← [[ei-en-04|Introduction]] | [[enchiridion-indulgentiarum-en|Manual of Indulgences]] | [[ei-en-06|The Four General Concessions]] → # Norms on Indulgences **N. 1** – An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sins, whose guilt is forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain and clearly defined conditions through the intervention of the Church, which, as the minister of Redemption, dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasury of the expiatory works of Christ and the saints. **N. 2** – An indulgence is partial or plenary according to whether it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due sin. **N. 3** – The faithful can obtain partial or plenary indulgences for themselves, or they can apply them to the dead by way of suffrage. **N. 4** – The faithful who perform with at least inward contrition an action to which a partial indulgence is attached obtain, in addition to the remission of temporal punishment acquired by the action itself, an equal remission of punishment through the intervention of the Church. **N. 5** – § 1. Besides the supreme authority of the Church, indulgences can be granted only by those to whom this power has been given by law or granted by the Roman Pontiff. § 2. No authority less than the Roman Pontiff can concede to others the power to grant indulgences unless it has been expressly granted by the Apostolic See. **N. 6** – In the Roman Curia, whatever pertains to the granting and use of indulgences is the competence of the Apostolic Penitentiary, always respecting the right of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to examine whatever pertains to dogmatic teaching concerning indulgences. **N. 7** – Eparchial and diocesan bishops, and others equivalent to them in law even if they lack episcopal rank, have the right from entrance upon their pastoral office: 1. to grant within the territory of their jurisdiction a partial indulgence to all the faithful, and to those faithful belonging to their jurisdiction in places outside this territory. 2. to impart in their respective eparchies or dioceses, according to the prescribed formula, the Papal Blessing with a plenary indulgence three times a year on solemn feasts which they have designated, even if they only assist at the Mass. This Blessing is to be given at the conclusion of Mass in place of the customary blessing, according to the norms given in the Ceremonial of Bishops. **N. 8** – Metropolitans can grant a partial indulgence in either eparchial or suffragan dioceses, as if in their own territory. **N. 9** – § 1. Patriarchs can grant the following in every place, even those exempt, of their own patriarchates; in churches of their rite outside the boundaries of their patriarchate; as well as to the faithful of their rite everywhere: 1. a partial indulgence 2. The Papal Blessing with a plenary indulgence three times a year according to ordinary law and whenever a plenary indulgence is warranted for the good of the faithful because of a particular religious circumstance or reason § 2. Major archbishops have the same faculty. **N. 10** – Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church have the faculty to grant a partial indulgence everywhere, but only to those present, and for that time only. **N. 11** – § 1. The express permission of the Apostolic See is required to publish the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum in any language. § 2. No books, leaflets, and the like, which contain grants of indulgences, may be published without the permission of the local ordinary or hierarch. **N. 12** – According to the mind of the Sovereign Pontiff grants of indulgences for all the faithful take effect only after authentic copies of these grants have been examined by the Apostolic Penitentiary. **N. 13** – If a liturgical celebration or its external solemnity is lawfully transferred, it is understood that an indulgence attached to that liturgical celebration is likewise transferred to the same day. **N. 14** – If a visit to a Church or an oratory is required to obtain an indulgence attached to a particular day, this may be accomplished from noon of the preceding day until midnight of the particular day. **N. 15** – The faithful can acquire an indulgence if they use devoutly one of the following properly blessed pious objects, namely: a crucifix or cross, rosary, scapular, or medal. **N. 16** – § 1. Indulgences attached to visiting a church or oratory do not cease if the church is totally destroyed and then rebuilt within fifty years in the same or almost the same place and under the same title. § 2. An indulgence attached to the use of an article of devotion ceases only if the article is destroyed or sold. **N. 17** – § 1. In order to be capable of gaining indulgences one must be baptized, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed works. § 2. To gain an indulgence, one must have at least the general intention of doing so and must carry out the enjoined works at the stated time and in due fashion, according to the sense of the grant. **N. 18** – § 1. A plenary indulgence can be acquired only once in the course of a day; a partial indulgence can be acquired multiple times. § 2. The faithful however can obtain the plenary indulgence at the hour of death, even if they have already gained one on the same day. **N. 19** – The work prescribed for acquiring a plenary indulgence connected with a church or oratory consists of a devout visit during which an Our Father and the Creed are recited, unless other directives have been laid down. **N. 20** – § 1. To gain a plenary indulgence, in addition to excluding all attachment to sin, even venial sin, it is necessary to perform the indulgenced work and fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff. § 2. A single sacramental confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences; but Holy Communion must be received and prayer for the intention of the Holy Father must be recited for the gaining of each plenary indulgence. § 3. The three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work; it is, however, fitting that Communion be received and the prayer for the intention of the Holy Father be said on the same day the work is performed. § 4. If the full disposition is lacking, or if the work and the three prescribed conditions are not fulfilled, saving the provisions given in Norm 24 and in Norm 25 regarding those who are “impeded,” the indulgence will only be partial. § 5. The condition of praying for the intention of the Holy Father is fully satisfied by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary; nevertheless, one has the option of reciting any other prayer according to individual piety and devotion, if recited for this intention. **N. 21** – § 1. Unless otherwise stated, an indulgence cannot be gained by a work already imposed by law or precept. § 2. One, however, who performs a work which has been imposed as a sacramental penance and which happens to be one enriched with an indulgence, can at the same time both satisfy the penance and gain the indulgence. § 3. Similarly, members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of the apostolic life can obtain the indulgences attached to prayers and pious works already obligatory by reason of their rules and constitutions or by precept. **N. 22** – An indulgence attached to a prayer can be acquired by reciting the prayer in any language, provided that the translation is approved by the competent ecclesiastical authority. **N. 23** – To gain an indulgence it is sufficient to recite the prayer alternately with a companion or to follow it mentally while it is being recited by another. **N. 24** – Confessors can commute either the prescribed work or the conditions in favor of those for whom these are impossible because of a legitimate impediment. **N. 25** – Hierarchs or local ordinaries can grant permission to the faithful over whom they exercise legitimate authority and who live in places where it is impossible or at least very difficult to go to confession or Communion to gain a plenary indulgence without confession and Communion, provided they have contrition for their sins and have the intention of receiving these Sacraments as soon as possible. **N. 26** – Both the deaf and the mute can gain indulgences attached to public prayers if, together with the other faithful praying in the same place, they devoutly raise their mind and affections to God; regarding private prayers it is sufficient for them to recite the prayers mentally or express them with signs, or simply to read them without pronouncing the words. ____________ Notes in this section are numbered by norm (and by sub-norm, as applicable). 1 CIC 1917, can. 911; ID, norm 1; EI 1968, norm 1; CIC 1983, can. 992; EI 1986, norm 1. 2 ID, norm 2; EI 1968, norm 2; CIC 1983, can. 993; EI 1986, norm 2. 3 CIC 1917, can. 930; ID, norm 3, EI 1968, norms 3-4; CIC 1983, can. 994; EI 1986, norms 3-4. 4 ID, norm 5; EI 1968, norm 6; EI 1986, norm 5. 5 § 1: CIC 1917, can. 912; EI 1968, norm 8; CIC 1983, can. 995 § 1; EI 1986, norm 7. § 2: CIC 1917, can. 913; EI 1968, norm 10, 1°: CIC 1983, can. 995 § 2; EI 1986, norm 9. 6 AP, nos. 4-5; REU, no. 113; EI 1968, norm 9; EI 1986, norm 8; PB, no. 120.7 1°: CIC 1917, can. 349 § 2, 2°; IFI, no. 1; CS, cann. 396 § 2, 2°, 364 § 3, 3°, 367 § 2, 1°, 391; EI 1968, norm 11 § 1; EI 1986, norm 10, 1°. 2°: CIC 1917, can. 914; IFI, I; EI 1968, norm 11 § 2; CE, nos. 1122-1126; EI 1986, norm 10, 2°. 8 CIC 1917, can. 274, 2°; IFI, no. 2; CS, cann. 319, 6°, 320 § 1, 4°; EI 1968, norm 12; EI 1986, norm 11. 9 § 1, 1°: CS, can. 283, 4°; EI 1968, norm 13; EI 1986, norm 12. § 2: CS, can. 326 § 1, 1 0°; EI 1968, norm 13; EI 1968, norm 12. 10 CIC 1917, can. 239 § 1, 2 4°; CS, can. 185 § 1, 2 4°; EI 1968, norm 14; EI 1986, norm 13. 11 § 1: CIC 1917, can. 1388 § 2; EI 1968, norm 15 § 2; EI 1986, norm 14 § 2. § 2: CIC 1917, can. 1388 § 1; EI 1968, norm 15 § 1; CIC 1983, can. 826 § 3; EI 1986, norm 14 § 1. 12 CIC 1917, can. 920; EI 1968, norm 16; EI 1986, norm 15. 13 CIC 1917, can. 922; EI 1968, norm 17; EI 1986, norm 16. 14 CIC 1917, can. 923; EI 1968, norm 18; EI 1986, norm 17. 15 ID, norm 17; EI 1968, norm 19; EI 1986, norm 18. 16 norm 19 § 1. norm 19 § 2. §l: CIC 1917, can. 924 § 1 and can. 75; EI 1968, norm 20 §l; CIC 1983, can. 78 § 3; EI 1986, § 2: CIC 1917, can. 924 § 2 and can. 75; EI 1968, norm 20 § 2; CIC 1983, can. 78 § 3; EI 1986, 17 §l: CIC 1917, can. 925 § 1; EI 1968, norm 22 § 1; CIC 1983, can. 996 § 1; EI 1986, norm 20 § 1. § 2: CIC 1917, can. 925 § 2; EI 1968, norm 22 § 2; CIC 1983, can. 996 § 2; EI 1986, norm 20 § 2. 18 §l: CIC 1917, can. 928; ID, norm 6; EI 1968, norm 24 §§ 1, 3; EI 1986, norm 21 §§ 1, 3. § 2: ID, norm 18; EI 1968, norm 24 § 2; EI 1986, norm 21 § 2. 19 ID, norm 16; EI 1968, norm 25; EI 1986, norm 22. 20 § 1: ID, norm 7; EI 1968, norm 26; EI 1986, norm 23 § 1. § 2: ID, norm 9; EI 1968, norm 28; EI 1986, norm 23 § 2. § 3: ID, norm, 8; EI 1968, norm 27; EI 1986, norm 23 § 3.21 22 23 24 25 26 § 4: ID, norm 7, in fine; EI 1968, norm 26, in fine; EI 1986, norm 23 § 4. § 5: ID, norm 10; EI 1968, norm 29; EI 1986, norm 23 § 5. §l: CIC 1917, can. 932; EI 1968, norm 31; EI 1986, norm 24. § 2: CIC 1917, can. 932; EI 1968, norm 31; EI 1986, norm 24. § 3: PA, Responsio ad propositum dubium, July 1, 1992 (AAS 84 [1992] 935). CIC 1917, can. 934 § 2; EI 1968, norm 32; EI 1986, norm 25. CIC 1917, can. 934 § 3; EI 1968, norm 33; EI 1986, norm 26. CIC 1917, can. 935; EI 1968, norm 34; EI 1986, norm 27. ID, norm 11; EI 1968, norm 35; EI 1986, norm 28. CIC 1917, can. 936; EI 1968, norm 36: EI 1986, norm 29. --- ![[maps/bibliography#^biblio-ei]]