FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - INDULGENCES - Diocese of Birmingham

What is an indulgence?

Indulgences are offered by the Church for the one seeking the indulgence or for the souls in Purgatory. Indulgences forgive the temporal punishment due to sin that remains after the eternal punishment of our sins has been forgiven. “To put it another way,” explains Father Bryan Jerabek, judicial vicar for the diocese, “effects of our sins remain even after they have been pardoned by God. These effects take multiple forms: a debt of justice, harm caused to others, wounds in our own souls, strained relationships, difficult memories, and so forth.” Father Jerabek continued: “Indulgences may be plenary (complete, full) or partial. When one successfully gains a plenary indulgence, the entirety of his temporal punishment due to sin (his spiritual debt) is remitted, thanks to the grace of God made available by the Church, using the Power of the Keys given to her by Christ Himself.”

What are the steps to obtain an indulgence?

According to Father Bryan Jerabek, judicial vicar for the diocese, in order to gain any plenary indulgence, it is necessary to fulfill certain conditions. First, one must intend to receive the indulgence (a general or virtual intention is sufficient). Second, one must be free from all attachment to or affection for sin, even venial sin. Third, the one seeking the indulgence must go to Holy Communion in the state of grace within 20 days before or after intending to receive the indulgence. Fourth, one must go to confession within 20 days before or after intending to receive the indulgence. Fifth, one must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (typically, by praying an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be). Lastly, the person seeking the indulgence must do the specific works connected with gaining the particular indulgence.

Note: One confession can be applied to multiple indulgences; however, all other conditions, including Holy Communion, can only be applied once.

What are the specific works for the Jubilee Indulgence?

For Jubilee 2025, the Apostolic Penitentiary outlined specific works to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence: pilgrimage, pious visits to sacred places, and works of mercy and penance.

Regarding pilgrimage, the faithful can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they make a pilgrimage to any Jubilee site (in Rome, in the Holy Land, or in other ecclesiastical areas) for Holy Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, the Via Crucis, the Marian Rosary, the recitation of the Akathist hymn, or a penitential celebration. Bishop Raica has designated 11 pilgrimage sites within the Diocese of Birmingham.

The faithful may also obtain a Jubilee Indulgence if they visit any Jubilee Site for a “suitable period of time” and engage 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.” For those unable to participate in a pilgrimage (i.e., cloister religious, the elderly, the sick, prisoners, or those who offer continual care for the sick), the Jubilee Indulgence can be obtained if they are “united in spirit with the faithful taking part in person ” and if “they recite 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.”

The third specific work given by the Penitentiary offers a wider range of opportunity. It involves works of mercy and penance. One option is for the faithful to participate in missions, spiritual exercises, or formation activities centered on the Second Vatican Council or the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Such activities are to be held in a church or “other suitable place.” Another option is for the faithful to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Doing so can include visiting those in need or in difficulty (i.e., the sick, prisoners, lonely elderly people, or disabled people). Yet another option is for the faithful to “put into practice the spirit of penance” by abstaining “at least one day a week from futile distractions (real but also virtual distractions, for example, the use of the media and/or social networks) [and] from superfluous consumption.” One can also donate money to the poor, support works of a religious nature (i.e., protection of life, support of children in need, support of the elderly, support of migrants), or volunteer in service to one’s community.

Can you receive more than one indulgence a day?

Yes! Jubilee 2025 presents an extraordinary opportunity for the faithful. Usually, the faithful may only gain one indulgence a day; however, the Holy Father has granted the faithful the possibility of gaining up to two indulgences a day. In explanation, Father Bryan Jerabek, judicial vicar for the diocese, said: “The gaining of an indulgence is ordinarily connected with the worthy reception of Holy Communion. The Church’s law permits us to receive Holy Communion up to two times in one day (as long as at least one time is at a Mass). Therefore, by way of exception, for the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, if one receives communion twice in a day, he or she could also receive up to two indulgences in that day – the second indulgence applying only to the souls in Purgatory.” The Penitentiary noted,” Through this double act, a praiseworthy exercise of supernatural charity is carried out.”