Of course, let us not become scrupulous, superstitious, or legalistic. These indulgences have nothing to do with eternal salvation itself, and indeed depend upon a genuine disposition of heart. Nevertheless, let us be grateful sons and daughters of the Church by reacting with joy and zeal to this astounding gift. Let us all strive to receive, every day, this unfathomable blessing.
To receive a Plenary Indulgence, one must 1) Perform the Indulgenced act, 2) Go to Confession, 3) Receive Communion, 4) Pray for the intentions of the Pope, and 5) Be detached from all sin.
Simplest Plenary Indulgenced Acts that can be obtained any day:
- Praying the Rosary (5 decades) either
- In a Church (or a public oratory – for example, a chapel at a hospital, prison, seminary, etc.)
- With a religious Community
- With a pious Association of the Faithful, or
- Canon 299 permits “private Associations of the Faithful” merely by agreement among members, needing no ecclesial knowledge or approval. It is uncertain whether these qualify as “pious Associations,” under the terminology in the Enchiridion on Indulgences, but it appears that they do indeed qualify. (Meaning, for example, your local pro-life association’s communal Rosary outside Planned Parenthood would suffice for a Plenary Indulgence.)
- in a family group
- This prayer must involve pious meditation on the corresponding mysteries.
- Reading Sacred Scripture for 30 minutes
- Praying the Stations of the Cross
- Must involve physically moving from station to station (unless you are in a group and only the leader is doing that since for all to do so would be disorderly) and at least meditating on each station.
- The stations must be legitimately erected – 14 crosses with 14 pictures or images (e.g. statues).
- Adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for at least 30 minutes
- Find a Perpetual Adoration Chapel near you
- It does not appear that the Blessed Sacrament must be exposed in the monstrance, but rather it seems that even if it is reposed in the tabernacle, this will still suffice for a plenary indulgence.
The Requirements:
A State of GraceIf you have made a good confession, and since then have not returned to mortal sin, you are in a state of grace. To this end, please examine your conscience.
Prayers for the Pope
We must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. Pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary (and, usually also one Glory Be is said) and before doing so, announce “For the intentions of our Holy Father Pope Benedict…”
Communion
Receiving Holy Communion once suffices for one and only one Plenary Indulgence. Attending daily Mass then, of course, is ordinarily (i.e. excepting the sick who have Communion brought to them daily) required for obtaining the daily plenary indulgence.
Confession
One confession can apply to “several” Plenary Indulgences.
I do not know, nor can I find anyone who knows for certain, if there is a specific number attached to the word “several.” But in the year 2000, the Apostolic Penitentiary described “several” in the context of how many days before or after the indulgenced act one may receive sacramental confession; and the verdict was twenty. Therefore it seems most logical to interpret the same word as the same number here, and ensure that we go to confession at least once every twenty days, as this will ensure that we have accumulated no more than twenty plenary indulgenced acts seeking the benefit of one confession.
Detachment from all Sin
Needless to say, this is the hardest requirement; yet you need not actually have arrived at a life free from all committed venial sins to satisfy it! Plenary Indulgences are not reserved for those few perfected saints with which each age is blessed. Rather, you must not be content with any of your sins (even venial); you must not intend to commit them again; you must not have formally incorporated them into your life’s daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly routine; thereby implicitly carrying in your heart the intention to continue in them. You must strive to, and be willing to, give up each and every one of them, and earnestly beseech almighty God for the grace to do this. You must not obstinately refuse to avoid occasions of sin that you are perfectly capable of avoiding.
Therefore I recommend reading a thorough Examination of Conscience, and being honest with yourself as you examine your life and ponder what sins you may be in the habit of committing.
I recommend one more step. Immediately after receiving Communion (during those 15 minutes where His physical presence remains inside you), make an Act of Renunciation of All Attachment to Sin.
Act of Renunciation of All Attachment to Sin
Eternal Father; in
the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and by the power of His most
Precious Blood, poured out from His most Sacred Heart, and now
physically coursing through my very own veins,
and begging the
intercession of the Immaculate Heart of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin
Mary, and all the angels and saints; especially St. Joseph, St. Michael
the Archangel, my guardian angel and patron saint,
I hereby renounce,
rebuke, and forever cast aside any and all attachment to sin; mortal and
venial. I earnestly desire and intend to never once again offend you by
the smallest violation of Your law.
I truly intend to
never again, either in thought, word, or deed, commit even the slightest
exhibition of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, or pride; and
not only that, but to replace them with prudence, justice, fortitude,
temperance, faith, hope, and love.
I am heartily sorry
for having ever offended Thee, and I detest all of my sins, not so much
because of Thy just punishments; but because I have offended Thee, my
God, who art all good and worthy of all my love. I love Thee above all
things, and I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive
all who have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured. I
firmly believe all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou
hast revealed it, and I hope to obtain life everlasting through the
merits of Jesus Christ, My Lord and Redeemer.
- The indulgence attached to a prayer may also be gained by following the prayer mentally as somebody else recites it out loud.
- Even if a plenary indulgence is carried out in such a way as to not have each requirement fully met, you will still usually at least gain a partial indulgence for your efforts.
- Only one plenary indulgence can be received each day, and may also be offered up for a soul in purgatory
- To gain an indulgence for oneself, one must have at least “a general intention to gain them…” (Enchiridion 22.2. Meaning the requirements themselves, even if undertaken, may not result in the granting of the indulgence if the person undertaking them has no idea what an indulgence is and has no intention to receive one. This is why it is so important to spread knowledge about indulgences.)