“… the indulgence is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms ‘mercy’ and ‘indulgence were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds … [For] “as we know from personal experience, every sin ‘leaves its mark’. Sin has consequences, not only outwardly in the effects of the wrong we do, but also inwardly, inasmuch as ‘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’. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1472). In our humanity, weak and attracted by evil, certain residual effects of sin remain. These are removed by the indulgence, always by the grace of Christ, who, as Saint Paul VI wrote, ‘is himself our ‘indulgence’ (Apostolic Letter Apostolorum Limina, 1974).
Pope Francis, Spes non Confundit (Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year 2025), No. 23
The doctrine of indulgences, rediscovered by many of us through the teaching of recent popes, St Paul VI, St John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, should have a important place in our Catholic life. According to Catholic teaching, the Church, by a spiritual authority described as the “power of the keys” can establish that certain prayers or actions willingly undertaken by Christians can be of special efficacy in purifying the soul from the lasting “after-effects” of sin, even when the guilt of sin has already been forgiven in confession. Whilst indulgences are offered and available to us at all times, the Lenten season is especially appropriate to renew our appreciation of this Catholic doctrine and practice – the acts which gain indulgences are just the kind of thing we might take up in Lent in our works of penance.
Indulgences come in two types and are attached to different types of actions. A full or plenary indulgence has the capacity to cleanse our souls entirely from sin (and thereby remit what would otherwise have to be purified in Purgatory), if we are properly disposed. Plenary indulgences have certain requirements – it is necessary to make our confession around the time we seek the indulgence (from a few days before up to a few days after we do the indulgenced act), receive holy communion (preferably on the day itself) and pray for the Pope’s intentions (an Our Father and Hail Mary are sufficient). On a given day we can usually only receive one plenary indulgence. (A single confession would suffice for obtaining a number of plenary indulgences on different days; the other conditions must be repeated to obtain further indulgences.) A partial indulgence, on the other hand – less often spoken of but easier to obtain and attached to many different types of prayers and good works – requires simply that we be in a state of grace and that we intend to obtain the indulgence. These obtain a lesser but real remission of the secondary effects of sin. There is no limit to the number of partial indulgences we can obtain even within a single day.
An important additional feature of indulgences is that we can choose to apply them not to ourselves but to the faithful departed. This is a powerful form of intercession (suffrage) for the holy souls, and an act of charity towards them. In this way, the use of indulgences can hasten the journey of our loved ones towards their heavenly destiny. What greater Lenten act of charity could we make?
Note finally that if you happen to be given as a penance for your confession an act to which the church attaches in indulgence (e.g. the priest in confession tells you to recite the prayer Memorare below for your penance) then you are free to obtain the indulgence at the same time as you fulfil your penance.
A few examples of indulgences available in Lent (all of which, except the first, can be obtained on any day of the year) are given below.
Plenary Indulgences
On Fridays of Lent only, to recite the prayer En Ego (Behold, O good and loving Jesus) directly after receiving holy communion and before an image of Christ crucified.
On any day, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least half an hour.
On any day, to read sacred scripture, with the veneration due to God’s word and as a form of spiritual reading, for at least half an hour.
On any day, the devout performance of the stations of the cross before stations installed in a church such as our own (this may be done individually or in a public and common act). If a person can’t be in the church (e.g. is housebound), then spending some time e.g. fifteen minutes in reading and meditating upon the passion of Our Lord also obtains the indulgence.
On any day, the recitation of the Marian Rosary. Five decades must be prayed one after another whilst meditating upon the mysteries; individually, the Rosary must be prayed within a church to obtain the indulgence; prayed in a group, the indulgence can also be obtained in any location.
Partial Indulgences
Recitation of the prayer to the Guardian Angel.
Recitation of the Angelus.
Recitation of the prayer Anima Christi.
Recitation of the Nicene or Apostles’ creed.
Recitation of the Litany of Loreto (to the Holy Virgin) or the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Recitation of the Prayer Memorare.
A work of mercy done by Christians “in compassionate service to their brothers and sisters in need” e.g. persons who are in need of clothing for the body or in need of instruction or comfort for their spirits.
An act of self-denial in voluntarily abstaining from something good and pleasing, e.g. foods and drinks.
An act of explicit witness to the Catholic faith before others, in other words a confession of faith in view of evangelisation.
(Main image: Giotto, Crucifixion, Lower basilica of San Francis, Assisi, c. 1310)