Did you know that you can get a plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday?
The official definition of an Indulgence can be found in Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”
Several years ago, Pope John Paul II instituted a plenary indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday. It’s important to note that the plenary indulgence is not the same thing as the special graces promised by God to Saint Faustina. But it is just another opportunity to detach ourselves from this world and to unite us ever closer to Him.
To receive the special graces promised to us by God on Mercy Sunday, you must receive Holy Communion on that day while in the state of grace (detached from sin) and with the trust in His Divine Mercy.
Plenary Indulgence On Divine Mercy Sunday
To receive the plenary indulgence, you must fulfill a number of conditions:
- Sacramental confession Within abut 20 days before or after
- Receive the Eucharist
- A prayer for the intentions of the Pope
- In any church or chapel take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament pray the Our Father and the Creed, adding a prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”)
You must be in the state of grace, at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. This means that you must not have committed a mortal sin without going to confession. For a plenary Indulgence, it is further required that all attachment to sin — including venial sin — be absent.
Indulgences can always be applied either to yourself or to the souls of the deceased.
EWTN’s website explains an Indulgence further:
“A plenary indulgence means that by the merits of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the full remission of the temporal punishment due to sacramentally forgiven sins is obtained. The person becomes as if just baptized and would fly immediately to heaven if he died in that instant. A partial indulgence means that a portion of the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin is remitted. Partial indulgences are received either by doing some act to which a partial indulgence is attached (e.g. praying a partially indulgenced prayer), or by the incomplete fulfillment of the conditions attached to a plenary indulgence.”
