Plenary indulgences: what they are and what they need

A plenary indulgence removes all the temporal punishment still due for sins that have already been forgiven. To gain one, you do a good work the Church has attached to it, like half an hour of Adoration, and meet the usual conditions: sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, a prayer for the Pope's intentions, and freedom from attachment to any sin, even venial. You can gain one a day, for yourself or for someone who has died.

What is an indulgence?

The Catechism defines an indulgence as "a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven" (CCC 1471). The Church grants it from the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints, to a person who is properly disposed and does what is asked.

Two things follow from that definition. An indulgence never forgives sin itself. That happens in Confession, through the priest's absolution. And an indulgence can't be bought. It's a gift the Church gives freely, and the abuses of selling them were condemned long ago.

An indulgence is partial or plenary. A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin. A plenary indulgence removes all of it (CCC 1471).

What is temporal punishment?

Sin has two consequences. Grave sin cuts us off from God and from eternal life. That is the eternal punishment, and Confession takes it away. But every sin, even a venial one, also leaves an unhealthy attachment to created things, and that attachment needs to be purified, either here on earth or after death in purgatory (CCC 1472).

The Catechism is careful to say this isn't God taking revenge. It follows from the nature of sin itself (CCC 1472). Think of someone forgiven for years of lying. The friendship is restored, but the habit of reaching for an easy lie is still there and still needs healing. The Catechism invites us to accept that healing as a grace, through prayer, works of mercy, patience in suffering and penance (CCC 1473). An indulgence is the Church helping with that work.

What are the conditions for a plenary indulgence?

Besides the work itself, the Church asks for four things:

1. Sacramental Confession. A good Confession, made several days before or after the work.
2. Eucharistic Communion. Receiving Holy Communion, also within several days of the work. It's fitting, though not required, to receive on the same day.
3. Prayer for the Pope's intentions. An Our Father and a Hail Mary are enough, or any other prayer you choose. You're praying for the intentions the Holy Father carries for the Church. You don't need to know what they are.
4. Freedom from all attachment to sin, even venial sin. More on this below. It's the condition people worry about most, and it's gentler than it sounds.

One Confession can cover several plenary indulgences. Communion and the prayer for the Pope's intentions are needed for each one. You also need to be in the state of grace, at least by the time you finish the work.

Which works carry a plenary indulgence?

The Church's handbook of indulgences, the Enchiridion, lists many. These are the ones most people can do any week:

• Adoration. Spending at least half an hour adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, exposed in a monstrance or reserved in the tabernacle.
• Reading Scripture. Reading the Bible for at least half an hour, with the reverence due to the word of God.
• The Rosary. Praying five decades of the Rosary in a church or oratory, or together as a family, a religious community or a prayer group, with meditation on the mysteries.
• The Stations of the Cross. Making the Way of the Cross in front of stations set up in a church, moving from one to the next where you can, and meditating on the Passion.

There are also seasonal grants. From November 1 to 8, a plenary indulgence is granted each day for visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead, and it can be applied only to the souls in purgatory. And when no priest can be there at the hour of death, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to anyone rightly disposed who has been in the habit of praying during life. The Church itself supplies the usual conditions.

What does "free from all attachment to sin" mean?

It doesn't mean you never sin. It means you aren't holding on to any sin: there's no fault, however small, that you're quietly planning to keep. You want all of it gone, even the little impatience you've grown used to.

Many people aren't sure they're there yet, and the Church has already thought of that. If your detachment isn't complete, or you miss one of the other conditions, the indulgence is partial instead of plenary. Nothing is wasted. So do the work, ask God for a heart that holds on to nothing but him, and leave the result to him. If you tend to examine your motives over and over, our page on scrupulosity may help.

How often can you gain one, and for whom?

You can gain one plenary indulgence a day. Partial indulgences can be gained many times a day.

You can gain an indulgence for yourself or offer it for someone who has died (Code of Canon Law, can. 994). You can't apply one to another living person. Offering a plenary indulgence for a parent, a spouse or a friend who has died is one of the most loving things you can do for them.

What is a partial indulgence?

A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin. It doesn't need the usual conditions. You only need to be in the state of grace, with a contrite heart, and do the work.

The Church attaches partial indulgences to many ordinary things: prayers, works of mercy, and even lifting your mind to God with trust in the middle of your work or a hard day and adding a short prayer. If you're not ready for a plenary indulgence, these keep you moving in the right direction.

A simple plan for this week

1. Choose your work. Half an hour of Adoration after Sunday Mass is the easiest for most people. A family Rosary at home counts too.
2. Go to Confession. Saturday afternoon works well. If you're not sure how often to go, see how often you should go to Confession.
3. Receive Communion. At Mass, within several days of the work.
4. Pray for the Pope's intentions. An Our Father and a Hail Mary, the same day if you can.
5. Decide who it's for. Yourself, or someone you love who has died. Tell God in your own words.

If something gets in the way and it ends up partial, that's still grace. Start again next week.