Purgatory? Penance? Indulgences?

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Metaron

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If you perform an plenary-indulgenced act for the sake of a dead relative or friend in Purgatory, do they automatically go straight to Heaven? If so, shouldn’t we do this for all our dead friends and relatives?

And also, I heard that many things are partially indungenced: The Sign of the Cross, The Acts of the Theological Virtues and the Act of Contrition, etc, etc… must you be a Catholic to recieve even partial indulgences?

And also, I am validly baptized. But I’ve not gone through RCIA completely yet, so I can’t go to confession or Eucharist. 😦 If I die now…?

I guess I’ll have a looooooooooong time in Purgatory… considering I can’t even gain indulgences or perform valid penances…
 
First of all, welcome to the Church!

Let me see if I can attempt to answer a few of your questions. First of all, in order to gain a plenary indulgence, you must be in a state of grace. Secondly, you need to receive the sacrament of confession within 20 days of the work, receive holy communion for each plenary indulgence, pray for the pope’s intentions, and (tough) have no attachment to sin (try to make an act of the will to love God and despise sin). Even if you’re not in a state of grace, you will be soon, as you’re going through the RCiA program.

If you do offer an indulgence for a loved on in purgatory, yes, it will certainly hasten there entry into heaven! I really don’t know why indulgences aren’t more widely taught- I think that they are wonderful acts of mercy to perform for the souls in purgatory. If you get yourself on a regular confession schedule, they really aren’t that hard to obtain. Just go to confession every 2 weeks, go to mass and receive the eucharist, pray for the pope’s intention, and (easiest) read the bible for at least 30 minutes that day.

I THINK, but I don’t know for sure, that you can offer indulgences for the souls in purgatory, even if you’re not in a state of grace. I hope another poster can clarify this for both of us.

And if you die now? Well, I hardly think that God would bring you this far down the line to let something bad happen to you, and let you perish at this point. He knows your intentions, he knows that you want to be close to Him and His church. Trust that.

I hope this helps a bit.
 
mommyof4 said:
First of all, welcome to the Church!
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Thanks! I’ve gone against everything I know and everyone of my family and friends. My dad thinks I’ve joined the “Whore of Babylon” and I serve “Antichrist” (The Pope :rolleyes: ). But I’m happy to be here. I have not come this far to falter.
If you do offer an indulgence for a loved on in purgatory, yes, it will certainly hasten there entry into heaven!
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Well yeah, do you have to say aloud your intentions before you perform the indulgenced act? How does that work? And if you gain a plenary (total) indulgence on behalf of a holy soul in Purgatory, does it immediately free them from Purgatory, because it is plenary?

I plan to print out all the names of my dead Christian relatives and put it in a nice pictureframe and put it on my home altar, so that when I pray I can remember to pray for each relative’s soul in Purgatory.
I THINK, but I don’t know for sure, that you can offer indulgences for the souls in purgatory, even if you’re not in a state of grace. I hope another poster can clarify this for both of us.
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I guess since they’re in a state of grace that it suffices. But I don’t know.
And if you die now? Well, I hardly think that God would bring you this far down the line to let something bad happen to you, and let you perish at this point. He knows your intentions, he knows that you want to be close to Him and His church. Trust that.
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I hope so… even if I have unremitted mortal sin…? I can’t go to confession.
I hope this helps a bit.
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It certainly does! Thank you so much, Mommyof4!
 
First of all, He KNOWS that you can’t go to confession, so I just don’t believe you’re going to be damned if you have an unconfessed mortal sin. As long as you’re truly sorry, I can only believe that he would forgive you!. He went through a lot of trouble to save you (just look at a crucifix), and he is looking for reasons to save you, not to condemn you!

I suggest that you get the book, Manual of Indulgences, which has everything you need to know about indulgences. Or there is a calendar by Bridegroom press 2008 Beauty of Grace that has a lot of info in it regarding partial and plenary indulgences. I just got mine the other day, and it’s awesome! It’s an indulgence junkies dream come true!😉

No, you don’t have to say your intention out loud- God knows what you’re doing.

You can print out names if you like, but I’m kind of lazy- I just ask God to please pick a soul in purgatory that needs the most help, and ask Him to apply it to that soul.
 
I suggest that you get the book, Manual of Indulgences, which has everything you need to know about indulgences.
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Already ahead of you, 😉 I ordered it last Friday! I’ve been reading all I can on indulgences, because my grandfather died who was a Christian, but since he was not Catholic, he must’ve accumulated alot of temporal punishment, since non-Catholics cannot recieve indulgences. That’s why I wanted to give him a plenary indulgence… 😦 Since you can go to confession/Eucharist, if you, by any chance, are in a state to recieve a plenary indulgence, could you apply it to my grandfather? Please, if you have time, of course. All I can do is pray.
that has a lot of info in it regarding partial and plenary indulgences. I just got mine the other day, and it’s awesome! It’s an indulgence junkies dream come true!😉
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I’m definately going to be an indulgence junkie… when done in RCIA 🙂 .
No, you don’t have to say your intention out loud- God knows what you’re doing.
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Cool-- no-one ever explained that to me.
You can print out names if you like, but I’m kind of lazy- I just ask God to please pick a soul in purgatory that needs the most help, and ask Him to apply it to that soul.
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Well, that’s what they say on Fisheaters.com a cool Catholic website with tips on how to engulf your life in Catholicism! 😉
 
Yes, I will ask the Lord to apply my next plenary indulgence to your grandfather, no problem.🙂
 
mommyof4 said:
and (easiest) read the bible for at least 30 minutes that day.
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I find the easiest is to pray the Stations of the Cross (you must do this in church to gain the plenary indulgence, but hey, you’ve got to be there for Mass to receive Communion anyway, right? Just go round 'em before or after Mass.)

Normally takes 15-20 minutes.
 
that calendar sure is nice! It’s very important to acquire plenary indulgences ( or partial) as much as possible and apply them to the holy souls.
 
fin said:
that calendar sure is nice! It’s very important to acquire plenary indulgences ( or partial) as much as possible and apply them to the holy souls.
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I like the fact that, by helping the Holy Souls, we are co-operating with God’s grace and mercy, and helping our dead friends and relatives at the same time. I’m going to start praying daily for the Holy Souls, and, when done in RCIA, do indulgenced acts for them.
 
No matter how much we help the holy souls, we can never outdo them in their generosity. Glad to hear that many are acquiring as much indulgences as they can for the souls.
 
fin said:
No matter how much we help the holy souls, we can never outdo them in their generosity. Glad to hear that many are acquiring as much indulgences as they can for the souls.
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We must remember that, we too, will someday end up in Purgatory. Would we not also want others to pray for us also?
 
Metaron said:
Already ahead of you, 😉 Since you can go to confession/Eucharist, if you, by any chance, are in a state to recieve a plenary indulgence, could you apply it to my grandfather? Please, if you have time, of course. All I can do is pray.
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I tried pming you this morning, but your inbox is full. Mission accomplished! I went to mass last night and did my best for your grandfather!🙂
 
mommyof4 said:
I tried pming you this morning, but your inbox is full. Mission accomplished! I went to mass last night and did my best for your grandfather!🙂
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Yes! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 A plenary indulgence immediately frees the soul from Purgatory too, right? 🙂

Thank you so much! God bless you!
 
Is it really true that St. Catherine’s Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory really frees 1,OOO souls every time it is said with proper intention? Do you have to be in a state of grace? Or is it even true at all? Or just a legend?
 
Metaron said:
Is it really true that St. Catherine’s Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory really frees 1,OOO souls every time it is said with proper intention? Do you have to be in a state of grace? Or is it even true at all? Or just a legend?
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It’s St Gertrude’s prayer - and that is indeed the promise attached to it. One would presume it’s a good idea to be in a state of grace if one wants any prayer to be heard or effective 🙂
 
LilyM said:
It’s St Gertrude’s prayer - and that is indeed the promise attached to it. One would presume it’s a good idea to be in a state of grace if one wants any prayer to be heard or effective 🙂
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😦 I can’t wait to throw off the shackles of RCIA so I can be in a state of grace… I can’t even go to confession now… 😦

If we say that prayer 100 times a day, will it free 1OO,OOO souls? Won’t Purgatory be empty? How does God decide which ones to free? The ones closest to being purified?
 
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