The Beauty of Divine Mercy Sunday Plenary Indulgence

On 29 June 2002, the Apostolic Penitentiary  of the Holy See propagated a decree creating new indulgences that may be obtained by the faithful in relation to the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday. This declaration confers a plenary indulgence to those who meet the terms, and a partial indulgence to those who partly meet the conditions.

General Conditions for a Plenary Indulgence:

1. In the Code of Canon Law 992 and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1471 : "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints".

2. In general, obtaining of indulgences needs particular prescribed conditions (as stated below in 3, 4), and the performance of particular prescribed works (in this instance, those granted for the Feast of Mercy)

3. To obtain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is vital that the faithful be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed.  (ex. one must be a Catholic, not excommunicated or in schism.)

4. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. To obtain this, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace: 

• have the interior disposition of absolute disengagement from sin, even venial sin; 

• have sacramentally confessed their sins; 

• receive the Holy Eucharist (it is surely better to receive it while partaking in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is necessary);

• pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. 

5. It is suitable, but not compulsory, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is acted upon; but it is adequate that these sacred rites and prayers be completed within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope's intentions is left to the prerogative of the faithful, but an "Our Father" and a "Hail Mary" are recommended. One sacramental Confession could be enough for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the prayer for the Holy Father's intentions are requisites for each plenary indulgence.

6. Giving the opportunity to the reasonably encumbered, confessors can commute both the work prescribed and the conditions required (except, evidently, disengagement from even venial sin).

7. Indulgences can always be relevant either to oneself or to the souls of the departed, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth.

What is an Indulgence?

The Decree of Indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday confers a plenary or full indulgence to those who meet with certain conditions instituted by the Church and a partial (incomplete) indulgence to those who carry out some but not all or the conditions.

A plenary indulgence is the full remission of the temporal punishment due to sacramentally forgiven sins obtained by the merits of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints. The person becomes as if just baptized and would fly instantly to heaven if died in that instant. A partial indulgence is remission of a portion of the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin is remitted. Partial indulgences are obtained either by carrying out some act to which a partial indulgence is attached (ex.  praying a partially indulgenced prayer), or by the partial fulfillment of the conditions attached to a plenary indulgence.

Eternal and Temporal Punishment or Guilt

Eternal and temporal are two kinds of punishment attached to sin. A person who falls on a mortal sin (serious, grave) loses the friendship of God and with it the life of divine grace within. This punishment is eternal. The person who is not reinstated to grace before death is punished forever in hell, since serious sin is a never-ending insult to an All-Holy God and therefore ought to have a similar punishment. It was to mend for such sin that Jesus became man and was crucified. As God, His sacrifice was unboundedly praiseworthy, as Man He was able to stand for us. He recompensed our mortal sins as a result, which are not just beyond our control of penance but boundlessly beyond it.

Mortal sin, and also venial sin (which has no eternal retribution attached to it), both disrupt the right order within us and in the order of justice in a broad sense. Everyone experiences these temporal consequences of sin, both personally and socially. Sin changes human.  Human sins because she/he is not what she/he is supposed to be. Not only must we be remorseful for our sins, but we must be more painstakingly rehabilitated to the Lord, and demonstrate that conversion (Acts 26:20) by our deeds. Thus, while sacramental absolution forgives the eternal guilt of sin, which needs the infinite merits of Christ, it does not necessarily take away all the temporal punishment, since they are somewhat within our control to repair. Depending on the degree of grief, absolution may result in the penance of all the temporal guilt of sin. However, for that which it does not mend, we must offer further expiation through prayer, penance, carrying the Cross etc., or after death be purified in purgatory, for nothing unclean enters Heaven. (Revelation 21:27)

Indulgence takes an occasion of such expiation (a particular prayer, penance, charity or other selected work) and add to its inherent merit before God an additional value based on the treasury of merits of Jesus Christ, and the saints who perfectly united with Him. This can either partly, or under particular conditions, completely cut down the temporal punishment due to sin. This relies, naturally, on our openness to God's grace. Carrying an indulgenced work should have the result of repairing our will away from our sins and exclusively on God. So that the most significant of the conditions for receiving a plenary indulgence, and the hardest to gratify, is the full disengagement or dislike of our sins. By hating sins, we adjust our will away from creatures towards God. In this way we unlock our will to the action of His mercy flowing into our souls, which alone is able to effect the total remission of the temporal punishment to our sins.

Plenary Indulgence

I. The usual conditions for every plenary indulgence: 

• Sacramental confession (based on previous issued norms, within about 20 days before or after. 

• Eucharistic communion (based on previous issued norms, preferably on the day, or the days before or after). 

• Prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff (certain prayers are not specified).

II. The specific conditions for this Indulgence 

• On Divine Mercy Sunday 

In any church or chapel, in a spirit that is totally removed from the liking for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy.

or, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, pray the Our Father and the Creed, adding a heartfelt prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!") 

• Partial Indulgence 

A partial indulgence, granted to the faithful who, at least with a repentant heart, pray to the merciful Lord Jesus a rightfully approved invocation. (e.g. Jesus I trust in You, My Jesus have mercy. or any other approved invocation)

Those who cannot go to church or the critically ill, conditions for a Plenary Indulgence are as as follows: 

• Completely detesting any sin. 
• The intention of accomplishing as soon as possible the three usual conditions of confession, communion and prayers for the Holy Father. 
• Pray the Our Father and the Creed before a devout image of Our Merciful Lord Jesus.
• Pray a devout invocation to the Merciful Lord Jesus (ex.  Merciful Jesus, I trust in you). 

In reality, while Catholics enjoy such a privilege, non-Catholics commonly argue that the Church conceptualizes such practices that are not Biblical.  It’s interesting to note that Jesus Himself affirmed before He returned to Heaven:

Matthew 16:19  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  And in other circumstance, Jesus said,

John 20:21-23) (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

References:

1.   http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P3I.HTM, Code of Canon Law
2.   https://www.ewtn.com/faith/papalPrayer.htm, Holy Father's Prayer Intentions For 2015
3.   http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a4.htm#1471, Catechism of the Catholic Church
4.   http://catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=6308, The Divine Mercy Indulgence