Indugences for the dead

[polishprincess]

I hope this is the right thread. but is it possible to gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory? If so, how??? Thanks! GBU!

 

[Avila123]

Below is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says on the subject. The key paragraph is 1032 but I am a believer in looking in context. My understanding is that we can (and indeed should) pray for souls in Purgatory. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is one of the many ways we can pray for them and if you look in the liturgical calendar All Souls Day is coming up.

1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.[604] The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:[605] As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.[606]

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: “Therefore Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.”[607] From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.[608] The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.[609]

Hope this helps.

 

[Richca]

I hope this is the right thread. but is it possible to gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory? If so, how??? Thanks! GBU!

Yes, we can gain a plenary indulgence for the dead.
The Church says that to gain a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill the three following conditions: sacramental confession, eucharistic communion, and a prayer for the intention of the Pope. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent.

The requirement that all attachment to sin be absent doesn’t mean we must be perfect, for nobody is perfect and the just man falls seven times a day. What I believe the Church means here is that if a person is conscious of committing a particular type of venial sin and that person doesn’t strive to rid himself/herself of it than that person has an attachment to venial sin. They do not care about ridding themselves of it. I don’t think isolated acts of venial sin are an attachment to venial sin.

One must be in the state of grace to gain a plenary indulgence. Only one plenary indulgence can be gained each day although we can gain an unlimited number of partial indulgences each day. The three conditions mentioned above must be fulfilled within about 20 days of the performed work although it is fitting that Communion be received and the prayer for the intention of the Pope be performed on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed. The prayer for the Pope’s intention is fully satisfied by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary.

For each plenary indulgence, the indulgenced work must be performed, eucharistic communion must be received and the prayer for the intention for the Pope must be said. A single sacramental confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences. Several here means about 20 I believe. The Church has said that the requirement of sacramental confession for the gaining of plenary indulgences can be satisfied within about 20 days before or after the indulgenced work. You can find this on the EWTN website. So, if I understand it correctly, if one went to confession every 3 weeks, the requirement for sacramental confession would be satisfied for gaining a plenary indulgence every day.

Indulgenced works (not an exhaustive list) that carry with them a plenary indulgence and which a person can gain each day:
(1) a visit to the Blessed Sacrament for at least 30 minutes.
(2) Prayerful reading of Holy Scripture for at least 30 minutes. This can be performed anywhere.
(3) Recitation of the Marian Rosary in a church or public oratory or in a family group, a religious community or pius association.
(4) The pius exercise of the Way of the Cross (the Stations of the Cross).

 

[judynurse]

I also have some questions regarding both Indulgences for souls in purgatory and for oneself during this life. I understand that reciting some prayers, such as the “Hail Holy Queen” carry at least a partial plenary indulgence which can be obtained once per day only. I thought the recitation of the Rosary was recognized as an Indulgence even if performed at home, so long as the other requirements for a plenary indulgence were performed. I also know from my Priest that the best help for one who is deceased (or living!) is to have a Mass said for them. This is the prayer of the Church, & most effective for those who have died. That is why Masses are said for the dead, even several years after death, especially on or near the anniversary of the death or perhaps near the date of their birthday…

One question I have is this: Is it possible for someone to obtain indulgences regularly, pray daily, attend 30 minutes of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament weekly, and find any means to die in a “perfect state of grace” other than by martyrdom? I often pray that I will end my life in a perfect state of grace, but don’t know if that is possible. I know purgatory is intended as “purgation” or “purification”, but why the references to “fire”? I connect the “fire” to hell and not to purgatory! That makes purgatory sound like punishment, rather than purification of the soul, & without a body, why fire?

 

[perro_sarnoso]

As an example: Kissing the Crucifix is an indulgenced act.

 

[corsair]

IF a soul is in purgatory, then yes. We should always pray for the souls in purgatory. The big difference is for those souls that are not there. Once in hell there is no longer any hope for them. It is not our place to make a “judgment” as to their location. So we should pray for them and hope and trust in God’s Mercy.

 

[judynurse]

I was asking about Indulgences for souls in Purgatory. I know souls in hell can’t be helped any longer. My main reason for asking is that my husband died 2 1/2 years ago. He received all the Sacraments, the Anointing, and made his final Confession & received the Holy Eucharist twice in his last week of life. He was a convert and a very devout Catholic. Even prior to becoming Catholic (a year after our marriage) he prayed daily, read Scripture & watched EWTN, then had me teach him the Rosary. I really don’t think he went to hell! I’ve been praying for his soul daily since his death, and arrange for Masses for him whenever I can.

Since I was previously in a convent, and have been an RCIA teacher as well as a Catechist for children in a Parish, I didn’t need to be informed that Indulgences were not applicable to souls in hell!

Sorry, but you hit a nerve there!

 

[judynurse]

In response to Richa: regarding your item # 3 (?) that a Rosary must be said in Church, a group for Rosary, a family, etc… I am a widow living alone. Do you mean that my saying my Rosary alone here at home is not an Indulgence?

 

[Sheeniac]

Since I was previously in a convent, and have been an RCIA teacher as well as a Catechist for children in a Parish, I didn’t need to be informed that Indulgences were not applicable to souls in hell!

Sorry, but you hit a nerve there!

Well, you need to consider that other people reading this thread (now or later) may not know this. No one here knows the extent of another person’s knowledge regardless.

 

[judynurse]

I apologize if I over-reacted there! I thought my original post made clear I was inquiring regarding Indulgences for the dead (in Purgatory). So sorry I responded that way, it just hurt because I certainly don’t want to think my beloved spouse would be in hell, especially since he did receive all the Sacraments & made his final Confession. We had been told several days earlier that he was going to die rather quickly, & we immediately arranged for the Sacraments to be administered by a Priest who came to the hospital. Again I apologize for over-reacting to the comment. I thought it would be “obvious” that Indulgences cannot apply to souls in hell.

Also, I made an additional question regarding how to be sure to die in a state of grace, and perhaps avoid Purgatory and asked if such were possible other than by dying for the faith (i.e. as a martyr), but no one has responded to that portion of my post. Any takers on that question? Please read original Post I made.

Thank you for correcting me for my over-reaction. When someone is still grieving, they are overly sensitive, but I did not mention that in my Post.

 

[Richca]

In response to Richa: regarding your item # 3 (?) that a Rosary must be said in Church, a group for Rosary, a family, etc… I am a widow living alone. Do you mean that my saying my Rosary alone here at home is not an Indulgence?

Hi judynurse,
You can obtain a partial indulgence by praying the rosary alone at home. Partial indulgences can be gained an unlimited number of times each day. A plenary indulgence can be obtained just once per day. If you prayed the rosary alone in front of the Blessed Sacrament, you could obtain a plenary indulgence (you need to fulfill the 3 conditions as well I mentioned in a previous post to gain the plenary indulgence). If you died after gaining a plenary indulgence, you would go straight to heaven assuming one is in a state of grace and all their sins have been forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned. A plenary indulgence takes away all the temporal punishment that we may be indebted to God. Partial indulgences take some of it away. The souls in purgatory are being purified of the temporal punishment that they owe to God.

The Church offers 3 general grants for partial indulgences:
(1) A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in the performance of their duties
and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble confidence to God, adding
even if only mentally – some pious invocation.
(2)A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who in a spirit of faith and mercy give of
themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in need.
(3)A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who in a spirit of penance voluntarily
deprive themselves of what is licit and pleasing to them.

The Church’s official document on indulgences is called the "Enchiridion of Indulgences - Norms and Grants (1968, Catholic Book Publishing Company). The Holy Father offers new indulgences for various things at times as well. I believe Bishops can too in their diocese.

 

[Richca]

I also have some questions regarding both Indulgences for souls in purgatory and for oneself during this life. I understand that reciting some prayers, such as the “Hail Holy Queen” carry at least a partial plenary indulgence which can be obtained once per day only. I thought the recitation of the Rosary was recognized as an Indulgence even if performed at home, so long as the other requirements for a plenary indulgence were performed. I also know from my Priest that the best help for one who is deceased (or living!) is to have a Mass said for them. This is the prayer of the Church, & most effective for those who have died. That is why Masses are said for the dead, even several years after death, especially on or near the anniversary of the death or perhaps near the date of their birthday…

One question I have is this: Is it possible for someone to obtain indulgences regularly, pray daily, attend 30 minutes of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament weekly, and find any means to die in a “perfect state of grace” other than by martyrdom? I often pray that I will end my life in a perfect state of grace, but don’t know if that is possible. I know purgatory is intended as “purgation” or “purification”, but why the references to “fire”? I connect the “fire” to hell and not to purgatory! That makes purgatory sound like punishment, rather than purification of the soul, & without a body, why fire?

Hi judynurse again,
Going to Mass or having Mass said for someone is the most effective way of helping the souls in purgatory, the souls on earth as well as our own.
Is it possible to die in a perfect state of grace? Sure. Jesus promised the good thief “Today you will be with me in paradise.” A lot if not all the saints died in a state of perfect grace if I’m not mistaken and probably a lot of other saintly souls who haven’t been canonized.
If we keep God’s commandments, the teaching of the Church, and try and do His will each day to the best of our ability, we may have a very good chance of going straight to heaven when we die.

Since we have been discussing indulgences, I will offer a hypothetical case with how a plenary indulgence can get one straight to heaven.
Firstly, the Church’s definition of indulgence: “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.”

So if a person died in a state of grace (mortal sins already forgiven), and his/her venial sins were forgiven as well before he/she died, and that person gained a plenary indulgence before death, that person would go straight to heaven.

No sin is forgiven without contrition. We can have the guilt of venial sins taken away simply by making an act of contrition, though depending on our degree of contrition, some temporal punishment may remain. Theologians generally admit that our venial sins are wiped away when we go to Mass if we have contrition for them.

Every sin has a twofold character: one of guilt and one of punishment. Indulgences refer to the punishment of sin after it has been forgiven.

As far as the fire is concerned, theologians generally admit that the souls in purgatory undergo some sort of spiritual fire purgation. Souls in purgatory need to be purified of not only unforgiven venial sins but of any lingering temporal punishment as well.

 

[polishprincess]

I was asking about Indulgences for souls in Purgatory. I know souls in hell can’t be helped any longer. My main reason for asking is that my husband died 2 1/2 years ago. He received all the Sacraments, the Anointing, and made his final Confession & received the Holy Eucharist twice in his last week of life. He was a convert and a very devout Catholic. Even prior to becoming Catholic (a year after our marriage) he prayed daily, read Scripture & watched EWTN, then had me teach him the Rosary. I really don’t think he went to hell! I’ve been praying for his soul daily since his death, and arrange for Masses for him whenever I can.

Since I was previously in a convent, and have been an RCIA teacher as well as a Catechist for children in a Parish, I didn’t need to be informed that Indulgences were not applicable to souls in hell!

Sorry, but you hit a nerve there!

I’m so sorry to hear of your husband’s passing.
Please know that he is in my prayers.

God bless you!

 

[bben15]

Yes, but there is no guarantee they will be granted the indulgence. The Church has no jurisdiction over the souls in purgatory, so they may or may not be granted the indulgence.

 

[judynurse]

Just to clarify::: When I offer a Mass or perform an Indulgence for the soul of my deceased husband, I add a prayer to Our Lord, that if my husband does not need or is not given the Indulgence, I ask the Lord to apply the Indulgence wherever HE chooses, even to myself! So, if the Indulgence is not granted to my husband, perhaps it helps someone else, even someone on these threads!

Does that clarify and make it more Catholic and acceptable:thumbsup:???