**Indulgence Grant 29 is presented halfway through this article.
Here we will consider all the important information that we need to know about Indulgences and the deceased, which is written in the book “Manuel of Indulgences.”
Starting off we look at Norm 3:
N3. The faithful can obtain partial or plenary indulgences for themselves, or they can apply them to the dead by way of suffrage.
Suffrage, in the dictionary, has one definition that is faith-based: a series of intercessory prayers or petitions. Catholics sources further define it this way: The prayers prescribed or promised for specific intentions. More precisely, suffrages are the Masses, prayers, or acts of piety offered for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed.
So through these definitions, we find that we may offer up our gained indulgences for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed in a similar way that we would offer Masses, prayers, or acts of piety.
Why might we want to consider doing this? Gaining an indulgence and then offering it up for the departed that is. A (relevant) portion of the “Apostolic Constitution Indulgentiarum doctrina” says this:
8… The aim pursued by ecclesiastical authority in granting indulgences is not only that of helping the faithful to expiate the punishment due sin but also that of urging them to perform works of piety, penitence and charity—particularly those which lead to growth in faith and which favor the common good. And if the faithful offer indulgences in suffrage for the dead, they cultivate charity in an excellent way and while raising their minds to heaven, they bring a wiser order into the things of this world.
Praying for the dead is viewed by the Church as an act of charity, for we are praying and petitioning for those who can’t pray or petition for themselves (at least not in the way like we can). These souls are the souls in purgatory.
Couldn't we offer indulgences for other living people? NO, we can not. This is a core fact regarding indulgences that they cannot be gained for any other living person. This condition is continually mentioned, even in recent official documents, and it can be sited in addresses like this one given on 2000: THE GIFT OF THE INDULGENCE. In this it states: Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth. That being said, the Church is often very good in aiding those who may be impeded or who otherwise find it difficult to satisfy the conditions and works of an indulgence. If a person wants to gain an indulgence, or offer resources to loved ones so that they may gain their own indulgences there are certainly avenues that a person may take to accomplish that.
Continuing one; this guideline is laid out pretty clearly that we cannot gain an indulgence for other living persons, but how do we know that only the souls in purgatory gain from our offered indulgences? We know this because the Souls in purgatory are the only departed souls who still struggle with temporal punishment (and therefore can benefit from an indulgence).
Pointing back to this statement that comes from the definition of what an Indulgence is: “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sins, whose guilt is forgiven...” This means that the departed soul we offer indulgences for cannot be in hell, because at that point no amount of indulgences or lifting up will forgive their guilt or change their destination. The soul also can’t be in heaven, because at that point a soul doesn’t need an indulgences. All their sins and temporal punishment have already been forgiven. The only souls who we are able to apply our gained indulgences to are those souls in purgatory.
That being said I would like to give a short personal story and address a common question that many people seem to have. The question is, Can we offer our indulgences for a particular soul in purgatory?
The short story I offer is about a friend of mine. Together we often pray for the intention of the faithful departed. We participate in Grant 29 together (which we will get to in just a moment) so every year we attempt to gain up to 8 days of Plenary indulgences that can be offered for the souls in purgatory. But, he doesn't quite understand how indulgences work, especially when it comes to applying them to the departed souls. I know he doesn't understand because whenever it is time to start the November indulgences, outlined by Grant 29, he will make a list of names, usually 3 names, and he will try to gain Plenary indulgences for them back-to-back. These names are also usually the same names that he tried to gain indulgences for the year before.
Now if he is truly gaining the Plenary indulgences he strives for, and if Christ has honored his request to apply them to his particular departed loved one, then gaining more plenary indulgences and praying that they are applied to that same name is useless. Plenary indulgences remove ALL of temporal punishment, which is the one thing that keeps a souls in purgatory. If any soul has received a plenary indulgence than it is our understanding that that souls has been released from purgatory and is now in heaven. At that point, by being in heaven, they no longer need any indulgences!
So, can we offer our indulgences for a particular soul in purgatory? We certainly can pray that they are applied to a particular soul if we wish. There is no harm in that. However we must recognize that Christ may have a better use for our offered indulgence (such as giving it to a soul most in need) or, better yet, the soul we are trying to help is already in heaven! So we should not get hung up on offering indulgences (especially plenary indulgences) for any particular soul. It is better to offered our indulgences up to the discretion of Christ and trust him with the distribution rather than overbearingly request names. Because every soul in purgatory is our Sibling in Faith, and so all of the souls in purgatory are our loved ones, even the ones we've never met in this life. The passing of any souls from purgatory to heaven should cause us to rejoice!
And now finally we dive into Grant 29:
You can offer up any indulgence you gain for the Souls in Purgatory, through any work or Grant. From the hardest or most personal Plenary indulgence, to the simplest and most neutral Partial indulgence. With that said though, there is one a specific Indulgence Grant provided to the faithful that is specifically for the dead. Grant 29 (G29):
Indulgences for the Departed
An indulgence is attached to the work: FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
For Who: Anyone
For When: November 1 to 8, All Souls Day, (partial)Anytime
For Where: A cemetery; church or an oratory; (partial)Any location
Partial or Plenary: Both
29
FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
§1 A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who,
1° on any and each day from November 1 to 8, devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed;
2° on All Souls’ Day (or, according to the judgment of the ordinary, on the Sunday preceding or following it, or on the solemnity of All Saints), devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed.
§2 A partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who
1° devoutly visit a cemetery and at least mentally pray for the dead;2° devoutly recite lauds or vespers from the Office of the Dead or the prayer Eternal rest.
Requiem aeternam (aka. Eternal Rest)
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
So, a PLENARY Indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to those who, in addition to fulfilling all the other requirements, visit a cemetery and pray for the departed on any/each day of November 1-8. Also a PLENARY Indulgence, only applicable to the souls in purgatory, may be granted by visiting a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed on the All Souls’ Day (or on an approved alternative date).
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A PARTIAL Indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to those who visit and pray at a cemetery on other days of the year. A PARTIAL Indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is also granted to those who recite lauds or vespers from the Office of the Dead or pray the Eternal rest prayer.
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, only applicable to the souls in purgatory, may take form under this Grant. These other ways may look like:
1)One comes physically near to, but does not actually ‘visit’ a cemetery
2)One does not recipe an Our Father and the Creed while visiting a church or oratory on All Soul’s Day
3) The other conditions necessary to gain a Plenary Indulgence are less than 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.(Even an indulgence that’s only applied to one’s self)
These are only a few instances that would lead to a partial indulgence, either by choice or by accident.
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Examining further, please allow me to address portions of is indulgence. That we may ponder deeper the question: What are reasonable perimeters and expectations to have when attempting to gain this indulgence?
Addressing “applicable only to the souls in purgatory”
You may notice that it’s specifically stated for these Plenary indulgences that they can only be applied to the dead. Naturally! This Grant is specifically geared for the dead (not for ones self as you are presumably not dead.) Since it is understood that indulgences can only benefit one soul at a time, if someone would rather refrain from this indulgence so that they could gaining a plenary indulgence for themself, other methods of gaining indulgences can be done on these days instead (like praying the rosary, reading scripture, or attending adoration.) However, if one chooses to partake in this specific Grant, it must be with the understanding that the indulgence is of no personal benefit to the one who gains it, but rather it is a gift to be given to another soul.
Addressing “granted to the faithful”
Although these indulgences are only applicable to the departed, they are only obtainable for the living faithful. That is, it is us, the living, who alone are capable of fulfilling the requirements for this or any other indulgence. I mean obviously souls can’t go to confession or receive the Eucharist. But the Church allows us to offer up the indulgences WE obtain for the sake of benefiting those departed souls who are in purgatory.
Addressing “any and each day from November 1 to 8"
Just in case someone may find this confusing, this statement is designed to tell us that the indulgences of November 1st through the 8th (otherwise known as the Octave of "Poor Soul's," "All Saint's" or "All Souls" ) are Non-Accumulative. They are not like a novena where you must complete the days in a sequence. If you were to choose to do so, you may attempt to gain an indulgence on any day (or combination of days) between the 1st through the 8th. You do not need to complete an indulgence on one day in order to obtain an indulgence on the next day.
Addressing “visit a cemetery”
Although the perimeters of this requirement are not detailed, it is somewhat understood that a ‘visit’ would require being at least physical present within the physical boarders of the location of a cemetery. Driving by or viewing a cemetery from a spot that is not attached or designated to the cemetery (like a business parking lot that’s across the road) would likely not fulfill this requirement. As for another question that’s been asked, could someone stay in their vehicle if they drive into a cemetery? It is also somewhat understood that this would qualify as a visit.
Addressing “pray, if only mentally, for the departed"
Not all indulgence Grants specify if prayer can be done mentally or if it needs to be done verbally. Here we are lucky to be told straight away that mental prayers also apply.
Addressing “or, according to the judgment of the ordinary”
“2° on All Souls’ Day (or, according to the judgment of the ordinary, on the Sunday preceding or following it, or on the solemnity of All Saints)”
So, after some research, there appears to be some interesting facts about the celebration of All Souls’ Day. Drawing from information found in an EWTN article called “All Souls' Commemoration” it appears that All Souls’ Day is very unique and “anomalous” in that it doesn't really fit into any set category. It is not exactly a solemnity, a feast, or memorial. Furthermore any celebrations, services or Masses that may be held specifically for the purpose of All Souls Days most closely resemble funeral rights (which makes sense since we are in fact praying for the dead).
All though it is widely celebrated on Nov 2nd (so that it follows closely behind All Saints Day) that day does not appear to be set in stone world wide. Because of local customs or by the judgement of the ordinary to temporarily move the celebration, some locations may celebrate it on a different day. It may be moved to the Sunday before or after or it may be allowed to be celebrated the evening before (which is the afternoon of the Solemnity of All Saints).
So, how should we celebrate All Souls’ Day? Celebrate it as you usually do. For most people, that is on November 2nd. Usually the Church is very good about alerting it’s parishioners if there is going to be any changes. If you have never celebrated All Souls Day, it may be beneficial to pay extra attention to you local parish’s news source (like a bulletin) or ask your priest or diocese.
Addressing “the Our Father and the Creed”
This is a common condition found in several Grants. Many Grants say to make this visit and recite the Our Father and the Creed. And certainly if that’s all you did, (that is 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 that can be broken down into parts of a whole, it is my understanding that if we step foot at a church or oratory, and we remain for the Mass (or a ceremony) and say these prayers within that context, that will totally satisfy the work/Grant.
Addressing “recite lauds or vespers from the Office of the Dead"
In addition to the “Requiem aeternam (aka. Eternal Rest)” prayer, there is a sort of ‘Liturgy of the Hours’ set of prayers that may be prayed throughout the day which are geared towards the departed. It is titled “Office of the Dead” and in it there are readings, hymns, and prayers, etc. for the morning, daytime, and evening, etc. The morning prayer is known as “lauds” and the evening prayer is known as “vespers.” There appears to be variations in these prayers, especially so as to line up with seasons like Easter.
Linked Here is a PDF of Office of the Dead and Linked Here is a video, “Evening Prayer - Office of the Dead.” It appears that these prayers are often sung, especially if it’s being publicly recited, though I doubt that’s required for those reciting these prayers privately. It also does not say that one has to do the whole Office of the Dead within a day. Only a morning ‘lauds’ prayer or an evening ‘vespers’ prayer within the day.
This concludes our pondering on Grant 29- FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED. We are also almost done with all the important information there is to know regarding Indulgences for the departed.
There is, however, one last important thing to address. There is a Grant 12, and this Grant refers to a one time Indulgence granted to individuals "AT THE POINT OF DEATH." This Grant has its own information, but for the purpose of not making this post any longer, I will only examine this indulgence briefly, using Norm 18 (N18), part 2 where it states:
§2. The faithful however can obtain the plenary indulgence at the hour of death, even if they have already gained one on the same day.
This Norm 18 is usually what is refer to when we point out that only one Plenary indulgence can be gained per day. However, the Church gives this one and only exception that a person may potentially gain two (2) indulgences in a day when that person is at the hour of their own death.
This Plenary indulgence is also unique in that, in cases where a person is unable to fulfill all of the three conditions ordinarily required for a Plenary indulgence, the Church herself supplies the fulfillment of the conditions on that persons behalf. Some examples of why this would be needed is: if a priest isn't available for confession, if a person is unable to swallow the Eucharist, if a person is unconscious, if a person dies suddenly, or if that person is no longer in their right state of mind.
The only true qualification for someone to gain this Grant is that this person would be duly disposed, and they have been in the habit of reciting some prayers during their lifetime. To understand what "duly disposed" may mean, we might consider looking at other indulgence information like the criteria of Norm 17 (N17) which outlines who is qualifiable to gain an indulgence: those who are baptized, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace.
I hope this all has been helpful. Indulgences can be a confusing topic, especially regarding who that they do or do not apply to. 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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