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Partial
Indulgence

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Partial Indulgence

Removes some suffering due to sin

When a partial indulgence is gained, it removes some temporal punishment that a person has to suffer that resulted from sin.

One can gain several partial indulgences each day.1

Gaining a Partial Indulgence

Through the authority Christ gave to his Church, she prescribes the works we need to earn partial indulgences. These are...

The Four General Grants

1

A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, while carrying out their duties and enduring the hardships of life, raise their minds in humble trust to God and make, at least mentally, some pious invocation.2

2

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, led by the spirit of faith, give compassionately of themselves or of their goods to serve their brothers in need.3

3

A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, in a spirit of penance, voluntarily abstain from something that is licit for and pleasing to them.4

4

A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, in the particular circumstances of daily life, voluntarily give explicit witness to their faith before others.5

Author's Notes

Grant 1: This can mean that when one faces difficulty or suffering during his or her daily life, a partial indulgence is earned when he or she says a prayer such as, “Lord, have mercy,” or, “Lord, I trust you,” or “Lord, I unite my suffering with your Passion.”

Grant 2: This can mean giving of food, drink, clothing, housing, medicine, employment, education to those who need them. Instruction for the comfort of the soul is also an example. A good guide are The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy: To counsel the doubtful, To instruct the ignorant, To admonish sinners, To comfort the afflicted, To forgive offenses, To bear wrongs patiently and To pray for the living and the dead; and Seven Corporal Works of Mercy.: To feed the hungry, To give drink to the thirsty, To clothe the naked, To shelter the homeless, To visit the sick, To visit those in prison, and To bury the dead.

Grant 3: In giving up something that gives us comfort or pleasure (in some form of mortification so that we learn to conform our bodies to Christ’s poverty and suffering.

Grant 4:This can be in the form of explaining the faith to others or correcting misconceptions about the faith, or teaching someone how to pray.

Other Concessions to Gain a Partial Indulgence

Aside from the four general grants listed above, the Church gives specific grants through the following concessions:

Christian Doctrine
A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who teach or study Christian doctrine. [Grant 6]
Eucharistic Adoration and Procession

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

  1. visit the Blessed Sacrament for adoration;
  2. offer any duly approved prayer to Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament (e.g., the Adoro te devote, the prayer O sacrum convivium, or the Tantum Ergo).
[Grant 7.2]
Eucharistic and Spiritual Communion

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, using any duly approved pious formula, make:

  1. an act of spiritual communion;
  2. an act of thanksgiving after Communion (e.g., Anima Christi; En ego, O bone et dulcissime Iesu).
[Grant 8.2]
Examination of Conscience and Act of Contrition

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, especially in preparation for sacramental confession,

  1. examine their conscience with the purpose of amendment;
  2. devoutly recite an act of contrition, according to any legitimate formula (e.g., the Confiteor, the psalm De profundis, or the psalm Miserere, or any of the gradual or penitential psalms).
[Grant 9]

Author's Note: The Gradual Psalms are Psalms 119 to 133, which were usually sung while pilgrims ascended Mount Zion in Jerusalem to join in the various festivals. They are also called song of degrees and songs of ascents.

Recollection

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who take part in a month of recollection.

[Grant 10.2]
Week of prayer for Christian Unity

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly recite an appropriately approved prayer for the unity of Christians (e.g. Omnipotens et misericors Deus)

[Grant 11.2]
Use of Articles of Devotion

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly use such articles of devotion properly blessed by either a priest or a deacon.

[Grant 14.2]
Mental Prayer

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who for their personal edification devoutly spend time in mental prayer.

[Grant 15]
Listening to Sacred Preaching

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who assist with attention and devotion at other occasions of the preaching of the Word of God.

[Grant 16.2]
Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

  1. devoutly recite the canticle of the Magnificat;
  2. either at dawn, noon, or evening devoutly recite the Angelus with its accompanying versicles and prayer or, during the Easter season, the Regina caeli antiphon with its usual prayer;
  3. devoutly address the Blessed Virgin Mary with some approved prayer (e.g., Maria, Mater Gratiae; the Memorare; the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen); the Sancta Maria, Succurre Miseris; or the Sub Tuum Praesidium.)
[Grant 17.2.3]

Author's Note: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who says the rosary without the three constants (Sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion, and Prayers for the Pope's intentions) required for a plenary indulgence.

Prayer to one’s Guardian Angel

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly invoke the care of their guardian Angel with a duly approved prayer (e.g. Angel of God).

[Grant 18]
Prayers in honor of St. Joseph

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who invoke St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a duly approved prayer (e.g., Ad te, beate Ioseph).

[Grant 19]
Prayers in honor of the Apostles Peter and Paul

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly recite the prayer Sancti Apostoli Petre et Paule.

[Grant 20]
Prayers in honor of the Saints and Blesseds

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who on the memorial of any saint listed in the calendar recite in that saint’s honor the prayer taken from the Missal or another one approved by legitimate authority.

[Grant 21.1]
Novenas, Litanies, and the Little Offices

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

  1. devoutly assist at public novenas (e.g., prior to the Solemnities of the Nativity of the Lord, or of Pentecost, or of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary);
  2. devoutly recite approved litanies (e.g., of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and of the Saints);
  3. piously recite an approved little office (e.g., of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, or St. Joseph).
[Grant 22]
Prayers of the Eastern Churches

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in accordance with particular times and circumstances, devoutly recite one of the following prayers: a Prayer of Thanksgiving (from the Armenian tradition); Evening Prayer, Prayer for the Faithful Departed (from the Byzantine Tradition); the Prayer of the Sanctuary, the Prayer “Lakhu Mara” known as To You, O Lord, (from the Chaldean Tradition); a Prayer for the Offering of Incense, Prayer to Glorify Mary, the Mother of God (from the Coptic Tradition); Prayer for the Remission of Sins, Prayer for Following in the Footsteps of Christ (from the Ethiopian Tradition); Prayer for the Church, Prayer After the Celebration of the Liturgy (from the Maronite Tradition), and the Intercessions for the Faithful Departed from the Liturgy of St. James (from the Syro-Antiochian Tradition).

[Grant 23.2]
Prayers for Benefactors

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, moved by supernatural gratitude, devoutly recite a duly approved prayer for benefactors (e.g., Retribuere dignare, Domine).

[Grant 24]
Prayers for Pastors

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

  1. in a spirit of filial devotion, devoutly recite any duly approved prayer for the Supreme Pontiff (e.g., the Oremus pro Pontifice);
  2. similarly, devoutly recite a prayer taken from the Missal for the bishop of an eparchy or diocese on the occasion of the beginning of his pastoral ministry or on its anniversary.
[Grant 25]
Prayers of Supplication and Acts of Thanksgiving

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

  1. at the beginning and the end of the day,
  2. in starting and completing their work,
  3. before and after meals,

devoutly offer some legitimately approved prayer of supplication and act of thanksgiving (e.g., Actiones nostras; Adsumus; Agimus Tibi gratias; Benedic, Domine; Domine, Deus Omnipotens; Exaudi nos; the Te Deum; the Veni Creator; the Veni Sancte Spiritus; Visita, quaesumus, Domine).

[Grant 26.2]

Prayer before meals. Prayer after meals

Profession of Faith and Acts of the Theological Virtues

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

  1. renew their baptismal vows in any formula;
  2. devoutly sign themselves with the sign of the cross, using the customary words: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen;
  3. devoutly recite either the Apostles’ Creed or the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed;
  4. recite an Act of Faith, Hope, and Charity in any legitimate formula.
[Grant 28.2]
For the Faithful Departed

A partial indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to the faithful who:

  1. devoutly visit a cemetery and at least mentally pray for the dead;
  2. devoutly recite lauds or vespers from the Office of the Dead, or the prayer Eternal rest.
[Grant 29.2]
Reading of Sacred Scripture

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who read the Sacred Scriptures as spiritual reading, from a text approved by competent authority and with the reverence due to the divine word, for any time that is less than half an hour.

[Grant 30.1]

If for some good reason a person is unable to read the Sacred Scriptures, a partial indulgence is granted, as above, if the text of Sacred Scripture is listened to while another person is reading or if it is heard by means of a video or audio recording.

[Grant 30.2]
Visiting Sacred Places

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly visit one of the ancient Christian cemeteries or catacombs.

[Grant 33.2]

Everyday acts to gain a partial indulgence

A short list of acts you can do often everyday

As with all grants to receive partial indulgences, you can do as many of these in a day and receive a partial indulgence each time.
Footnotes
  1. Manual of Indulgences 4th Edition Norm #18.1
  2. op.cit. Grant #1. Cf. SAP, Decr. Pia oblatio quotidiani laboris Indulgentiis ditatur, November 25, 1961 (AAS 53 [1961] 827); Decr. Pia oblatio humani doloris Indulgentiis ditatur, June 4, 1962 (AAS 54 [1962] 475); EI 1968 and 1986, gen. conc. I.
  3. op.cit. Grant #2. Cf. SPA, Indulgentiae apostolicae, June 27, 1963 (AAS 55 [1963] 657-659); EI 1968 and 1986, gen. conc. II.
  4. op.cit. Grant #3. 36 EI 1968 and 1986, gen. conc. III.
  5. op.cit. Grant #4.