Plenary indulgences for the souls in purgatory

[JGMendes4049]

I know that you must normally go to confession to obtain a plenary indulgence. However, is it required to go to confession to gain a plenary indulgence for someone else,* exempli gratia*, the faithful departed?

Thank you.

 

[TempleofTheSoul]

Opening up my ¨Manual of Indulgences¨ book… In short… no, you don´t have to go to confession every time you seek an indulgence for them as long as you hold no attachment even to least venial sin then you can gain a plenary indulgence for each work you do. Which is very hard to do for as the bible says… even the righteous mans falls into sin 7 times a day.

There are two ways to gain a ¨plenary indulgence¨ specifically for the souls in purgatory. From November 1st through the 8th, on each of these days you can gain a ¨plenary Indulgence¨ for the holy souls as long as you go to confession (but if you don´t have any attachment even to venial sin its not necessary), receive communion, do not have any attachment to sin (even venial sin), prayer for the Pope and do the prescribed work for which you are seeking the indulgence for the holy souls in purgatory.

You can also gain a plenary indulgence on All Souls Day if you visit a church or oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed.

On any other day by just reciting the **Eternal Rest ** prayer you can gain innumerable ¨partial indulgences¨ for the holy souls in purgatory. This is the practice that I do most often for the holy souls and I try throughout the day (as long as I am in a state of grace) to repeat this prayer as many times as I can so that I can gain partial indulgences for them.

Here´s the prayer…

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Hope this helps!

God bless

 

[TempleofTheSoul]

Oh… I forgot to mention (post timed out) that it was through an article written by Jimmy Akin on plenary indulgences that I understood it was not necessary to confess every time if you are not attached to even the least venial sin. Something which he said is almost impossible to do. I wish I could remember where in my files I have that article.

There is a different answer to this question right here at Catholic Answers. Read the following:

catholic.com/quickquestions/do-i-have-to-confess-to-receive-a-plenary-indulgence

To acquire a plenary indulgence, it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill three conditions: sacramental confession, eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the supreme pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent. If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial. (ACI 7)

I leave it up to you to decide which answer is the correct one.

EDITED TO ADD…

I found the Jimmy Akin article… :extrahappy: scroll down the page to where it says “How to Get an Indulgence” and in the following lines he states:

catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=7402

The conditions may be performed “several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work” (norm 8). The document also established that a single confession may suffice for several plenary indulgences.

What Jimmy says agrees with what is in my “Manual of Indulgences” book in Norm 9 it says:

N9. A single sacramental confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences, but Communion must be received and prayers for the Supreme Pontiff’s intentions recited for the gaining of each plenary indulgence.

So one confession can suffice for several days of “Plenary indulgences”. Sorry that my answer was waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long LOL but I just wanted to be clear. My apologies.

God bless