indulgences

Definition

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.’’

Explanation

• Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory.

• An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.

• Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead.

• An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity.

• Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.

Requirements

To gain an indulgence one must:

• Be baptized, not excommunicated and in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed works.

• Have at least the intention of receiving the indulgence and fulfill the enjoined works at the stated time and according to the tenor of the grant.

The usual conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence are in addition to the good work to which it is attached:¹

• Confession on the day itself, or within some days before or after the performance of the good work.

• Holy Communion on the day itself, or within some days before or after the performance of the good work.

• Prayer for the intention of the Pope. For this, recitation of one Our Father and one Hail Mary suffices, though the faithful may say any other prayer according to their personal devotion.

• Exclusion of all attachment to sin, even the slightest venial sin.

• It is recommended that reception of Holy Communion and prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day as the good work.

• Only one plenary indulgence may be gained on any one day with the exception of the plenary indulgence applicable at the moment of death. Several plenary indulgences may be gained on the basis of a single sacramental confession; only one may be gained, however, on the basis of a single communion and prayer for the Pope’s intentions.

• If we are not properly disposed to receive a plenary indulgence when it is granted to us, we receive only a partial indulgence according to the perfection of our dispositions.

Plenary Indulgence

A plenary indulgence called “Portiuncula” may be gained by visiting any parish church on two days of the year; the titular feast of the church and either on August 2, the day of the “Portiuncula” indulgence, or on another suitable day to be fixed by the Ordinary. Another plenary indulgence applicable only to the dead may be gained in all churches on November 2. On these visits the faithful should recite the Our Father and the Creed, and fulfill the three requirements (Confession, Communion, and prayer for the Pope).

A plenary indulgence may also be gained by:

• Visiting the Blessed Sacrament for half an hour at least;

• Reading the Bible for at least half an hour;

• Making the Stations of the Cross;

• Praying the Rosary (five decades) in a church or with the family;

• Receiving the apostolic blessing at the hour of death.

Partial Indulgence

Any of the faithful who, being at least inwardly contrite, performs a work carrying with it a partial indulgence, receives through the Church the remission of temporal punishment equivalent to what their own act already receives. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

• In the performance of their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble confidence to God, adding—even if only mentally—some pious invocation. This first grant is intended to serve as an incentive to the faithful to put into practice the commandment of Christ that “they must always pray and not lose heart” and at the same time as a reminder so to perform their respective duties as to preserve and strengthen their union with Christ.

• In a spirit of faith and mercy give of themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in need. This second grant is intended to serve as an incentive to the faithful to perform more frequent acts of charity and mercy, thus following the example and obeying the command of Christ Jesus.

• In a spirit of penance voluntarily deprive themselves of what is licit and pleasing to them. This third grant is intended to move the faithful to bridle their passions and thus learn to bring their bodies into subjection and to conform themselves to Christ in his poverty and suffering.

• Devoutly use religious articles (crucifixes, crosses, rosaries, scapulars, medals) properly blessed by a priest.

But self-denial will be more precious if it is united to charity according to the teaching of St. Leo the Great: “Let us give to virtue what we refuse to self-indulgence. Let what we deny ourselves by fast—be the refreshment of the poor.”