Don’t Miss Out! Plenary Indulgences Available during Holy Week

Now is a great time to gain a plenary indulgence either for yourself or for a holy soul in purgatory. Some of these are attached to Holy Week while others are available every day of the year.

What is an indulgence? 

From the Manual of Indulgences (4th Edition):

“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…”

“Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth.” Learn why here.

The person seeking the indulgence must be baptized, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace at least at the time the prescribed work is completed and have the general intention of gaining the indulgence. They must do the prescribed work (we must put our faith into action) with at least the general intention** of gaining the indulgence.

• There are prescribed penitential practices that go with the Indulgence   
• Actions along the lines of prayer, fasting, almsgiving 

** It is necessary to have, at least, the general intention of gaining an indulgence for it to be granted. Offering the very same prayers and actions without, at least, the general intention of gaining an indulgence, would draw down the mercy of God for sure but not in the measure that it would if they were offered intentionally as indulgences. The most fruitful way to gain an indulgence would be to be conscious of each one as it is gained so that you can pour the full amount of love and diligence into it; but, if you pray the following prayer each morning, you will have made at least the general intention of your desire to gain them throughout the day:

MORNING OFFERING 

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (here kiss your Brown scapular as a sign of your consecration – this carries a partial indulgence). I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with it the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day. 

O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that She may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Indulgences can be plenary or partial

Plenary 

• Remits all of the temporal punishment due to sin accumulated up to this point.  
• Can be acquired only once per day 
• Certain conditions are required: complete interior detachment from all sin, even venial sin; the reception of Holy Communion; a prayer for the pope’s intentions; and confession within 20 days. These three conditions can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the works to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.
• A single sacramental confession is sufficient for several plenary indulgences, but frequent sacramental confession is encouraged in order to obtain the grace of deeper conversion and purity of heart.
• For each plenary indulgence that is sought, however, a separate holy Communion and a separate prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father are required.
• The Apostolic Penitentiary in 2000 clarified that One Our Father and one Hail Mary is suggested for the Holy Father’s intentions though the faithful can choose another prayer.

Partial  

• Removes part of temporal punishment   
• Only God knows the partialness of the indulgence. It may be plenary, or 90% or 50% or 20% remission.   
• Can be acquired many times a day, unless otherwise expressly indicated.   
• You can combine them to gain more. 

The plenary indulgences that are available to us during Holy Week can be divided into two groups: those that are specific to Holy Week and those that are available to us anytime. One of them is available each Friday during Lent. 

5 PLENARY INDULGENCES AVAILABLE SPECIFICALLY DURING HOLY WEEK

Holy Thursday  “A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who piously recite the verses of the Tantum Ergo after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday during the solemn reposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

Good Friday “A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who

• Devoutly assist at the adoration of the Cross in the solemn liturgical action of Good Friday; or
• Personally make the pious Way of the Cross, or devoutly unite themselves to the Way of the Cross while it is being led by the Supreme Pontiff and broadcast live on television or radio.” ***

Fortunately, most parishes offer the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.

Holy Saturday “A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who, at the celebration of the Easter Vigil (or on the anniversary of their own Baptism), renew their baptismal vows in any legitimately approved formula.”

Every Friday during Lent - The Prayer before A Crucifix

"A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who on any of the Fridays of Lent devoutly recite after Communion the prayer, 'En ego, O bone et dulcissime Iesu,' before a crucifix."

Also, a partial indulgence can be obtained if the prayer is recited on another day of the year as thanksgiving after communion. 

The Prayer Before a Crucifix to Jesus Christ Crucified ("En ego, O bone et dulcissime Iesu"):

Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, I pray and beseech thee that thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, with true contrition for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment; while with deep affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate thy five wounds, having before my eyes the words which David the prophet put on thy lips concerning thee: “My hands and my feet they have pierced, they have numbered all my bones.”

4 PLENARY INDULGENCES AVAILABLE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

Keep in mind that only one plenary indulgence can be gained per day.

From the Manual of Indulgences: “Deserving of special mention are grants pertaining to these works by any one of which the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence each day of the year…” 

• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one half hour
• The pious exercise of the Way of the Cross***
• Recitation of the Marian rosary or of the hymn Akathistos, in church or an oratory; or in a family, a religious community, or a sodality of the faithful or, in general, when several of the faithful are gathered for any good purpose
• The devout reading or listening to the Sacred Scriptures for at least a half an hour

***“The pious exercise must be made before stations of the Way of the Cross legitimately erected…According to the common custom, the pious exercise consists of 14 devotional readings, to which some vocal prayers are added. To make the Way of the Cross, however, it is sufficient to meditate devoutly on the Lord’s Passion and Death, and therefore reflection on the particular mysteries of the individual stations in not necessary…Progression from one station to the next is required.” But if we’re making it publicly such as done for a parish, only the one conducting it has to move while we remain in our place.

LEARN MORE ABOUT INDULGENCES HERE