How to Gain Indulgences on a Pilgrimage

One of the most misunderstood topics in the Catholic faith is indulgence. What is it? How can you get it? Find out in this article.

What is indulgence?

First, let’s understand what indulgence is.

An indulgence is the remission before God of temporal punishment for sins whose guilt is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful gains under certain and defined conditions (canon 992).

Let’s focus on the first part:

An indulgence is the remission before God of temporal punishment for sins whose guilt is already forgiven … (canon 992).

Now, we know, at least, what indulgence is not. It is not forgiveness of the guilt of sin. Every sin has two elements: guilt and punishment. When you break your friend’s favorite coffee mug, what do you do? You say sorry. If she forgives you, your guilt is removed. But saying sorry doesn’t eliminate the punishment: you have to repair or replace that broken mug. Indulgence deletes not the guilt, but the temporal punishment due to sins. Guilt, if it comes from a mortal sin, can only be forgiven ordinarily in the sacrament of confession. So if you commit a mortal sin, you should go to confession, not seek an indulgence.

Another thing an indulgence does not do: it doesn’t remove eternal punishment in hell. It removes only temporal punishment. If an indulgence is partial, it removes it partially. If an indulgence is plenary, it removes it totally.

How to gain indulgences

Now let’s turn to the second part of the definition:

… which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful gains under certain and defined conditions (canon 992).

The gaining of indulgences requires the fulfillment of some conditions and the performance of prescribed works. Note also that you can obtain indulgences for yourself or you can apply them to the dead.

General Conditions

First, let’s talk about general conditions. To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, you must fulfill the following conditions:

1. State of grace. You must be a baptized Catholic, not excommunicated, and in a state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed work.
2. General intention. You must have at least the general intention of gaining an indulgence. Nobody obtains an indulgence by accident or unintentionally. Also, unlike partial indulgences which you can acquire multiple times in a day, you can gain only one plenary indulgence per day.

So those are two general conditions for indulgences. To gain a plenary indulgence, though, you must fulfill four additional conditions:

1. Detachment from sin. You must be detached from all sins, even from venial sins.
2. Confession. You must confess your sins sacramentally. This condition may be fulfilled several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work.
3. Communion. You must receive the holy communion, preferably on the same day the work is performed.
4. Prayer for the Pope. You must pray one Our Father and one Hail Mary for the Pope. It is better to do this on the same day the work is done.

If one of these four conditions is lacking, the indulgence will only be partial.

Prescribed Works

Now, let’s talk about the prescribed works. The 1999 Manual of Indulgences lists over thirty works you can do to gain indulgences. To keep this article short, I will focus on five works you can do on a pilgrimage to gain indulgences.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

You can gain a partial indulgence by visiting the Blessed Sacrament for adoration or offering an approved prayer to the Blessed Sacrament. You can gain a plenary indulgence by adoring the Blessed Sacrament for at least half an hour.

Spiritual Communion

You can gain a partial indulgence by making an act of spiritual communion or an act of thanksgiving after Communion.

Way of the Cross

By making the Way of the Cross, you can gain a plenary indulgence.

Rosary

You can gain a plenary indulgence by devoutly reciting the Marian Rosary alone in a church or chapel or together with others as a family or a group of faithful.

Visiting Sacred Places

You can gain a plenary indulgence by devoutly reciting an Our Father and the Creed in one of the following places:

You can visit one of the four Major Basilicas in Rome either as part of a pilgrimage group or at least with the purpose of expressing your submission to the Pope. These Major Basilicas are St. Peter, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls.

1. You can visit a church with the status of minor basilica once a year on any day. Examples of minor basilicas are the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fátima, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Lourdes, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris.
2. You can visit an international, national, or diocesan shrine as part of a pilgrimage group. Examples of these are the Shrine of Korean Martyrs in Seoul, the Shrine of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan in Nagasaki, and the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków, Poland.