Plenary Indulgence

Frequently Asked Questions on Plenary Indulgences During the Jubilee Year

1. What is an indulgence?
An indulgence is the remission of temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. Sin is both personal and social; it leaves a mark on the individual soul and has an effect on the lives of others. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation our sins are forgiven, and we are restored to a state of grace, but the aftermath of our sin remains. Indulgences work to remedy this both in this world and the next, for ourselves or those who have gone before us into eternal life. As a remission of temporal punishment, indulgences can be partial or plenary depending on whether part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin has been remitted. Indulgences truly are an outpouring of God’s abundant grace and mercy. For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1471 – 1479.

2. What is the Jubilee Indulgence?
The Jubilee Indulgence is a plenary indulgence which thanks to the power of prayer, is intended in a particular way for those who have gone before us, so that they may obtain full mercy. It may also be sought for oneself. It is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. During a Jubilee Year, which normally happens every 25 years, all other indulgences previously granted remain in force and may be obtained by the faithful.

3. How is the Jubilee Indulgence obtained?
It is obtained in the same manner as any plenary indulgence. One who is truly repentant and free from any attachment to or desire for sin, moved by a spirit of charity, must perform a prescribed act to be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence. The person must also go to Confession (within several days before or after the prescribed act), receive Holy Communion and pray for the intentions of the Pope (specifically praying 1 Our Father and 1 Hail Mary). The Jubilee Indulgence may be applied in suffrage to the souls in Purgatory, which is a most commendable act of mercy itself. For more information, see The Gift of the Indulgence.

4. What are the ways in which a plenary indulgence can be obtained?
A plenary indulgence can be obtained through the following ways:

pilgrimages;
pious visits to sacred places;
works of mercy and penance.

5. What do you do when you make a pilgrimage?
At any Designated Jubilee Pilgrimage Site, devoutly participate in:

Holy Mass (including the Profession of Faith if not already included in the Mass);
A ritual Mass for the conferral of the sacraments of Christian initiation or the Anointing of the Sick;
a Celebration of the Word of God (including the Lord’s Prayer and Profession of Faith);
the Liturgy of the Hours;
the Way of the Cross;
the Marian Rosary;
a penitential celebration with individual Confession;
the recitation of the Akathist hymn.

6. What do you do when you visit a Designated Jubilee Pilgrimage Site?
When you arrive at a Designated Jubilee Pilgrimage Site, whether in a group or as an individual, spend a suitable length of time in Eucharistic Adoration concluding with the Lord’s Prayer, Profession of Faith and invocations to Mary. The Lord’s Prayer and the Profession of Faith are necessary to obtain the indulgence.

7. What are the Designated Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites in the Archdiocese of Toronto?
The following churches have been chosen as Designated Jubilee Pilgrimage Sites of the Archdiocese of Toronto for the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025:

Archdiocesan: St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, Toronto
Central Region: St. Paul’s Basilica, Toronto; St. Mary’s Parish, Toronto (Bathurst Street); St. Edward the Confessor Parish, North York
Western Region: Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Etobicoke; St. Mary’s Parish, Brampton
Eastern Region: St. Barnabas Parish, Scarborough; St. Gregory the Great Parish, Oshawa
Northern Region: St. Padre Pio Parish, Kleinburg; St. Mary’s Parish, Barrie
Shrine: Martyrs’ Shrine, Midland

8. What about people who cannot make a pilgrimage or visit a Designated Jubilee Pilgrimage Site? How can they receive the Jubilee Indulgence?
Many people, including the elderly, the sick, prisoners, and others are not capable of making a pilgrimage or visiting a Designated Jubilee Pilgrimage Site during the Jubilee Year. We are reminded in these circumstances that God’s mercy extends to all people. Thus, the confined person is called to unite in spirit with the faithful taking part in person, especially when the words of the Pope or the Bishop are transmitted through means of communication. For more information, see the Jubilee Indulgence Resource.

9. What are the specifications to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence by practising works of mercy?
One may participate in either a popular mission, spiritual exercises, formation activities on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or by following the usual spiritual, sacramental and prayer conditions, the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, which are: feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; clothe the naked; welcome the stranger; heal the sick; visit the imprisoned; bury the dead; counsel the doubtful; instruct the ignorant; admonish sinners; comfort the afflicted; forgive offenses; bear patiently those who do us ill; pray for the living and the dead.

10. What are the specifications for penance?

rediscover the penitential nature of Friday; (see “Keeping Friday”)
abstain from futile distractions and superfluous consumption;
donate a proportionate sum of money to the poor;
support works of a religious or social nature (e.g. defense and protection of life);
support efforts for quality of life of abandoned children, young people in difficulty, the lonely, elderly and migrants;
dedicate free time to voluntary activities in the community.

Source: Catechetical Resource on Plenary Indulgences during the Jubilee Year (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops) found at cccb.ca.