Indulgence for the Dead, 1–8 November and All Souls' Day – How to Help Your Loved Ones

What is an indulgence?

An indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. A plenary indulgence remits all temporal punishment. The faithful may gain it for themselves or apply it to the dead – and in November the Church especially encourages the latter.

Indulgence for the dead, 1–8 November

From 1 to 8 November a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls of the dead, can be gained each day. The conditions are:

• visiting a cemetery,
• praying for the dead – even if only mentally.

Indulgence on All Souls' Day – 2 November

On the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed a plenary indulgence for the dead can be gained by visiting a church or oratory and reciting there the Our Father and the Creed.

The necessary conditions

To gain a plenary indulgence, the usual conditions are also required:

• being in a state of grace and sacramental confession,
• Holy Communion,
• prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father (e.g. an Our Father and a Hail Mary),
• freedom from all attachment to any sin, even venial sin.

A plenary indulgence can be gained once a day. If any of the conditions is lacking, the indulgence is partial.

Why priests celebrate three Masses on 2 November

On All Souls' Day every priest may celebrate three Holy Masses. This privilege was granted to the whole Church by Pope Benedict XV in 1915, during the First World War, when millions of people were dying.

Other ways to help the dead in November

• Holy Mass – the most precious gift for the deceased. See a single Mass, a novena for the dead or Gregorian Masses.
• Remembrance of the dead by name – once only, during the octave or annually.
• Personal prayer – “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord”, the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.