Plenary Indulgence is defined as “the complete remission of all temporal punishment due to sin.” This simply means anyone who gains plenary indulgence is wholly forgiven from the spiritual sanctions. People who have attained plenary indulgence would be sent up to heaven as soon as he dies.
According to the Global Catholic Network, there are two conditions to gain plenary indulgence. These are the following:
- The faithful must be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. This means that one must be a Catholic.
- In addition to being in a state of grace, the person must have a complete detachment from sin(including venial sin, a sin that is less graver than mortal sin as it does not entail a complete separation from God)
- One must also have taken the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, as one of the conditions is to have sacramentally confessedthe faithful’s sins
- Receiving the Holy Eucharistis also a must, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required
- Lastly, the faithful is asked to pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff
This Undas season, committing to Plenary Indulgence is recommended not only for the living, but also for those whose souls who are in the purifying fires of purgatory. “It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”(2 Macch. 12, 46).
Kristine Tuting
Senior Writer, Website Team - Media Ministry
Kristine Tuting knows she has developed a love-hate relationship when it comes to writing. She obtained her bachelor's degree in BA Communication Arts at the University of Santo Tomas and her high school diploma at Nuestra Senora De Aranzazu Parochial School. When she's not working, Kristine treats the writing process as learning, especially when it comes to religious terminologies.
