What does this mean on the back of a prayer card?

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On the back of a St. Michael the Archangel prayer card:

“An indulcence of 3 years”
“A plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, if this prayer is repeated daily”
 
On the back of a St. Michael the Archangel prayer card:

“An indulcence of 3 years”
“A plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, if this prayer is repeated daily”
It means the indulgence indicated is obsolete.

The Catholic Church no longer lists partial indulgences based on “days”, “months”, “years”, etc. due to the confusion it introduced among the faithful. Today, indulgences are merely partial or plenary.

Now as for whether the prayer still carries with it an indulgence, the place to look is the current Enchiridion of Indulgences.

I don’t believe this prayer by itself is still indulgenced, but it may still be covered by one or more of the more general grants. I don’t know for sure.
 
It means the indulgence indicated is obsolete.

The Catholic Church no longer lists partial indulgences based on “days”, “months”, “years”, etc. due to the confusion it introduced among the faithful. Today, indulgences are merely partial or plenary.

Now as for whether the prayer still carries with it an indulgence, the place to look is the current Enchiridion of Indulgences.

I don’t believe this prayer by itself is still indulgenced, but it may still be covered by one or more of the more general grants. I don’t know for sure.
Sorry but i’m ignorant on this subject. I have no idea what anything you just said meant lol
 
In the early Church, and for serious sins, one’s assigned penance could often take days, weeks, months, or even years to fulfill. So, for example, a person could be assigned the penance of saying one Our Father every morning for 120 days.

Well, as indulgences developed, they were assigned a certain amount of days by the Church, and these days were a shortening of the penance required to atone for past sins.

So an indulgence of 120 days, for example, would be equal to saying a particular prayer–like the Our Father–every day for 120 days. The merit one could acquire through the latter act, one could acquire through the indulgence, and because of the Church’s use of the Keys.

Today, however, the Church no longer assigns “days” to indulgences, and considers indulgences to simply be either plenary or partial.

If you’d like to know more about this, see this article: ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PRIMINDU.htm
 
Interesting. I have never heard of this before. Thanks
 
The Catholic Church no longer lists partial indulgences based on “days”, “months”, “years”, etc. due to the confusion it introduced among the faithful. Today, indulgences are merely partial or plenary.
I understand the confusion that compelled the reform of Indulgences, but I don’t think an adequate solution was given by the new norms. Yes, the confusion is gone, but now there’s no real hierarchy of good works. Saying the rosary in chapel will gain you the same partial that walking from Berlin to Lourdes would get you in pilgrimage. There seems to be less impetus to do great works. I recall when the Franciscans obtained that amazing indulgence for those that visited, I believe, San Damiano, which was as great as the indulgence for those that made the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. And that indulgence was, I believe, the greatest ever offered to the faithful. Another system has to be worked out, in my small opinion, that balances the hierarchy of the past, with the necessity to make the doctrine simple and clear.

In Jesus and Mary,
OS.
 
I’m just surprised I had never really heard about indulgences before. I’m 29 and a cradle catholic. I recently finished Hahn’s book Lord Have Mercy, and I don’t think he ever touched on it
 
I’m just surprised I had never really heard about indulgences before. I’m 29 and a cradle catholic. I recently finished Hahn’s book Lord Have Mercy, and I don’t think he ever touched on it
Indulgences are a dogma of the faith and a treasure of the Church. Learn about them and take advantage of them as much as you can.

The Catechism on indulgences: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P4G.HTM

The older Baltimore Catechism on indulgences, Q&A format: catholicnewsagency.com/resources/catechism/baltimore-catechism/lesson-21-on-indulgences/
 
It means the indulgence indicated is obsolete.

The Catholic Church no longer lists partial indulgences based on “days”, “months”, “years”, etc. due to the confusion it introduced among the faithful. Today, indulgences are merely partial or plenary.

Now as for whether the prayer still carries with it an indulgence, the place to look is the current Enchiridion of Indulgences.

I don’t believe this prayer by itself is still indulgenced, but it may still be covered by one or more of the more general grants. I don’t know for sure.
In the early Church, and for serious sins, one’s assigned penance could often take days, weeks, months, or even years to fulfill. So, for example, a person could be assigned the penance of saying one Our Father every morning for 120 days.

Well, as indulgences developed, they were assigned a certain amount of days by the Church, and these days were a shortening of the penance required to atone for past sins.

So an indulgence of 120 days, for example, would be equal to saying a particular prayer–like the Our Father–every day for 120 days. The merit one could acquire through the latter act, one could acquire through the indulgence, and because of the Church’s use of the Keys.

Today, however, the Church no longer assigns “days” to indulgences, and considers indulgences to simply be either plenary or partial.

If you’d like to know more about this, see this article: ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PRIMINDU.htm
Both of you are right:thumbsup:
Interesting. I have never heard of this before. Thanks
You can ask if you have further questions.
 
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