November: Month dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory

11-01-2020Monthly Devotions

Christian Charity moves us to pray and offer sacrifices for our family members, friends and benefactors who may still be in Purgatory before they enter the Beatific Vision of God in heaven.

A plenary indulgence may be gained for the Holy Souls by

  1. Every day in the month of November, if one makes a visit to a church and recites the Our Father and the Apostles Creed and fulfill the ordinary requirements of Confessions, Communion, prayer for the pope’s intention, and give up all attachment to sin, even the slightest venial sins. (See requirements below)
  2. Everyday in the month of November, a plenary indulgence may be granted for the dead, if the Christian faithful devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the dead. And also fulfill the ordinary requirements for a plenary indulgence. (See requirements below)
  3. The Vatican also said that, because of the health emergency, the elderly, the sick, and others who cannot leave the house for serious reasons can participate in the indulgence from home by reciting prayers for the deceased before an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. (These people must have the intention of fulfilling the ordinary conditions as soon as possible. See requirements below)

The prayers and offerings that the elderly, the sick and others who cannot leave the house for serious reasons may do, are the following: the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, other prayers for deceased among their family or friends, or performing a work of mercy by offering their pain and discomfort to God.

The Practice of Gaining Indulgences:;

Many have lost the habit of the practice of gaining indulgences.

An indulgence is the remission in the eyes of God of the temporal punishment due to sins that have already been forgiven. The Christian faithful who are rightly disposed and observe the definite, prescribed conditions gain this remission through the effective assistance of the Church, which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively distributes and applies the treasury of the expiatory works of Christ and the saints.

An indulgence may be either partial or plenary.

  • Partial indulgence means that part of the temporal punishment due to our sins is removed.
  • Plenary indulgence means that all the temporal punishment due to our sins is removed.

The conditions that are necessary for one to gain a plenary indulgence are as follows:

  1. Be in the state of grace.
  2. Do the prescribed work or pray that an indulgence is attached.
  3. Receive Holy Communion on the day that the work or prayer is done.
  4. Go to Confession at least 20 days before or after you do the work or prayer that the indulgence is attached.
  5. Pray a Hail Mary or Our Father for the Holy Father’s intentions.
  6. Desire to give up all attachment to sin, even the slightest venial sin.

Note: A person can gain a Plenary Indulgence for oneself or for a soul in Purgatory. Also one can only gain one Plenary Indulgence a day. 

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