Final answer:
The Church's dispensation of indulgences was a method to reduce time spent in purgatory, closely linked to charitable deeds, which later became controversial and led to Martin Luther's reformation efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The practice of granting indulgences by the Church was established to shorten the time a sinner would spend in purgatory. Indulgences were issued in the form of a document as a reward for charitable donations or other meritorious works, signifying a reduction or cancellation of the time one needed to serve in purgatory for their sins before entering heaven. The belief was that the pope had access to a 'treasury' of grace earned by Jesus and the saints that could be transferred to living or deceased souls through indulgences. In the late medieval period, this system became controversial, particularly when indulgences were being sold, leading to Martin Luther's criticism in his 95 Theses. His objection was rooted in the notion that indulgences undermined the importance of genuine repentance and had the potential to mislead the faithful into valuing them over acts of love and charity. However, despite the controversy, many believed that indulgences, as well as other religious acts like praying at a chantry chapel, could indeed shorten one's time in purgatory.