Partial and plenary indulgences can be gained even daily outside the Jubilee year, but because of this holy occasion we are encouraged to obtain them as often as possible during this  year of sanctification.

It has been the custom of the Catholic Church to grant indulgences during the Jubilee year. They vary from pontiff to pontiff but basically they require that the person has to be in a state of grace after having attended confession with a priest and then receiving Holy Communion.

Although Confession is not required daily, the person must have confessions frequently to make sure that he or she receives the Lord worthily in the Holy Eucharist.

A plenary indulgence which is the remission of the temporal punishment for all sins committed, can be gained daily during the Jubilee year. Partial indulgences can be gained also in many ways.

One of the requirements for a plenary indulgence is to pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, to be in a faithful and good spiritual disposition and to fulfil any of the required practices.

The normal required prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father are the Creed, an Our Father and a prayer to Our Lady, which can be said in places designated by the local bishops such as Cathedrals, Churches, shrines or at home.

A plenary indulgence can also be gained by fulfilling the above requirements of prayers for the Holy Father, confession and a state of grace, united to acts of charity such as visiting relatives, friends or people in need and bringing the Presence of the Love of Christ to them.

We can find Christ in those who are in need, specially the elderly, the sick, the imprisoned, the handicapped, the marginalised, the poor in spirit and all those who need charity including the holy souls in Purgatory.

And of course acts of mortification, self denial, abstinence, almsgiving or any kind of charity can merit the Plenary indulgence in many cases.

We can never gain too many indulgences, since they will always overflow to those in need of grace. So let us take this holy opportunity of the great Jubilee 2000 to merit as many indulgences as we can, let us call the mercy of God to flood the earth, let us pray for the fountain of Grace to overflow with peace, love and joy on this arid humanity.

Jubilee 2000
The Work of God
www.theworkofgod.org