Jubilee Indulgence

A jubilee entails the granting of indulgences. This practice will acquire an even more important meaning in the Holy Year of Mercy. God’s forgiveness knows no bounds... The mercy of God… becomes indulgence on the part of the Father who, through the Bride of Christ, his Church, reaches the pardoned sinner and frees him from every residue left by the consequences of sin, enabling him to act with charity, to grow in love rather than to fall back into sin…To gain an indulgence is to experience the holiness of the Church, who bestows upon all the fruits of Christ’s redemption, so that God’s love and forgiveness may extend everywhere. Let us live this Jubilee intensely, begging the Father to forgive our sins and to bathe us in his merciful “indulgence.” (Misericordiae Vultus 22)

How to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence
For those able to make a pilgrimage to one of the Jubilee churches in Rome, that is certainly an option. Otherwise, there are nine Holy Doors in the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Going through one of these Holy Doors is a spiritual journey that shows, as the Holy Father said, "the deep desire for true conversion."

In addition to passing through a Holy Door, each pilgrim is to:

receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
receive the Holy Eucharist while reflecting on God's great gift of mercy,
make a profession of faith (recite either the Apostles' or the Nicene Creed), and
pray for the Holy Father and for his intentions (an Our Father and a Hail Mary are recommended).

For those who are elderly, confined and the ill, Pope Francis said that they may obtain the indulgence:

by "living with faith and joyful hope this moment of trial" and
by receiving the Eucharist or by attending Mass and community prayer, "even through the various means of communication" (for instance, a Mass offered on television).

For those in prison, they may obtain the indulgence in their prison chapels.

Indulgences may be obtained for the dead by the carrying out of these same acts by the Faithful with the intention of offering the indulgence for someone who is deceased.

And finally, for all Catholics, this jubilee indulgence may also be obtained when a member of the Faithful personally performs a spiritual or corporal work of mercy.

More information on indulgences can be found on the Vatican website.

What type of indulgence is available during the Jubilee Year of Mercy?

Pope Francis, in his office of universal pastor, has issued a plenary indulgence for those members of the faithful who visit holy doors erected in various locations around the world. In the archdiocese of Toronto, nine such locations have been established. By visiting one or more of these locations and performing the seven-fold criteria for the plenary indulgence, the faithful can be assured of their reception of the plenary indulgence.

How long do I have to go to confession or communion?

Historically, the Christian faithful had to satisfy this condition as early as noon prior to performing the act and up to eight days following. However, current Church discipline allows either twenty days before or after the specified act.

Learn more about indulgences on our FAQ page