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 defined conditions through the Church’s help. A plenary (meaning “full”) indulgence is a special type of indulgence that, if all the requirements are met, removes all temporal punishment due to one’s sin. The church uses the power of the keys given to St. Peter by Jesus in Scripture (Matthew 16:18) to remove temporal consequences that still remain from sins committed. Even if we have been forgiven of a particular sin, we still experience the consequences of that sin in our lives.
To obtain an indulgence, Catholics in the state of grace must:
The faithful who devoutly visit the Basilica of Saint Mary (i.e., make a pilgrimage) and within it participate in any sacred rite or at least recite the Lord’s Prayer and the profession of faith may obtain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions listed above.
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who visit a cemetery and pray for the departed on any and each day from November 1 to 8 or who devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed on All Souls Day.
The Basilica of Saint Mary
310 South Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Main Offices
313 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact
Phone: 703-836-4100
Fax: 703-549-3605
Email Contact
Office Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
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