by Bishop Michael J. Sis
January 19, 2016

We are in a Jubilee Holy Year, and any time a Jubilee comes around, it is a great opportunity to renew our understanding of the Catholic teaching on indulgences.

Indulgences are often misunderstood. They are not some sort of discount into Heaven, and they are not a mechanical ritual that automatically confers forgiveness. They inspire us to live more fruitful and holy lives, and thereby lead us to a more intimate union with God.

The greatest indulgence of all is Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins. We accept his forgiveness when we make a sacramental Confession, and then we need to follow the road of purification by making changes in our action. An indulgence should be seen as part of a lifelong process of continuous conversion and ongoing rehabilitation of our human heart.

Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we receive forgiveness for our sins, and all punishment is remitted, or canceled. Through the Sacrament of Penance (Confession), sins are forgiven, and the eternal penalty that is due to sin is taken away, but there remain consequences for sins that those who have committed them must bear. These negative consequences of sin are traditionally called the temporal punishment for sin.

Our sin leaves marks on the soul which do not automatically disappear with Confession. We need to be progressively cleansed of these “residues” of sin and that is what an indulgence is about. It is a healing medicine for the spiritual wounds that result from our sin.

Every sin inevitably causes suffering for the one who has committed it. Every sin creates disorder within our human soul. Sin also disrupts our relationships with God and others. Even after we have received forgiveness, we still must undergo a process of purification and restore those disrupted relationships. This process of purification can take place either in this life or in Purgatory. Whatever part of the process remains unfinished upon the death of our body must be completed in Purgatory, before entering the full presence of God in Heaven.

By God’s grace, an indulgence brings about the necessary purification without the suffering that would normally accompany it. By the gift of the grace of Jesus Christ and the prayers of the saints, the painful aspect of punishment is mitigated or canceled by fostering its medicinal aspect through other channels of grace. (St. John Paul II, General Audience, Sept. 29, 1999)

An indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment that is due for sin whose guilt has already been forgiven. Through an indulgence, God grants that, through the prayer of the Church, the temporal punishment for sin is either reduced or eliminated. An indulgence is either partial or plenary, according to whether it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due for sin.

According to Church teaching, the four normal conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence are the following: (1) truly repenting of our sin and letting go of our attachment to sin; (2) sacramental Confession; (3) reception of the Eucharist; and (4) praying for the intentions of the Pope. A member of the Church who has fulfilled those conditions may acquire a plenary indulgence by carrying out any one of the various particular actions which the Church has designated for the plenary indulgence.

An indulgence can be obtained for oneself or for someone who is deceased, but it cannot be applied to other persons living on earth. In order to gain an indulgence, one must be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced action is completed.

A plenary indulgence can be acquired multiple times throughout the year, but no more than once in the course of a day. A single sacramental Confession is sufficient for gaining several plenary indulgences. A separate reception of Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Pope’s intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.

It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the reception of Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day as the indulgenced action. It is sufficient that the sacramental Confession, reception of Communion, and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions be carried out within several days before or after the indulgenced action.

If a person performs an action which has been given in Confession as a sacramental penance, and which also happens to be an indulgenced action, one can at the same time both satisfy the penance and gain the indulgence.

In Misericordiae Vultus, 22, Pope Francis explains indulgences beautifully. He says, “God’s forgiveness knows no bounds…God is always ready to forgive, and he never tires of forgiving … Despite being forgiven, the conflicting consequences of sin remain. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God forgives our sins, which he truly blots out; and yet sin leaves a negative effect on the way we think and act … the mercy of God … becomes indulgence on the part of the Father who, through the Bride of Christ, his Church, reaches the pardoned sinner and frees him from every residue left by the consequences of sin.”

How do indulgences relate to a Jubilee Year? There are plenty of plenary and partial indulgences which can be gained in any year, whether it is a Jubilee or not. However, in every Jubilee Year, the Pope declares particular actions which can convey a plenary indulgence, when carried out along with the above-mentioned four normal conditions.

In a letter he wrote on September 1, 2015, Pope Francis said that the jubilee indulgence can be received in this Jubilee Year of Mercy in a variety of ways. The most common way is to make a pilgrimage to one of the Holy Doors as a sign of deep desire for inner conversion.

In the Diocese of San Angelo, I have designated four Jubilee Holy Doors. They are at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Midland, St. Mary Parish in Odessa, and the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at Sacred Heart Parish in Abilene. The designation of these four Holy Doors and the ability to receive a plenary indulgence there will end on November 20, 2016, at the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Pope Francis stated that it is important that our visits to a Holy Door be linked to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with a reflection on mercy. It is also necessary to pray for the intention of the Pope by praying the Profession of Faith.

Another way the indulgence may be obtained in the Year of Mercy is by the elderly and homebound. They may obtain the jubilee indulgence by living their sickness and suffering with faith and joyful hope, or by receiving Communion, or by attending Mass anywhere, even through the television or other means of communication.

The Holy Father also says that the incarcerated may receive the jubilee indulgence either by visiting the chapel of their prison or by directing their thoughts and prayers to God the Father when they cross the threshold of their cell, which is symbolic of passing through a Holy Door.

In the same letter of September 1, Pope Francis goes on to say that each time any member of the Church personally performs one or more of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy in this Jubilee Year of Mercy, he or she will surely obtain the jubilee indulgence.

In receiving indulgences, we should not get the idea that we have earned them. The actions we take are an expression of our openness to receive the unmerited gift of God’s grace. The power of God’s grace is infinitely greater than all our efforts. The purpose behind the teaching on the jubilee indulgence is to enable our celebration of the Holy Year to be a powerful moment of personal encounter with the infinite mercy of God.