An indulgence is attached to the work: PRAYERS IN HONOR OF THE SAINTS AND BLESSEDS
For Who: Anyone
For When: within the year following a canonization or beatification
For Where: a church or an oratory in which a solemn celebrations is held in honor of the saint or blessed
Partial or Plenary: Both
As written in the Manuel of Indulgences, under Grant 21:
21
PRAYERS IN HONOR OF THE SAINTS AND BLESSEDS
** Grant 21 forgoing, addressing partial indulgences for calendar saints
§2 In addition, in order to promote the veneration of newly proclaimed saints and blesseds, a plenary indulgence is granted a single time within the year following the canonization or beatification to those faithful who make a visit to a church or an oratory in which a solemn celebrations is held in honor of the saint or blessed, and who there devoutly recite the Our Father and the Creed. To any of the faithful who make the aforesaid pious visit during the same period, a partial indulgence is granted.
So, a PLENARY Indulgence is granted to those who recite the Our Father and the Creed when they visit a church (or an oratory) where a solemn celebrations is held in honor of a new saint/blessed. This only happens once and within the first year of the beautification or canonization.
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A PARTIAL Indulgence is granted to those who make this visit more then once within that first year. Furthermore, even though it is not explicitly stated, but by simply following the principle that an incomplete or unsatisfied Plenary indulgence will default to a partial indulgence, it is likely that there are other ways a partial indulgence may take form under this Grant. These other ways may look like:
1) A visit, though qualifiable in every other way, was not done within the first year.
2) the Our Father and the Creed were not devoutly recite during the visit.
3) The other conditions necessary to gain a Plenary Indulgence are less then fulfilled.
4) One’s state of heart is contrite, but not fully detached from affections towards sin.
5)Though qualifiable in every other way, a Plenary Indulgence has already been obtained for that day in another way.
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Examining further, please allow me to address portions of this indulgence so that we may ponder deeper as to what are reasonable perimeters and expectations to have as we attempt to gain this indulgence:
Addressing “saints and blesseds” and “canonization or beatification”
As defined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in their article “Saints,” it says:
Saint – the title given to someone who has been formally canonized by the Church as sharing eternal life with God, and therefore offered for public veneration and imitation.
Blessed -- title bestowed on a person who has been beatified and accorded limited liturgical veneration.
Canonization – the formal process by which the Church declares a person to be a saint and worthy of universal veneration.
Beatification -- the second stage in the process of proclaiming a person a saint; occurs after a diocese or eparchy and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has conducted a rigorous investigation into the person's life and writings to determine whether he or she demonstrates a heroic level of virtue, offered their life or suffered martyrdom. A miracle attributed to the person's intercession must be proved.
Further information found through Catholic Answers explains it this way: There are several steps in the Church’s process of declaring someone a saint. From first to last, the corresponding titles are Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed, and Saint. “Blesseds” are those who have been beatified. Beatification requires one attested miracle and allows the beatified person to be venerated by his local church. Canonization requires two attested miracles and allows veneration of the saint by the universal Church. Canonization is an infallible statement by the Church that the saint is in heaven.
Addressing “a solemn celebrations”
Though no definition is found there is something that is called a “solemn mass.” In a solemn mass there are multiple assists to the presiding priest (such as deacons, acolyte, or other priests) and this Mass follows an alternative liturgy rather than a standard liturgy. It is still a Eucharistic-celebrating Mass, but alternative ceremonial aspects are allowed like alternative songs, prayers, and incense, etc.
If these two things are related by their common use of the word “solemn” and common understanding of what a celebration is perhaps it is fair to make a deduction. Perhaps what is meant/referred to here are Masses or other regular Catholic celebrations that have become ‘unorthodox,’ and the reason they have become unorthodox is because they are in honor of an irregular Saint or a Blessed
Now, even with all this fancy talk and attempts to define what this actually means, I am happy to say that often times a diocese and/or other local catholic news outlets are very good at letting people know if an event like this will take place within traveling distance. Sometimes it’s even specifically mention that an indulgence is obtainable through the event. So, if one were to ever come across an event and wonder if it’s properly related to a new Saint/Blessed or if it is applicable for this indulgence, usually that information is written in along side the announcement of the event itself. If it’s not one should be able to consult their priest or diocese to double check.
Addressing “the Our Father and the Creed”
This is a common condition found in several Grants. Many Grants say to visit a church and recite the Our Father and the Creed. And certainly if that’s all you did, (step foot at an applicable church or oratory and recite these prayers) that would fulfill the required work. However, let us remember that during the Mass and often in other celebrations we say the Our Father and the Creed naturally. So, because in indulgences aspects of the Mass can be broken down into parts of a whole, It is my understanding that if we step foot at an applicable church or oratory, and we remain for the Mass (or ceremony) and say these prayers within that context, that would totally satisfy the work/Grant.
Addressing “the aforesaid pious visit during the same period”
This statement merely refers to additional visits after a Plenary Indulgence has been acquired. Someone may be following closely the beautification and/or canonization of a particular saint, leading them to make these visits more then once. Or, if someone did not believe that they were able to receive a Plenary indulgence the first time (look back at how a Partial indulgence may look) they might make the visit more then once as well.
There is just one more thought I’d like to propose for this indulgence, and then I think we’ll have it all covered. The thought is, If I attend a celebration for a Blessed and then they become a Saint in my time, would attending again be considered a second attendance, and therefor only a Partial Indulgence? Now I am personally inclined to say that a Plenary indulgence may be received both times. This is based off the idea that, even though it may be the same person, canonization or beatification are two totally separate events, and to hinder one because of the other does not seem to follow the spirit of “promote[ing] the veneration of newly proclaimed saints and blesseds” like this indulgence seeks to do.
However, in all honestly, I do not know what the true answer to this would be. This is another one of those questions that I don’t know if it’s ever been asked so it doesn't have an official answer. Perhaps only Christ, the distributer of the benefits of Indulgences, knows this answer until the day that the church makes an official proclamation… and that’s okay.
Just a reminder for this Grant in regards to the timing, this indulgence can only be obtained within the first year of a newly proclaimed Blessed or Saint. The events, locations, and times are very specific BUT it seems that the Church is constantly promoting faithful individual to sainthood quite regularly. Found through Wikipedia-“List of beatified people” 19 candidates were beautified in 2023 alone (this article being written in 2024). Plus, just the other day I came across an article saying that the process of beautification was opened for a young girl named Niña Ruiz Abad. So if one was to think that opportunities for this particular indulgence were scarce, I would invite you to look further into these new Saints and Blesseds. Perhaps there are Solemn celebrations taking place closer than you think.
Here is that Wikipedia page, “List of beatified people”. Below I’ve added only the Blessed from 2023.
1944 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1998 | 2023 | |
1991 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1871 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1871 | 2023 | |
1881 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1871 | 2023 | |
1871 | 2023 | |
1927 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1871 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 | |
1944 | 2023 |
I hope this has been helpful. Indulgences can be a confusing topic so please feel free to leave your thoughts and questions. I hope to address all I can so that we can come to know this hidden gem of the Catholic Faith.
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