Universal Intentions

An indulgence is attached to the work: DAYS DESIGNATED UNIVERSALLY FOR A CERTAIN RELIGIOUS INTENTION

For Who: Anyone

For When: Select days designated universally, by the Catholic Church, for certain religious intentions

For Where: At a celebration for these intentions; partial-Anywhere

Partial or Plenary: Both

As written in the Manuel of Indulgences, under Grant 22:

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DAYS DESIGNATED UNIVERSALLY FOR A CERTAIN RELIGIOUS INTENTION

A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who, on days universally designated to foster certain religious intentions (e.g., the promotion of priestly and religious vocations, the pastoral care of the sick and infirm, strengthening the profession of faith in young people, and assisting others to lead a holy life, etc.), piously assist at celebrations of this kind; however, those who pray for these same intentions may gain a partial indulgence.

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So, a PLENARY Indulgence is granted to those who, in addition to fulfilling all the other requirements, assist (aka: participate/attend) at celebrations for a specific religious intention on a day that is is universally designated to by the Catholic Church.

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A PARTIAL Indulgence is granted to those who pray for a specific religious intention, or to those attempting to gain a plenary indulgence but they fail to obtain it in some way or another. Some examples of what this may look like are:

1) Participating in a celebration, yet on the wrong day.

2) A religious intention is recognized and in your local church, but not universally

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.

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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 “days universally designated

In an article addressing Days of Prayer and Special Observances (provided by the USCCB) it says:

Since the Second Vatican Council, the celebration of ember and rogation days continue to exist as ways for the Church "to entreat the Lord for the various needs of humanity" (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, no. 45)...The Holy See has also recommended to the universal Church a number of such days, often termed "World Days of Prayer" and frequently promoted by Popes. 

Addressing “certain religious intentions

As mentioned above, certain religious intentions are promoted by the Holy See "to entreat the Lord for the various needs of humanity." There may be other days on one’s local liturgical calendar recognizing special National needs. These non-universal days, though they are rightly geared for the edification of one’s local church, are not enriched with an indulgence under this Grant. Some examples of causes that have reached the level of universal promotion are listed as: the promotion of priestly and religious vocations, the pastoral care of the sick and infirm, strengthening the profession of faith in young people, and assisting others to lead a holy life, etc. At the end of this article I’ve placed a list of what the current universal days are. There are about 20 dates through out the year.

Addressing “piously assist

Mentioned here and in other indulgences; to “assist” simply means to ‘partake in.’ One may “assist” through attendance, participation, or actually assisting at the event if you take on a key roll.

Addressing “celebrations of this kind

Once again, in an article addressing Days of Prayer and Special Observances (provide by the USCCB) it says:

No liturgical texts or requirements are attached to these observances…However, these important commemorations can certainly be noted in the homily and universal prayer at Mass, and through other community events. Optionally, some of the special observances can be emphasized by drawing from the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions in the Roman Missal, but those that fall on Sundays of Ordinary Time would require the permission of the Diocesan Bishop for an appropriate Mass (see GIRM, no. 374). On days where an observance coincides with an Optional Memorial or a weekday in Ordinary Time, a celebrant would be free to select a fitting Mass (see GIRM, no. 377), although consideration must be given to the fact that many Days of Prayer are scheduled on days when the daily liturgy is quite appropriate (i.e., World Day of the Sick on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking on the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, etc.).

Addressing “pray for these same intentions

Praying for these universal intentions provide a partial indulgence. However, even after my initial research, I am still not sure whether these intentions can be prayed for on any day of the year, or only on these specially designated days.

Certainly, regardless of the answer, it would still be good to pray for universal intentions on any given day. And one would likely still receive a partial indulgence through these prayers, even if it’s through a different indulgence grant. This question is only for the sake of understanding the logistics of this grant.

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.

As promised, this is a list of current universal dates to be aware of for gaining this grant’s Plenary Indulgences. I intend to post them to the calendar but you may find it helpful to add them to your own calendar too.

January

• January 1 — World Day of Peace

• Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (between January 21–27) — Sunday of the Word of God

February

• World Day for Consecrated Life —  February 2

• Second Sunday in February — World Marriage Day

• February 8 — World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking

• February 11 — World Day of the Sick

April

• Fourth Sunday of Easter (variable date in April or May) — World Day of Prayer for Vocations

May

• May 24 — World Day of Prayer for the Church in China

• Seventh Sunday of Easter (variable date in May or June) — World Communications Day

June

• Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests

July

• * Sea Sunday is celebrated on the second Sunday of July

• Fourth Sunday of July  — World Day for Grandparents and Elderly

September

• September 1 — World Day of Prayer of the Care of Creation

• Last Sunday in September — World Day of Migrants and Refugees

October

• October 16 — World Food Day

• Penultimate Sunday in October — World Mission Sunday

November

• * Pro Orantibus Day (World Day of Cloistered Life) is celebrate November 21

• Thirty–Third Sunday in Ordinary Time — World Day of the Poor

• Last Sunday before advent (aka. Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe) — Global Celebration of Youth and Young Adults (World Youth Day)