Wednesday, November 4, 2020 –
Usually, we are in day four of the annual eight-day indulg-a-thon (my term) to pray for the deceased faithful in purgatory. Which means that usually many faithful are scurrying to their local cemetery and laying down some much-needed prayers to gain plenary indulgences for the souls in purgatory. However, because this is 2020 and things are a bit squirrely, the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary (AKA the guys that make rules and stuff about indulgences and a few other super important things) gloriously extended the eight-day indulg-a-thon to the entire month of November!
WOO-HOO! So now, you have tons of opportunities to help the poor souls in purgatory. Remember, a plenary indulgence remits all the temporal punishments of sins for a soul. Which means you can (and should) help the deceased faithful get out of purgatory.
You can read more about this wonderful indulgence opportunity HERE.
If you just want the original indulgence info, here is what the “normal” eight-day cemetery indulgence says:
13 Visiting a Cemetery (Coemeterii Visitatio)
An indulgence is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the dead. This indulgence is applicable only to the souls in purgatory. This indulgence is a plenary one from November 1 through November 8 and can be gained on each one of these days. On the other days of the year this indulgence is a partial one.
And, if you need a refresher on indulgences: What is an indulgence?
“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.”
“An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.” Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead.
There are partial and plenary indulgences, and there are necessary conditions for gaining an indulgence. you can also learn more from EWTN HERE. Generally speaking, the conditions of Confession and receiving the Eucharist should be done within a couple of days of the indulgence. The bare basics are listed below.
- Sacramentally confess your sins
- Receive Holy Communion
- Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father
- You must “have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.”
As for the Holy Father’s intentions, HERE is a link to every month in 2020, and I have specifically listed June’s intentions below:
November – Artificial Intelligence
We pray that the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind.
I kid you not. THAT really is the Pope’s intention for November. Oh…my…lanta!
Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis!
