Indulgence

[JKH]

I lost a good friend to a rare form of cancer a few weeks ago. I was wanting to do something special for him and his widow. Is it possible to earn an indulgence on the Camino during an ordinary year? I read something about earning an indulgence on St. James’s feast days. Thank you in advance for any information that you can give me.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

This was on the website for the Pilgrim Office. I don't know if answers your question specifically enough, though.

https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/pilgrimage/plenary-indulgence/

The Plenary Indulgence (also known as “The Jubilee”)
The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession). An indulgence is the full remission of all temporal punishment (time spent in purgatory) up to that point in a person’s life. Individuals can gain Plenary Indulgences for themselves and also for the deceased.
In order to gain the Jubilee Indulgence individuals must:

• Visit the Cathedral of Santiago where lies the Tomb of St. James the Great.
• Say a prayer: at least the Apostle’s Creed, the Our Father and a prayer for the intentions of the Pope. It is also recommended that the individual attend Mass.
• Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (go to confession) and Eucharist (go to communion) within the 15 days before or after the visit to the Cathedral.
• Indulgences can be gained at other times in the year through the performance of other acts of devotion. These are outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

 

[Daniel CHIA]

Hi JKH,

You could put his name on the Compostela and then give it to his widow.

I've did this for a friend of mine who passed on before he managed to do his Camino.

Cheers.

 

[t2andreo]

Davebugg (above) accurately cites the actual language from the Cathedral's web page. Catholic doctrine also holds that a live person can obtain the indulgence for a deceased person, by performing those specified sacramental actions, read above... The attribution and accreditation is entirely spiritual...

Also, it should be noted that the conditions set out by the Church for obtaining a plenary indulgence DO NOT include a pilgrimage. However, many pilgrims do combine both. Hence, it is possible to drive, or ride into Santiago and perform the specified actions to obtain an indulgence.

Regardless of the indulgence issue, you CAN receive your Compostela annotated at the bottom "In Vicare Pro" (Latin for "in place of") followed by the name of the person you are dedicating the Camino to. This is used by a living person to dedicate their effort to the memory and soul of a deceased person, or to a living person whose physical condition means they could NEVER accomplish a Camino of their own. Just ask the staff person when you arrive at the counter. It helps if you already have the correct name of the other person's name printed out in Roman letters.

Doing both the sacramental actions to obtain a plenary indulgence and the In Vicare Pro annotation should be adequate to purpose. There is NO certificate to indicate you have received an indulgence.

The practice of issuing formal, written indulgences, typically in exchange for some payment, created a huge scandal in the 1400 and 1500s and is one of the many issues Martin Luther cited (correctly) in his "Ninety-Five Theses" document of 1517, and his subsequent split with the Catholic Church. This practice has LONG since been abandoned. So, obtaining any indulgence is strictly a spiritual thing...and is FREE...

Let's face it, no one shows up at the Pearly Gates waving a Compostela or other paper document proclaiming their entitlement to enter. If we are to believe our Christian faith(s) [plural] the BIG BOSS knows all...

Hope this helps to clarify...

 

[lizlane]

I use the Pieta Prayer Book. It's a pocket-sized paperback book that is lightweight. Every prayer in it carries a full indulgence or partial. It can be found here:

The Pieta Prayer Book

This Pieta Prayer Book features the 15 prayers of St. Bridget, Ave Maris Stella and more. Shop online at The Catholic Company. 15307

www.catholiccompany.com

During Holy Years, when St. James Feast Day falls on a Sunday, pilgrims may enter through a special entrance. One of our forum members wrote a great blog post: https://amawalker.blogspot.com/2008/06/holy-years-in-santiago-de-compostela.php

 

[grayland]

I would appear that the OP's request has been addressed as far as possible by forum members.
The thread has been closed for futher comments.