Question about November Cemetery Plenary Indulgences

[Kurisu35712]

According to the Enchiridion of Indulgences, there’s a plenary indulgence that can be gained each day between the 1st and the 8th of November if one devoutly visits a cemetery and prays for the souls of the deceased, applicable only to the deceased, of course. My question is, would I need to go to confession and daily mass every one of those 8 days? Asking because I have classes during daily mass most days of the week, but the cemetery itself is pretty much a three minute drive from my apartment. Thanks!

 

[ServusHumilis]

You would at least need to go to daily Mass because reception of Communion is required for each Plenary Indulgence, as I’m sure is also the case with the second condition which is prayers for the Pope. As far as I know the third condition, confession, needs to occur within three weeks before or after the day the indulgence is done so hopefully one confession would cover all of them especially I would think if you were to remain in a state of grace. I was once asking a priest (who didn’t appear to be very knowledgeable on indulgences) about the confession thing for multiple Plenary Indulgences and he said “To confess what if you had already been?” I wouldn’t think you’d need to keep going to confession for each one, but the other conditions are definitely still necessary. It would probably be good to go to confession again once they are all complete. I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will likely come along to either confirm or deny parts of what I’ve written.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

The Enchiridion (Revised fourth edition, 1999) answers your questions in the following paragraphs under Norms for Indulgences.

Number 20, paragraph 1
To acquire a plenary indulgence, in addition to the exclusion of every kind of attachment to sin, including venial sin, one must perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and fulfill these three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

Number 20, Paragraph 2
One sacramental confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences; however one Eucharistic Communion and one time the [prescribed] prayer for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff is required for each plenary indulgence acquired.

Number 20, Paragraph 3
The three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work; it is, however, fitting that the Communion and the prayer for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff happen on the same day the work is done.

[Please note that the grant does not require attendance at Mass but Eucharistic Communion. Personally, I have arranged to give Communion outside of Mass to those who desired to do this act of charity for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. You might inquire at your parish if they might make such an arrangement for you.]

I am sorry. I do not have this document at hand in English and so I have provided my own rather quickly done translation for you. Please note therefore that THIS TRANSLATION IS MY OWN AND NOT OFFICIAL IN ANY SENSE and I have actually hastily rendered it into my poor English. So, in this instance, I was more attentive to providing you with a reasonable translation that tells you what the text says than a translation that is perfectly chosen and perfectly rendered. If, fortuitously, you read Latin, I am providing the original text:

N. 20– § 1 Ad indulgentiam plenariam assequendam, praeter omnimodam exclusionem affectus erga quodcumque peccatum etiam veniale, requiruntur exsecutio operis indulgentia ditati et adimpletio trium condicionum, quae sunt: sacramentalis confessio, communio eucharistica et oratio ad mentem Summi Pontificis.

§ 2 Unica sacramentali confessione plures indulgentiae plenariae acquiri possunt; unica vero communione eucharistica et unica oratione ad mentem Summi Pontificis una tantum indulgentia plenaria acquiritur.

§ 3 Tres condiciones perfici possunt pluribus diebus ante vel post praescripti operis exsecutionem; convenit tamen ut communio et oratio ad mentem Summi Pontificis peragantur ipso die quo instituitur opus.