What is the Ignatian Year?
On May 20, 2021, the Society of Jesus and the Ignatian family began the worldwide celebration of the Ignatian Year. On that day, 500 years ago, St Ignatius was wounded by a cannonball while defending Pamplona. For him, it was a major failure and a change of plans in what he envisioned for his future, full of riches and worldly exploits. However, this failure started a process of conversion, which led Ignatius to have bigger dreams, no longer centered on himself, but rather on God. It helped St. Ignatius to see all things new in Christ.
As announced by Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ in a letter announcing the Ignatian Year, we celebrate this year to remind us of the daily opportunity to experience a new conversion and to live a transforming experience. It is a call to allow the Lord to reveal to us a new enthusiasm, interior and apostolic, a new life, new ways of following Christ: “To see all things new in Christ.”
As announced by Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ in a letter announcing the Ignatian Year, we celebrate this year to remind us of the daily opportunity to experience a new conversion and to live a transforming experience. It is a call to allow the Lord to reveal to us a new enthusiasm, interior and apostolic, a new life, new ways of following Christ: “To see all things new in Christ.”
On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the conversion of Saint Ignatius and the 400th anniversary of his canonization, the Holy See grants, at the request of Father General, a plenary indulgence to the faithful who visit the churches of the Society during the Ignatian Jubilee Year (May 20, 2021 – July 31, 2022). It is customary for the Church to offer this indulgence during the Holy Years, usually celebrated every 25 years. She does so today in this time of great symbolic importance, which is the Ignatian Jubilee Year, in order to help the faithful to move forward in their journey of conversion. During these privileged months, the faithful are invited to take an extra step, which shows their desire to deepen their pilgrimage. This means in practice going to a specific place of the Society of Jesus – church or oratory – to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, celebrate the Eucharist and pray for the intentions of the Pope. This can be one more step on the path to holiness to which we are all invited.
From the letter of Fr. General Arturo Sosa, S.J.
What are the conditions to gain plenary indulgence?
Here are the conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence in Ignatian Jubilee Year:
A visit to a Jesuit church or chapel to celebrate the Eucharist
Receive the sacrament of reconciliation
Pray for Pope’s intentions
A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace:
Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin
Have sacramentally confessed their sins
Receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required)
Pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff
It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced.