The Twenty-two Plenary Indulgences You Can Obtain During Holy Week through Divine Mercy Sunday and Beyond

There is a good chance that many baptized Catholics are in a position to receive the wonderful grace of a plenary indulgence - the complete remission of all temporal punishment due to sin - during Holy Week and beyond. The following information relates how these indulgences can be gained for ourselves or for the holy souls in purgatory.

WHAT IS AN INDULGENCE?

“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.”

Indulgences remit the temporal punishment - all (plenary) or in part (partial) - due to sins that have already been forgiven by applying the merits of Christ to particular prayers and pious practices of the Catholic faithful. That is, if the faithful have confessed their sins and are authentically repentant, they will be forgiven the temporal punishment they must otherwise endure in purgatory. 

“Reconciliation with God does not mean that there are no enduring consequences of sin from which we must be purified. It is precisely in this context that the indulgence becomes important, since it is an expression of the ‘total gift of the mercy of God” (Pope St. John Paul II). This is because “every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the ‘temporal punishment’ of sin” (Catechism of the Catholic Church).

In speaking of Heaven, Sacred Scripture tells us, “nothing unclean shall enter it” (Rev 21:27).

Learn more about indulgences here.

During Holy Week we can choose from plenary indulgences that are only available during this week or others that are available any day of the year and some that are only available during this Jubilee Year. 

You can read about these under “Norms and Grants” in the official “Manual of Indulgences, fourth edition (1999)” and in Enchiridion Indulgentiarum and here.

PLENARY INDULGENCES UNIQUE FOR HOLY WEEK 

Holy Thursday (1 option)

 “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.”

English lyrics to Tantum Ergo:

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o’er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;

Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who reigns on high,

With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty. Amen.

V. You have given them bread from heaven,
R/. Having all delight within it.

Let us pray. O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of your

Passion: Grant, we implore you, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of your Redemption. You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Good Friday (3 options)

 “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.” The majority of parishes offer the Stations of the Cross for parishioners on Good Friday.
• OR 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.”

“Those legitimately impeded can acquire the same indulgence, if they spend some time, e.g., at least a quarter of an hour, in reading and meditating on the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil (1 option)

“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.” The renewal of baptismal vows is a part of the Easter Vigil. 

PLENARY INDULGENCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE ANY DAY OF THE YEAR AND SOME THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THIS JUBILEE YEAR

The Manual of Indulgences states: 

“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…”

There are four grants (4 options):

• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one half hour;
• The pious exercise of the Way of the Cross (see details below**);
• 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.

**As for the Way of the Cross for a plenary indulgence, “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 is 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.

There are also other ways to gain a plenary indulgence specific to this Jubilee Year (12 options). Learn more about that here.

Beyond Easter Sunday and Into the Octave of Easter Ending with Divine Mercy Sunday

We should not stop when Holy Week ends but continue during the Easter Octave, from Easter Sunday through Divine Mercy Sunday. Monday through Saturday we have the four options and the twelve jubilee year options mentioned above to gain a plenary indulgence. So, go to Mass, receive Holy Communion and then spend time either in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament; pray the Rosary in church or with the family or another group of people, pray the Way of the Cross or read Sacred Scripture for at least half an hour or one of the other pious actions offered to gain a Juiblee Indulgence. It’s up to you.

Divne Mercy Sunday Plenary Indulgence (1 option)

On the second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday you can gain a plenary indulgence specific for that Feast Day. Learn more about what is required to do that here.

St. John Paul II established that the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence on the feast if they “take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy” in any church or chapel, or if they, “in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. ‘Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!’).”

St. Faustina Kowalska related in her Diary that she received private revelations in which Jesus told her: “I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy (1109).”

“The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (699),” He said. 

CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO GAIN A PLENARY INDULGENCE

“In general, the gaining of indulgences requires certain prescribed conditions and the performance of certain prescribed works.” The Manual of Indulgences gives these basic conditions necessary to obtain any indulgence, whether plenary or partial. 

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.
• The person needs to have the general intention of wishing to gain the indulgence 
• as well as carry out the specific works required listed in the grant.

But for a Plenary Indulgence, it is necessary to perform the indulgenced work and fulfill the following four conditions: 

1. Be in the state of grace (as stated above) and free from all attachment to sin, even venial sins. 

How do you know if you are free from attachment to sin? Make an examination of conscience asking Our Blessed Mother - Our Lady of Sorrows - to show you the sins you are attached to and then make an act of the will to renounce them and make concrete resolutions to live this out.

2. Receive Holy Communion

3. Pray for the Intentions of the Pope. 

Many people are uncomfortable praying for “Pope” Francis’ monthly intentions. Instead, pray for the traditional intentions of the Holy Father (not just any intention). An Our Father and a Hail Mary are common prayers for this. No matter who the current pope is, the 6 objective intentions, of the Holy Father are as follows:

The Exaltation of the Church.
The Propagation of the Faith.
The Extirpation of Heresy.
The Conversion of Sinners.
The Concord between Christian Princes.
The Further Welfare of the Christian People.

4. Receive Sacramental Confession 

It is preferable to receive this sacrament within 20 days before you gain the indulgence with true sorrow for your sins and a firm purpose of amendment but after is acceptable if necessary. This is because indulgences are given as a blessing for sincere repentance. 

Each indulgence requires a separate Communion and prayer, ideally on the day of the indulgenced act although that is not strictly necessary. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences.

Under usual conditions,  “a plenary indulgence can be obtained only once a day” (although Jubilee Year plenary indulgences can be acquired twice in one day if all the conditions are met.  Learn more here.)

Once again these indulgences can be gained for us for ourselves or to a soul in purgatory.

CONCLUSION

From Holy Week through Divine Mercy Sunday — and even beyond that — we should make every effort to not miss out on obtaining these indulgences for ourselves or for a soul in purgatory who might get the chance to enter heaven because of these acts of charity. They will be eternally grateful for you help and will pray and intercede for you and your intentions as the testimony below reveals:

Personal Testimony of the Incredible Grace offered through Plenary Indulgences offered for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

My uncle, my mother’s brother, was married five times and in his second marriage he had two sons. He and his second wife divorced when they were 5 and 1 ½ years old. She remarried and her new husband threatened my uncle and told him he could not see his sons ever again. Unfortunately he complied out of fear and did not pursue a relationship with them. My mother prayed about their reunion for over 20 years but saw no results.

During the Jubilee Year of 2000, my mother and my family made a visit to EWTN and heard a talk given by a priest about the Jubilee Indulgences. He suggested that we make a resolution to obtain a plenary indulgence, many times throughout the week, every day if possible, and offer each one for the holy souls in purgatory and ask them, in return, to pray for a prayer intention that we have been praying about for a long time that has not been answered. He said that the souls in purgatory are happy to do this because they are so grateful for the indulgences we obtain for them.

My mother was very inspired and motivated by this and knew immediately that she would do this and ask the holy souls in purgatory to pray for my uncle and his sons to be reunited. She began to do this right away.

About six months into it, God worked a miracle! My uncle's wife was transferred with her job from Cincinnati to Columbus, Ohio. While living there, they needed to have their air conditioner serviced and the technician assigned to the job was my cousin, one of his sons. My uncle did not know that his two sons were living in Columbus at the time. My cousin saw the name on the job order and thought, “Oh my! I am about to meet my dad!” Needless to say, they were reunited and have been close ever since. About a year later, my aunt was transferred back to Cincinnati and my cousins eventually moved there too. 

What a blessing to be able to help the holy souls in purgatory and receive their help in return. This is the Communion of Saints.  Is there a prayer intention that you have almost given up on? Why not give this pious practice a try during this Jubilee year?