Plenary indulgence, a sacramental reset

Q: Archbishop J, what is a plenary indulgence, and how do I get one?  

During this Jubilee Year, there is much talk about plenary indulgences. Many think stamping the Pilgrim Passport is sufficient. Look at the back of the passport and see what it says. Each stamp on your passport represents a step in a deep conversion process.

To shed light, I will follow the document of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Prot. N. 39/05/I, which gives the Vatican instruction concerning indulgences and is part of the law of the Church. It answers the questions about the nature of the plenary indulgence and how persons can get one.

The Code of Canon Law (992) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1471) both define an indulgence as, “… 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.”

If you were to commit a crime, you might ask for pardon from the injured person or their family. They could forgive you, but the temporal punishment due to the law still awaits you.

An indulgence adds to the forgiveness already received by removing the temporal punishment due to the sin. It is a reset, as if the sin had never happened. This is a complete remission of the sin and its temporal punishment.

Indulgence is not magic. It is sacramental. There is an outward sign and inner graces that flow from it. The Church prescribes the conditions and the works connected to it.

In this Jubilee Year, the first “work” is to visit a holy site. While at the site, there are several things you must do. Most importantly, you must have several dispositions.

Internal disposition

To gain a plenary indulgence, the faithful must be in the state of grace, at least when the indulgenced work is completed. This is vital; it is the game changer. It is not enough to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation; it is necessary to be truly sorry for your sins and make a firm purpose of amendment, i.e., commit to change your behaviour and avoid sinning after confessing sins to a priest. This is the required interior disposition.

Many times we go to Confession to get relief from shame or guilt. That is not enough. We must go with a sense that we have done wrong. More than that, we must desire to avoid sin and the occasion of sins. This is true contrition.

Sorrow for sin and a commitment to change one’s life is necessary for a valid Sacrament of Reconciliation. Pray for the grace to come to this place if it seems distant or difficult to you.

How often can I receive an indulgence?

Here is a summary of the Apostolic Penitentiary’s document.

1. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. To obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace:

• • have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;
  • have sacramentally confessed their sins;
  • receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence, only Holy Communion is required);
  • pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

2. It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope’s intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an ‘Our Father’ and a ‘Hail Mary’ are suggested.
3. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but each indulgence requires a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions.
4. For those legitimately impeded, confessors can commute both the work prescribed and the conditions required (except, obviously, detachment from venial sin).
5. Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth.

This should give you a good overview of the Jubilee’s inner grace and what you need to do to receive a plenary indulgence.

The spirituality/theology behind indulgences

The spirituality and theology of indulgences go back to Jesus’ offer to St Peter:

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Here, Jesus gives Peter the keys to bind and loose on Earth as it will be in Heaven. This is a wide-ranging power that is only understood through reading Isaiah 22:20-22:

In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

Eliakim was the “royal steward”, “master of the household”, and “father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem”. David was king but Eliakim is the master of the household who had wide powers over the kingdom.

Peter is the Master of the Household while Jesus is the King. Peter and his successors are given wide powers over the household. This is what Matthew 16:17-19 is about.

When the Holy Father looses our sins in a Jubilee, he can because Jesus gave him that power. Remember, an indulgence can be applied to your friends and family who have died. Make a list and ensure you give love to each one.

Key Message:

A plenary indulgence is a grace of the Church offered during this Jubilee to show you and your family God’s mercy, love, complete remission of sins, and removal of all temporal punishment due to sins.

Action Step:

You know what to do. Visit the holy site, have the necessary disposition and do the spiritual works prescribed.

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 16:18-19