Throughout the year, members of The Association of Mary, Queen of All Hearts may earn a Plenary Indulgence on special occasions. The list of occasions appear here. Plenary Indulgences are also offered by the Church on other special occasions, including the month in which the Church dedicates to praying for our deceased loved ones. The Church enables the right to request and earn a Plenary Indulgence on:
- November 1st through and including November 8th
each year (one per day; we will refer to this period as the Octave within this post).
So What is a Plenary Indulgence?
A Plenary Indulgence is a treasure the Church enables upon certain conditions. In requesting the Plenary Indulgence, and in doing the work (see the list of Conditions in the tab below), we receive the treasure. In the case of this Octave, requests for the Plenary Indulgence may only be for a deceased loved one, not yourself.
To illustrate this treasure: When we are baptized our soul is like a piece of wood. Pristine, clean, rich in color, pure. As we live our lives, we sin. This is similar to driving a nail into our piece of wood. As we are sorry for our sins, and experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and do our penance, our sins are wiped from our souls. The nails are removed from our wood. But what we are left with is a forgiven soul, a piece of wood that has no nails, but has the impact of our sins. Our piece of wood, and our souls, are no longer pure. Heaven is for souls that are pure. So if we die in this state, we likely would go to Purgatory. And we remain there until our souls are pure or until the grace of God permits us to enter into Heaven.
Understanding the illustration is so important, because this topic is often not known by Christians. All Christians have an opportunity to share in this treasure during this Octave, and on other special Church occasions, as long as they perform the work (actions) listed in the Conditions tab below. Plenary Indulgences make our souls (or the souls of a deceased loved one) pure. They remove the stains from sin on our souls. They remove, in our illustration, the nail marks from our wood and make it pure again.
A Plenary Indulgence is a treasure the Church enables upon certain conditions. Because the Church deems that it is important to pray for our deceased loved ones, it also grants the right to request a Plenary Indulgence in the month the Church dedicates to praying for the deceased. During this Octave, one can request and earn a Plenary Indulgence for a deceased loved one.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Often Can I Earn?
- What are the Conditions for a Plenary Indulgence?
- Can I Earn a Plenary Indulgence for Myself?
- What Other Days May I Earn a Plenary Indulgence?
- Two Additional Questions
How Often Can I Earn a Plenary Indulgence During This Octave?
Because of the importance the Church places on praying for our deceased loved ones, a request for a Plenary Indulgence may be earned once daily during the days November 1st through November 8th inclusive (assuming the conditions / works are performed. See the Conditions tab for a list of the conditions). Only one request for a Plenary Indulgence per day may be earned for a deceased loved one.
What are the Conditions to Earn a Plenary Indulgence?
To earn a Plenary Indulgence during normal conditions, the following actions must be performed. One must:
- go to confession, either up to two weeks before or up to two weeks after the day one requests a Plenary Indulgence (preferably on the same day).
- have the intension of sinning no more.
- receive the Holy Eucharist on the day of the request.
- request a Plenary Indulgence from Our Lord.
- specify who the request is for; who will receive the Plenary Indulgence.
- say a prayer for the special intensions of the Holy Father (the pope).
The above conditions are considered the normal conditions. On certain days, there are additional conditions. In the case of this Octave (Nov. 1st – Nov. 8th), one must also perform the conditions below in addition to the normal conditions:
- Go to any cemetery, and say a prayer (Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be..) for the deceased loved one
- Note: It does not have to be the cemetery where the loved one is buried. Any cemetery will do. During this Octave, it is possible to visit the same cemetery for each of the Plenary Indulgences. It does not have to be a different cemetery.
- Note2: Exception: On Nov. 2nd, All Souls Day, just being at the Church when praying for the deceased love one is sufficient. On All Souls Day, one need not go to the cemetery to say the prayers. On all other days during this Octave, one must go to the cemetery as outlined above.
Can I Earn a Plenary Indulgence for Myself During This Octave?
No, … and Yes!
No! All of the requests for a Plenary Indulgences during this Octave are for a deceased loved one only! It can not be earned for yourself.
There is an exception, however. One of the days during this Octave will fall on the first Saturday of November. If one attends First Saturday Devotion, and performs the normal conditions, then a request for a Plenary Indulgence for yourself is permitted. However, only one request for a Plenary Indulgence may be made per occasion (under normal circumstances). Therefore, if one requests a Plenary Indulgence from a First Saturday Devotion, then one can not also request a Plenary Indulgence for a deceased loved one on that same day.
