How To Gain An Indulgence

I get questions frequently about the parameters for receiving an indulgence. There are many of them available every day (even doing the sign of the cross with holy water has a partial indulgence), and others only come occasionally. Here is a summary to help everyone to know precisely how to take advantage of this wonderful blessing that God has given to the Church to provide to us. These rules are true for every indulgence (ordinary or special) even though it might not be described as such, unless the Pope were to declare differently.

To gain any indulgence you must be a Catholic in a state of grace. We certainly love those who are not yet in full communion with the Church, but this blessing is only available to those who are fully Catholic because indulgences presume that you are able to partake fully of all the requirements. You must have at least the regular and ordinary intention of gaining an indulgence by the act that you are performing. You also should understand that an indulgence is not a "get out of hell free" card. It is a remission of the temporal punishments due to the sins you have confessed and been forgiven for. All sin has consequences and some have consequences that last a long time.

To gain a partial indulgence, you must perform with a contrite heart the act to which the indulgence is attached. This means you are at least paying attention to what you are doing (splashing the holy water and waving your hand around like you are batting at flies does not count as properly crossing yourself). This also means that you are doing it because you know that it is a good action and that it can help you in your spiritual well being.

To gain a plenary (i.e. full) indulgence you must perform the act with a contrite heart. You also must go to confession within a few days of performing the act (one sacramental confession may suffice for several plenary indulgences), receive Holy Communion within a few days of the action, and pray for the Pope's intentions (this refers to the posted intentions of the current Pope, which are usually something like, "an end to war" etc.). If you say one Our Father and a Hail Mary with this purpose in mind, it is sufficient. The final condition is that you must be free from all attachment of any kind to sin, including venial sin.

That last one is the hard one. Very few people can accomplish this kind of separation in heart and mind. It does not refer to absolute perfection, but it does mean the full and untainted intent to leave behind all sin and move towards greater and greater righteousness. Assuming all of these conditions have been met, you can gain a complete release from the temporal punishments due to your (already forgiven) sins to that point in time. Again, if you fall short in any area for the plenary indulgence, a partial indulgence is received instead (which is still a wonderful grace).

The Church is not being stingy in giving the rules of indulgences. She is making it clear that we are to "work out our own salvation" (as St. Paul said), and that God's grace should never be treated as cheap. God is always willing to forgive us and save us from our sins; but He wants us to show that we are doing our part. Those things that we do not take care of in this life, will need to be dealt with in purgatory. Working for indulgences is working for greater holiness; it is that simple.