The Jubilee of Mercy Indulgence

Reproduced by kind permission of the Poor Clare community in Galway. All quotations are from Pope Francis.

What is an indulgence?

An indulgence is a pardon:

"Every sin has consequences. It disrupts our communion with God and the Church, weakens our ability to resist temptation, and hurts others. The necessity of healing these consequences, once the sin itself has been forgiven, is called temporal punishment. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and other works of charity can take away entirely or diminish this temporal punishment. Because of the fullness of redemption obtained for us by Christ, the Church attaches to certain prayers and actions an indulgence or pardon, that is, the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due to sin. Christ, acting through the Church, brings about the healing of the consequences of sin when an individual uses such a prayer or engages in such an action."

How do I obtain the Jubilee of Mercy Indulgence?

There are four ways to obtain the Jubilee of Mercy Indulgence:

A pilgrimage through the Door of Mercy

"A brief pilgrimage to the Holy Door, open in every cathedral… as a sign of the deep desire for true conversion". For the indulgence to be effective, it must "...be linked, first and foremost, to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with a reflection on mercy". "It will be necessary to accompany these celebrations with the Profession of Faith (ie the Creed) with prayer for the Pope and the intentions” he bears in his “heart for the good of the Church and the entire world".

The Holy Door in Galway Cathedral is located at the end of the nave, beneath the organ gallery. The indulgence may be gained ONCE DAILY by (i) going to confession, (ii) receiving the Eucharist, (iii) making a profession of faith and (iv) praying for the Holy Father's intentions. A single sacramental confession suffices for several indulgences, but the remaining conditions are required for each indulgence.

For those who are sick and elderly

It can be obtained by "those for whom […] it is impossible to enter the Holy Door, particularly the sick and people who are elderly and alone." "Living with faith and joyful hope this moment of trial, receiving communion or attending Mass and community prayer, even through the various means of communication, will be a means of obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence."

The Works of Mercy

"Each time that one of the faithful personally performs one or more of these actions, he or she shall surely obtain the Jubilee Indulgence."

The Works of mercy are:

  • The Corporal Works: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, house the homeless, visit the imprisoned, visit the sick and bury the dead.
  • The Spiritual Works: counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, comfort the afflicted, forgive offences, bear wrongs patiently and pray for the living and the dead.

By those who are in prison

Those who "have become conscious of the injustice they worked [...] They may obtain the Indulgence in the chapels of the prisons." Pope Francis prays, "May the gesture of directing their thought and prayer to the Father each time they cross the threshold of their cell signify for them their passage through the Holy Door".