Dear friends in Christ

We are now well into this Jubilee Year which began on Christmas Eve with the opening of the Holy Door by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome. There are a number of the important features to a Jubilee Year which include special graces which the Church makes available to us. One of these is the Jubilee Year Indulgence.

Throughout the centuries there have been numerous misunderstandings of what an indulgence is and its significance to Jubilee Years. 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 defined conditions through the Church’s help when, as a minister of redemption, she dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions won by Christ and the saints (Indulgentarium Doctrina 1).

Contrary to wider opinion an indulgence is not a ‘get out of jail free card’. When we sin, we incur the liability of guilt and of punishment. Neither are indulgences negating the once for all victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death; they are granted through the merits of Jesus Christ. Indulgences also have their roots in Sacred Scripture (the Bible). A good scriptural look at the topic can be found here: https://www.catholic.com/tract/primer-on-indulgences

The doctrine and practice of indulgences is closely linked to our understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). Jesus told his disciples: As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. . . . Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20:21-23). He also promised his Church the power to bind and loose on earth, saying, Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt. 18:18). The Lord grants the Church the authority to bind and to loose, which includes removing temporal penalties. An indulgence can be plenary or partial. A partial indulgence covers part of the punishment due for sins; a plenary indulgence covers all of it as if the person had just been baptised. The practice of indulgences has inherited some myths over the centuries. You can find out more about the myths surrounding indulgences here: https://www.catholic.com/tract/myths-about-indulgences

The usual conditions for obtaining an indulgence are:

Detachment from sin i.e. must detest sin including venial (minor) sin
Complete some form of work that includes a physical task (these are usually decided in advance by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Church) make a profession of faith (usually the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed)
Offer prayers for the intentions for the Pope (usually an Our Father and Hail Mary)
Make a sacramental Confession*
Receive Holy Communion (usually at Mass, if able)*

*Usually within 15 days before or after the completion of the prescribed work. Although it is recommended that it is better to make Confession before the work to be in a state of grace.

The ‘Jubilee Indulgence’ is specific to a Jubilee Year. Plenary indulgences obtained during the Jubilee Year can also be applied to souls in purgatory making it possible to obtain two plenary indulgences in a day with one being applied to the deceased. For the Jubilee Year 2025 the indulgence has a focus on pilgrimage as “Pilgrims of Hope”. The indulgence can be obtained by completing any of the following acts (work) as part of the usual conditions listed above:

Make a pilgrimage to any designated church or place such as Rome or one of three churches in our Diocese: Brentwood Cathedral, the Shrine of Our Lady of Light at the Catholic Church in Clacton-on-Sea; St Antony of Padua Church, Forest Gate.

Perform works of mercy, such a visiting the sick, giving help to those who are homeless or hungry.

Undertaking penance, such as abstaining from some food or drink, giving up the use of social media, and regaining the sense of Friday abstinence.

Attending a retreat or a Parish Mission.

I hope that his outline of one important aspect of this Jubilee Year will inspire and encourage you to be generous with Our Lord and so gain and enjoy the spiritual benefits our Mother the Church offers us in these days of Jubilee.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale