Indulgence concretely manifests God’s mercy. Indeed, this treasure of grace makes it possible to free one’s heart from the burden of the punishment resulting from sin. This is the starting point for the Norms for Granting Indulgence During the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, published by the Apostolic Penitentiary. What must one do to obtain it?
Let us explain the provisions and principles indicated for obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence.
The text states that all the truly repentant faithful, excluding any attachment to sin and moved by a spirit of charity, and who, during the Holy Year, purified through the sacrament of penance and refreshed by Holy Communion, pray according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, may obtain from the treasury of the Church a most complete Indulgence, remission and forgiveness of their sins, which may be applied to the souls in Purgatory by way of suffrage:
I. On sacred pilgrimages
The faithful, pilgrims of hope, may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence granted by the Holy Father if they undertake a devout pilgrimage:
• to any sacred Jubilee site: where they devoutly participate in Holy Mass (whenever permitted by the liturgical norms, preference may be given to the proper Mass for the Jubilee or to a votive Mass: for reconciliation, for the remission of sins, to ask for the virtue of charity and for the concord of peoples); a ritual Mass for the conferral of the sacraments of Christian initiation or the Anointing of the Sick; the celebration of the Word of God; the Liturgy of the Hours (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer); the Stations of the Cross; the Marian Rosary; the Akathist hymn; or a penitential celebration ending with the individual confessions of the penitents, as established in the Rite of Penance (Form II);
• in Rome: to at least one of the four major papal basilicas: St. Peter’s in the Vatican, the Most Holy Savior in the Lateran, St. Mary Major, or St. Paul Outside the Walls;
• in the Holy Land: to at least one of the three basilicas: the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Nativity in Bethlehem, or the Annunciation in Nazareth;
• in other ecclesiastical jurisdictions: to the cathedral church or other churches and sacred places designated by the local Ordinary. The Bishops will take into account the needs of the faithful, as well as the importance of preserving the meaning of the pilgrimage intact, with all its symbolic power, capable of expressing the ardent need for conversion and reconciliation.
II. On pious visits to sacred places
Likewise, the faithful may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, individually or in a group, they devoutly visit any Jubilee site and spend a suitable amount of time there in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and invocations to Mary, Mother of God, so that during this Holy Year everyone «may experience the closeness of the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children» (Spes non confundit, 24).
On the special occasion of the Jubilee Year, in addition to the aforementioned important pilgrimage sites, the following other sacred places may also be visited under the same conditions:
• in Rome: the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, the Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, the Basilica of San Sebastiano (the devout visit known as the “seven churches,” so dear to St. Philip Neri, is strongly recommended), the Shrine of Divine Love, the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, the Church of San Paolo alle Tre Fontane, the site of the Apostle’s martyrdom, the Christian catacombs; the churches along the Jubilee paths dedicated respectively to the Iter Europaeum and the churches dedicated to the Patron Women of Europe and Doctors of the Church (Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Santa Brigida in Campo de’ Fiori, Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Church of Trinità dei Monti, Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, Basilica of Sant’Agostino in Campo Marzio);
• in other places around the world: the two minor papal basilicas in Assisi, those of St. Francis and St. Mary of the Angels; the pontifical basilicas of Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of Pompeii, and St. Anthony of Padua; any minor basilica, cathedral church, co-cathedral church, Marian shrine, as well as, for the benefit of the faithful, any distinguished collegiate church or shrine designated by each diocesan or eparchial Bishop, as well as national or international shrines, «holy places of welcome and privileged spaces for generating hope» (Spes non confundit, 24), designated by the Episcopal Conferences.
Since the complete list of Jubilee churches for the 2025 Jubilee may still be under development, it is strongly recommended to check regularly for updates on the official websites of the dioceses or on the 2025 Jubilee portal for current information.
The truly repentant faithful who cannot participate in solemn celebrations, pilgrimages, and pious visits for serious reasons (such as, above all, cloistered nuns and monks, the elderly, the sick, prisoners, as well as those who, in hospitals or other care facilities, provide continuous service to the sick) may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence under the same conditions if, united in spirit with the faithful present, especially at times when the words of the Supreme Pontiff or diocesan Bishops are broadcast through the media, they recite in their own homes or wherever the impediment keeps them (e.g., in the chapel of the monastery, hospital, care facility, prison…) the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers in keeping with the purposes of the Holy Year, offering their sufferings or the hardships of their lives.
III. Through works of mercy and penance
Furthermore, the faithful may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, with a devout spirit, they participate in popular missions, spiritual exercises, or formation meetings on the texts of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, held in a church or another suitable place, according to the mind of the Holy Father.
Despite the rule that only one plenary Indulgence may be obtained per day (cf. Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, 4th ed., norm 18, § 1), the faithful who have made an act of charity for the souls in Purgatory, if they legitimately receive Communion a second time on the same day, may obtain the plenary Indulgence twice on that day, applicable only to the deceased (this is understood to be within a Eucharistic celebration; cf. can. 917 and the Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of the CIC, Responsa ad dubia, 1, 11 July 1984). Through this twofold offering, a praiseworthy exercise of supernatural charity is accomplished, because of the bond by which the faithful still journeying on earth are united in the Mystical Body of Christ with those who have already completed their journey, by virtue of the fact that «the Jubilee Indulgence, through the power of prayer, is intended in a particular way for those who have gone before us, so that they may obtain full mercy» (Spes non confundit, 22).
More particularly, «in the Jubilee Year we will be called to be tangible signs of hope for the many brothers and sisters living in conditions of hardship» (Spes non confundit, 10): the Indulgence is therefore also attached to works of mercy and penance, through which the conversion undertaken is witnessed. The faithful, following Christ’s example and command, should be encouraged to perform works of charity or mercy more frequently, chiefly in service of those brothers and sisters burdened by various needs.
More precisely, they should rediscover «the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, burying the dead» (Misericordiae vultus, 15), and likewise rediscover «the spiritual works of mercy: counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant, admonishing sinners, comforting the afflicted, forgiving offenses, bearing patiently with troublesome people, praying to God for the living and the dead» (ibid.).
Likewise, the faithful may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if they spend a suitable amount of time visiting brothers and sisters who are in need or difficulty (the sick, prisoners, elderly people living alone, people with disabilities…), almost as if making a pilgrimage toward Christ present in them (cf. Mt 25:34-36), and fulfilling the usual spiritual, sacramental, and prayer-related conditions. The faithful may certainly repeat these visits during the Holy Year, obtaining the plenary Indulgence on each occasion, even daily.
The Jubilee plenary Indulgence may also be obtained through initiatives that put into concrete and generous practice the penitential spirit that is like the soul of the Jubilee, rediscovering in particular the penitential value of Friday: abstaining, in a spirit of penance, for at least one day from futile distractions (both real and virtual, induced, for example, by the media and social networks) and from unnecessary consumption (for example, by fasting or practicing abstinence according to the Church’s general norms and the provisions of the Bishops), as well as donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor; supporting religious or social works, especially those aimed at defending and protecting life at every stage and the quality of life itself, abandoned children, young people in difficulty, needy or lonely elderly people, and migrants from various countries «who leave their homelands in search of a better life for themselves and their families» (Spes non confundit, 13); dedicating a suitable portion of one’s free time to volunteer activities that serve the community or to other similar forms of personal commitment.
