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Indulgence explanation and rules (excerpt from Chris Carstens article)

In the words of the Pope Francis, an “indulgence” is precisely an “indulgence on the part of the Father who, through the Bride of Christ, his Church, reaches the pardoned sinner and frees him from every residue left by the consequences of sin, enabling him to act with charity, to grow in love rather than to fall back into sin” (Misericordiae Vultus, 22). With clarity of mind and purity of heart, may the Jubilee Year’s indulgence lead to our salvation and that of the whole world.

According to the Decree on the Granting of the Jubilee Year Indulgence, during the Jubilee Year, the plenary indulgence is obtained by:

1.       making a pilgrimage to a Jubilee site designated by Bishop Battersby (The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse; The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse; Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Eau Claire; Church of the Resurrection Catholic Church in Wausau; Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Nekoosa) and, while there, participating in Mass or a celebration of the Word of God; praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the Way of the Cross, the Rosary, the Akathist hymn, or a penitential celebration (that concludes with individual confession);

2.       making a pious visit to any of the above-named places and engaging “in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to Mary, the Mother of God”;

3.       for those unable to make pilgrimage to such a place—such as the sick, elderly, the imprisoned, and homebound—the indulgenced act consists of uniting themselves in spirit with those taking part in person, in reciting “the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any approved form, and other prayers in conformity with the objectives of the Holy Year, in their homes or wherever they are confined…, offering up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives”;

4.       performing spiritual or corporal works of mercy;

5.       expressing a “spirit of penance” by abstaining “from futile distractions (real but also virtual distractions, for example, the use of the media and/or social networks), from superfluous consumption (for example by fasting or practicing abstinence…), as well as by donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor; by supporting works of a religious or social nature, especially in support of the defense and protection of life in all its phases, but also by supporting the quality of life of abandoned children, young people in difficulty, the needy or lonely elderly people, or migrants from various countries…; it can also be obtained by dedicating a reasonable portion of one’s free time to voluntary activities that are of service to the community or to other similar forms of personal commitment.”

In addition to one of the above acts, the usual conditions for benefiting from an indulgence also apply:

1. Being free from sin (for a plenary indulgence),

2. receiving sacramental confession,

3. receiving Holy Communion,

4.  and praying for the Holy Father’s intentions.