Norms on Indulgences
[from the Enchiridion of Indulgences issued on 29 June 1968.]
- An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins
already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned. This remission the faithful with the
proper dispositions and under certain determined conditions acquire through the
intervention of the Church which, as minister of the Redemption, authoritatively dispenses
and applies the treasury of the satisfaction won by Christ and the Saints.
- An indulgence is partial or plenary, according as it removes either part or all of the
temporal punishment due for sin.
- No one, acquiring indulgences, can apply them to other living persons.
- Partial as well as plenary indulgences can always be applied to the departed by way of
- The grant of a partial indulgence is designated only with the words "partial
indulgence," without any determination of days or years.
- The faithful, who at least with contrite heart perform an action to which a partial
indulgence is attached, obtain, in addition to the remission of temporal punishment
acquired by the action itself, an equal remission of punishment through the intervention
of the Church.
- The division of indulgences into "personal," "real" and
"local" is abolished, so as to make it clearer that indulgences are attached to
the actions of the faithful, even though at times they may be linked with some object or
- Besides the Roman Pontiff, to whom the dispensation of the whole spiritual treasury of
the Church has been entrusted by Christ our Lord, they only can grant indulgences by
ordinary power, to whom this is expressly conceded by law.
- In the Roman Curia, whatever pertains to the granting and use of indulgences is
committed to the Sacred Penitentiary exclusively, saving the right of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith to examine whatever pertains to dogmatic teaching concerning
- No one below the Roman Pontiff can:
- Give to others the faculty of granting indulgences, unless he has this right by express
indult from the Apostolic See;
- Add another indulgence to a work already indulgenced by the Apostolic See or by someone
else, unless new conditions to be fulfilled are prescribed.
- Diocesan Bishops, and others equated to them in law, have the right from entrance upon
their pastoral office:
- To grant a partial indulgence to persons or in places under their jurisdiction;
- To impart in their respective dioceses, according to the prescribed formula, the Papal
Blessing with a plenary indulgence three times a year on solemn feasts of their own
choice, even if they only assist at the solemn Mass.
- Metropolitans can grant a partial indulgence in their suffragan Sees, as in their proper
- Patriarchs can grant a partial indulgence in each place, even if exempt, of their
respective patriarchates, in churches of their rite outside the territory of their
patriarchates, and to the faithful of their rite everywhere. Major Archbishops have the
- Cardinals have the faculty of granting a partial indulgence in places or to institutes
or persons under their jurisdiction or protection; in other places also, but only to
persons present and for that time only.
- 1. All books of indulgences, as well as pamphlets, leaflets and the like, whose contents
include grants of indulgences, may not be published without the permission of the Ordinary
or Hierarch of the place.
- 2. The express permission of the Apostolic See is required to print and publish in any
language the authentic collection of prayers and pious works, to which the Apostolic See
has attached indulgences.
- Those who have asked and obtained from the Sovereign Pontiff grants of indulgences for
all the faithful are obliged, under penalty of nullity of the favor thus obtained, to
submit to the Sacred Penitentiary authentic copies of these same grants.
- If a feast or its external solemnity is legitimately transferred, it is understood that
an indulgence, attached to the feast, is transferred to the same day.
- A visit to a church or oratory, if required to gain an indulgence
attached to a certain day, can be made from noon of the preceding day to midnight at the
close of the day itself.
- The faithful, who devoutly use an article of devotion (crucifix
or cross, rosary, scapular or medal) properly blessed by any priest, obtain a partial
But if the article of devotion has been blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff or by any
Bishop, the faithful, using it devoutly, can also gain a plenary indulgence on the feast
of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, provided they also make a profession of faith
according to any legitimate formula.
- Indulgences attached to a visit to a church do not cease if the church is totally
destroyed, provided the church is rebuilt within fifty years in the same or almost the
same place and under the same title.
- An indulgence attached to the use of an article of devotion only ceases, when the
article is completely destroyed or is sold.
- Holy Mother Church, extremely solicitous for the faithful departed, has decided to apply
suffrages to them as abundantly as possible in every Sacrifice of the Mass, abolishing
every particular privilege in this regard.
- To be capable of gaining an indulgence for oneself, it is
required that one be
- not excommunicated,
- in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed works, and
- a subject of the one granting the indulgence.
In order that one who is capable may actually gain indulgences,
- one must have at least a general intention to gain them
- and must in accordance with the tenor of the grant perform the enjoined works at the
time and in the manner prescribed.
- Unless the tenor of the grant clearly indicates otherwise, indulgences granted by a
Bishop can be gained by his subjects even outside his territory and by others within his
territory who are exempt or who have or do not have a domicile elsewhere.
- A plenary indulgence can be acquired once only in the course of a day.
- But one can obtain the plenary indulgence for the moment of death, even if another
plenary indulgence had already been acquired on the same day.
- A partial indulgence can be acquired more than once a day, unless otherwise expressly
- The work prescribed for acquiring a plenary indulgence
connected with a church or oratory consists in a devout visit and the recitation during
the visit of one Our Father and the Creed.
- To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the
indulgence is attached and to fulfill the following three
- sacramental confession,
- Eucharistic Communion, and
- prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent.
If the latter disposition is in any way less than perfect or if the prescribed three
conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be partial only, saving the provisions
given below in Norm 34 and in Norm 35 concerning those who are "impeded."
- The three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or
after the performance of the prescribed work; it is, however, fitting that Communion be
received and the prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff be said on the same day
the work is performed.
- A single sacramental confession suffices for gaining several
plenary indulgences; but Communion must be received and prayer for the intention of the
Sovereign Pontiff must be recited for the gaining of each plenary indulgence.
- The condition of praying for the intention of the Sovereign
Pontiff is fully satisfied by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary; nevertheless,
each one is free to recite any other prayer according to his piety and devotion.
- The norms regarding plenary indulgences, particularly the one stated above in Norm 24,
1, apply also to what up to now have been customarily called "toties quoties"
["as often as"] plenary indulgences.
- An indulgence cannot be gained by a work, to which one is obliged by law or precept.
unless the contrary is expressly stated in the grant; one, however, who performs a work
which has been imposed as a sacramental penance and which happens to be one enriched with
an indulgence, can at the same time both satisfy the penance and gain the indulgence.
- An indulgence attached to a prayer can be acquired by reciting the prayer in any
language, provided the fidelity of the translation is vouched for by a declaration either
of the Sacred Penitentiary or of any Ordinary or Hierarch of those places, where the
language of the translation is the one commonly spoken.
- To gain an indulgence attached to a prayer, it is sufficient to recite the prayer
alternately with a companion or to follow it mentally while it is being recited by
- Confessors can commute either the prescribed work or conditions, in favor of those who,
because of a legitimate impediment, cannot perform the work or fulfill the conditions.
- Local Ordinaries or Hierarchs, moreover, can grant to the faithful, over whom they
exercise legitimate authority and who live in places where it is impossible or at least
very difficult to go to confession or Communion, permission to gain a plenary indulgence
without confession and Communion, provided they have true contrition for their sins and
have the intention of receiving these Sacraments as soon as possible.
- The deaf and dumb can gain indulgences attached to public prayers, if they devoutly
raise their mind and affections to God, while others of the faithful are reciting the
prayers in the same place; for private prayers it suffices, if they recite them mentally
or with signs, or if they merely read them with their eyes.
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