On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi in 1226, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special jubilee year along with plenary indulgences. by Almudena Martínez-Bordiú January 12, 2026 at 5:21 PM ET Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a “Special Year of St. …

By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Nov 1, 2024 / 17:35 pm Many Catholics may be unaware that they can obtain not one but eight plenary indulgences for departed souls in the first week of November. For centuries, the Catholic Church widely observed All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) as an octave, extending …

By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Jul 18, 2024 / 12:15 pm The Vatican has granted a plenary indulgence to anyone who visits a sick, lonely, or disabled elderly person on the fourth annual World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly on July 28. Those who are grandparents or elderly themselves can …

By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, May 13, 2024 / 14:43 pm The Vatican issued a decree on Monday outlining the many ways that Catholics can obtain a plenary indulgence during the 2025 Jubilee Year. The decree signed on May 13 by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the new head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, …

By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Apr 10, 2024 / 18:00 pm Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), announced April 9 the opportunity for Catholics who participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and the National Eucharistic Congress to receive plenary indulgences. Broglio requested that the …

By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Mar 20, 2024 / 07:00 am Did you know that there are several ways you can gain a plenary indulgence during Lent? There are actually four ways you can receive one. Even though Lent is nearly over, there is still plenty of time for you …

By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Nov 25, 2023 / 08:00 am This year, Catholics will be able to receive a plenary indulgence from Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to Feb. 2, 2024, the feast of the Presentation in the Temple of Our …

By Carl Bunderson Denver, Colo., Jul 28, 2023 / 07:00 am The feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula and its associated indulgence is a way to focus on the importance of Mary and the Franciscan tradition in the Church, according to one friar. The Aug. 2 feast is …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jul 15, 2023 / 09:00 am The Vatican is granting a plenary indulgence to anyone who participates in the two years of jubilee celebrations of St. Thomas Aquinas leading up to the 800th anniversary of his birth. Beginning with the 700th anniversary of Aquinas’ canonization on …

By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Jul 5, 2023 / 10:58 am The Vatican will again offer a plenary indulgence to mark the third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on July 23. The indulgence can be received by grandparents, the elderly, and all Catholics who, “motivated by the true spirit …