Manual of Indulgences

A carefully prepared edition of the Church’s treasury of indulgences for seeking God’s mercy and growing in a life of grace.

Every Christian stands in need of Christ’s mercy, not only for the forgiveness of sin but for the healing and purification that restore us to full communion with God. Indulgences are one of the ways that the Church, drawing from the merits of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, opens that mercy to the faithful.

Closely united to the Sacrament of Penance and the sacrifice of the Mass, indulgences remit the temporal punishment due to forgiven sin, helping us grow in holiness through prayer, penance, and works of charity. The Manual of Indulgences invites Catholics to step confidently into this mercy, offering clear guidance for making use of this gift of grace in the ordinary life of faith. 

This exclusive English-language edition of the Manual of Indulgences provides the Church’s official list of prayers and pious practices enriched with indulgences. It explains what indulgences are, how they are obtained, and how the faithful may apply them either to themselves or to the souls of the dead. Whether used for personal devotion, parish ministry, or spiritual formation, this volume serves as a trusted companion for repentant and faithful Catholics seeking to grow in the life of grace and to unite their prayers, works, and sufferings more closely to the saving sacrifice of Christ.

This edition is part of The Vatican Collection from Ascension, which features official documents from the Vatican previously published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).