Vatican extends time for obtaining November plenary indulgences for the faithful departed and allows you to get them without leaving your home

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I agree there seems to be confusion between websites on this issue. Vatican News original article, written by a Sister of FSP, said that one could visit the cemetery mentally. Almost every Catholic outlet including Aleteia, Mystic Post etc picked up on that.

The actual wording from the newly translated Vatican decree in English, which appears to come straight from the Vatican rather than via Google Translate, says
the Plenary Indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased, even if only mentally,
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https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2020/10/23/201023b.html

It’s not clear in English, based on English grammar rules, whether “even if only mentally” refers to just the praying, or both the visiting AND the praying. I wish the Vatican would make these decrees more clear.

In any event, if someone does not want to go out to a cemetery because they are elderly, sick, on COVID lockdown, or otherwise afraid of getting ill, they can pray for the deceased at home in front of a picture of Jesus or Mary and get same indulgence, as the English translated decree says:
The elderly, the sick and all those who for serious reasons cannot leave their homes, for example because of restrictions imposed by the competent authority in this time of the pandemic, in order to prevent numerous faithful from crowding into the holy places, will be able to obtain the Plenary Indulgence as long as they join spiritually with all the other faithful, completely detached from sin and with the intention of complying as soon as possible with the three usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father’s intentions), before an image of Jesus or the Blessed Virgin Mary, recite pious prayers for the deceased, for example, Lauds and Vespers of the Office of the Dead, the Marian Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, other prayers for the deceased dearest to the faithful, or occupy themselves in considered reading of one of the Gospel passages proposed by the liturgy of the deceased, or perform a work of mercy by offering to God the sorrows and hardships of their own lives.
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I will be going to the cemeteries this year, but based on the confused wording coupled with COVID restrictions, I think people can get the plenary also for praying at home as described above.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
In any event, if someone does not want to go out to a cemetery because they are elderly, sick, on COVID lockdown, or otherwise afraid of getting ill, they can pray for the deceased at home in front of a picture of Jesus or Mary and get same indulgence, as the English translated decree says:
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I agree!

The two critical points, now, about indulgence, are “receive the Holy Eucharist” and " have sacramentally confessed their sins". So, take the indulgences that says “with the willingness to fulfil the usual conditions”.

If you are lucky enough to be able to schedule a confession and attend the mass in person, (like me, in Brazil) enjoy the usual indulgences (rosary, lectio divina, adoration of the most holy, via crucis) for the deceased.

@Tis_Bearself, I agree that the Vatican should have a little more care at writing the decrees. But, our laws are done this way too… Should have many things so spoke about the issue that, at the moment of writing the decree, some seems obvious to the writer, but not to the reader.

And should be easier to receive a proper clarification too. I’ve got an asnwer to some doubts about " THE GIFT OF THE INDULGENCE" decree (The Gift Of The Indulgence (29 January 2000)) only by some EWTN article (who have a letter answered by the Penitenciary).

Anyway, “we must pray for the deceased” and try to fulfill the rules the best way possible.

And forgive any english grammar problems, I speak portuguese and I’m not too good in english writing. I use some google translate only to avoid great mistakes.
 
I am fortunate to be in an area where the Archbishop allowed priests to hear confessions during the suspension of public Mass, and we’ve been having daily Mass here since June, so I don’t have a problem meeting the conditions.

If not possible to meet the conditions of confession and Communion, because of COVID restrictions, then when you next get a chance to confess you can simply ask your confessor to excuse you from those conditions. He’s allowed to do that. During the suspension of public Mass, I earned about 70 plenaries complete in all respects but no Communions. I asked my confessor to please waive the Communions and he did.
 
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Speaking of which, what counts as a cemetery? There are locations like the USS Arizona Memorial or the 9/11 Memorials which were constructed over the bodies of those who died without proper burial. Do these memorials count as cemeteries for the purposes of the indulgence?
 
Exactly as I thought, but I wasn’t sure if there was a requirement that the ground be consecrated.
 
No. The Church allows us to earn this indulgence praying in non-Catholic non-religious cemeteries on land where the ground is likely not consecrated.
 
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Follow up question: how close do you have to get to the graves for it to count (under normal circumstances). There’s a churchyard with a cemetery near me where the gate is kept locked because of construction, and another church where cremains are interred within the church, but the doors were locked when I got there.
 
I usually try to at least drive into or step foot on the property with the graves. But if you can’t get in and have no other options then just pray at the gates.
 
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