From a reader comes this list of the special indulgences that can be gained for the poor souls in purgatory during this week of the All Souls’ commemoration:
You may already know this, but just in case you don’t, here is the info on indulgences you can obtain for the Poor Souls in Purgatory (each day this week) and also for yourself (today)!
Courtesy of Bridegroom Press:
Grant #29.1.1
For the Souls in Purgatory
Plenary Indulgence
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted each and every day from Nov 1 to Nov 8, who devoutly visit a cemetery and there pray, if only mentally, for the departed.
Grant #29.1.2
All Souls’ Day – Plenary Indulgence
A plenary indulgence is granted the faithful who, on All Souls’ Day (or according to the judgment of the bishop, on the Sunday preceding or following it, or on the solemnity of All Saints), devoutly visits a church or an oratory and recites an Our Father and the Creed.
[…]
Requirements for obtaining a plenary indulgence:
- Do the work while in a state of grace,
- Receive Sacramental confession within 20 days of the work (several plenary indulgences may be earned per reception),
- Receive Eucharistic communion (one plenary indulgence may be earned per reception),
- Pray for the pope’s intentions (Our Father and Hail Mary, or other appropriate prayer, is sufficient),
- Have no attachment to sin (even venial) – i.e., it is sufficient that the Christian makes an act of the will to love God and despise sin.
Requirements for a partial indulgence: The work must be done while in a state of grace and with the general intention of earning an indulgence.
Notes:
- Only baptized persons in a state of grace who generally intend to do so may earn indulgences.
- Indulgences cannot be applied to the living, but only to the one doing the work or to the dead.
- Only one plenary indulgence per day can be earned (except for prayer at the hour of one’s own death).
- Several partial indulgences can be earned during the same day.
- If only part of a work with plenary indulgence attached is completed, a partial indulgence still obtains.
- If the penance assigned in confession has indulgences attached, the one work can satisfy both penance and indulgence.
- Confessors may commute the work or the conditions if the penitent cannot perform them due to legitimate obstacles.
- In groups, indulgenced prayer must be recited by at least one member while the others at least mentally follow the prayer.
- If speech/hearing impairments make recitation impossible, mental expression or reading of the prayer is sufficient.
- For an indulgence attached to a particular day requiring a church visit, the day begins at noon the day before and ends at midnight.
What are you waiting for? This is a fantastic opportunity to help the Church Suffering!
Several years ago, a traditional priest spoke about this indulgence at Mass during his homily and published the guidelines in the bulletin. Sad that today’s non-trad priests don’t inform the faithful of this beneficial indulgence for our faithful departed. My traditional priest, a Protestant convert, also spoke how sad it was that Protestants have no tradition of praying for the dead and that we should say a prayer when passing a cemetery and pray for those souls in need of prayer.
This is a happy day. I took to Mass all my prayer cards for deceased loved ones and friends, going back to the time when I received my first one at 12 for a friend who had died of cancer. I have many, many who were obtained by other loved ones who passed and I don’t even know. But all their names were read in church today, before Mass, with the prayer that God bring all souls to heaven. I fulfilled a plenary indulgence for my dad, who passed in 1975.
I feel happy knowing these souls are not forgotten. We won’t know this side of purgatory what good we will have done for the holy souls.
I have a concern, my husbands was buried in Mexico. I live in the US. I will not be able to visit him at the cemetery. Am I able to apply this indulgence for him? Please respond 🙏
Thank you🙏✨