This year the Church is celebrating the eighth centenary of the passing of Saint Francis of Assisi from earthly life to heaven (3 October 1226) and we were reminded today of the current Jubilee Year of St. Francis by a priest at a Capuchin Franciscan chapel that we frequent.
A plenary indulgence is available to the faithful during this jubilee year, which runs until January 10, 2027.
From the Decree of the Apostolic Peniteniary:
…the Apostolic Penitentiary…grants a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father), also applicable in the form of suffrage for the souls in Purgatory…to all the faithful without distinction who, with a heart detached from sin, participate in the Year of Saint Francis by visiting, in the form of a pilgrimage, any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship anywhere in the world dedicated to Saint Francis or connected to him for any reason, and there devoutly follow the Jubilee rites or spend at least a reasonable period of time in pious meditation and raise prayers to God so that, following the example of Saint Francis, feelings of Christian charity towards their neighbours and authentic vows of harmony and peace among peoples may spring forth in their hearts, concluding with the Our Father, the Creed and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare and all the Saints of the Franciscan Family.
The elderly, the sick and those who take care of them, and all those who are unable to leave their homes for serious reasons may also obtain a Plenary Indulgence, provided they detach themselves from any sin and intend to fulfil the three usual conditions as soon as possible, if they unite themselves spiritually to the jubilee celebrations of the Year of Saint Francis, offering to the Merciful God their prayers, the pains or sufferings of their lives.
From Fr. John A. Hardon’s Catholic Dictionary:
PLENARY INDULGENCE. An indulgence that can remove all the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin. No one but God knows for certain when a plenary indulgence is actually gained, because only he knows whether a person’s dispositions are adequate. One norm for such dispositions is that “all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent.” If these dispositions are in any way less than complete, the indulgence will be only partial. The same provision applies to the three external conditions necessary to gain a plenary indulgence: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope. If these conditions are not satisfied, an otherwise plenary indulgence becomes only partial. These conditions may be satisfied several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work, though preferably Communion should be received and the prayers offered for the pope on the same day as the indulgenced work. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day.
The San Fidelis Friary on Guam is distributing this helpful guide to encourage pilgrims to visit their five churches and chapels in the Archdiocese of Agana:
Works Cited
Hardon, John. Catholic Dictionary: An Abridged and Updated Edition of Modern Catholic Dictionary. PRH Christian Publishing, 2013.
The Apostolic Penitentiary. “Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary for the Eighth Centenary of the Death of Saint Francis of Assisi, Proclaiming a Special Jubilee Year with the Concession of Plenary Indulgences.” The Holy See, 10 Jan. 2026, https://www.vatican.va/content/romancuria/en/organismi-di-giustizia/penitenzieria-apostolica/documenti/20260110-indulgenze-sanfrancesco.html.
