect sense, and comports with the natural sense of justice we all know.
In fact, it remains in our Criminal Law to this day. When the State (ie Society organised) convicts someone of a crime, it does so on the basis of their guilt. The sentence itself (eg prison or fine) does not expiate and repair all the temporal effects of the crime, for which the criminal is still liable (but which the criminal justice system ignores). Time served or fine paid is analogous to the expiation of guilt -- but the victim of the crime still suffers their loss or injury ("temporal effects" of the crime). In our temporal/secular justice system, the victim must bring their own private action for recovery of damage/injury caused by the criminal.
It was a joke. In electronics, imaginary units are represented with a "j". Which is why I said if he was imaginary his name would be "jESUS". Get it?
At least you learnt something 