How to Receive an Indulgence During the Franciscan Jubilee Year
Author: Teresa Peterson
Date Published: February 14, 2026
On the 800th anniversary of the passing of St. Francis into eternal life, Pope Leo XIV is offering Catholics an extraordinary opportunity to seek God’s grace in a powerful way. By proclaiming a Jubilee Year of St. Francis and offering an indulgence, the pope is calling on the faithful to transform their lives and become “a model of holiness” in the example of St. Francis of Assisi.
God’s mercy means that any sin we confess will be forgiven. We also believe in God’s justice, which means that penance or reparation is needed to repair the harm caused by sin. One form of penance is the Catholic Church’s practice of indulgences, a means of restoring justice and purifying the soul.
Franciscan friars take part in a procession at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, New York City. Visiting a church named after St. Francis or cared for by the Franciscans is one of the steps for receiving an indulgence during this jubilee year.
How to receive a plenary indulgence
Baptized Catholics can receive an indulgence during certain occasions as determined by the Church, such as this year’s Jubilee of St. Francis. The Church prescribes specific actions to be taken to receive the indulgence and to conform the heart closer to Christ. In this article, we outline these actions and provide answers to frequently asked questions about the Jubilee Year of St. Francis.
Br. Kevin Tortorelli, OFM, is shown during confession, an encounter with Christ’s mercy. Participating in this sacrament is one of the steps for receiving an indulgence during this jubilee year.
Here are the six steps for receiving a plenary indulgence during the Franciscan Jubilee Year:
- Visit in the form of a pilgrimage any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship named after St. Francis or connected to him for any reason. Click here to find Franciscan churches and ministries in the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Spend time in meditation and prayer, focusing on the example of St. Francis, his love for all and his zeal for peace among people.
- Pray the following:
a. Our Father
b. Nicene Creed
c. Invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Francis of Assisi, St Clare and saints of the Franciscan Family
- Detach yourself from all sin, even venial.
- Participate in sacramental confession.
- Receive Holy Communion.
Opportunities for the homebound
The homebound and their caregivers can also receive a plenary indulgence provided they are detached from any sin and intend to fulfill the three usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father) as soon as possible. They must join spiritually in the jubilee celebrations of the Year of St. Francis, offering their prayers and sufferings to God.
This is the Portiuncula chapel near Assisi that is linked to a plenary indulgence known as the Pardon of Assisi. The chapel is where St. Francis founded the Franciscan movement. Photo by Ludmiła Pilecka (Wikipedia Commons)
Why is 2026 a Jubilee Year of St. Francis?
According to Pope Leo XIV in his letter to the General Ministers of the Conference of the Franciscan Family, “Eight centuries have passed since the death of the Poverello of Assisi, who wrote the word of Christ's salvation indelibly in the hearts of the people of his time. May the example and spiritual legacy of this Saint, strong in faith, steadfast in hope and ardent in active charity towards his neighbor, inspire in everyone the importance of trusting in the Lord, of living a life faithful to the Gospel, and of accepting and illuminating every circumstance and action of life with faith and prayer.”
What is an indulgence?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus, the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity (#1478).
What are the dates of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis?
According to a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary, a key Vatican office that oversees indulgences: “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Minister of our faith and our joy, establishes that, from January 10, 2026, to coincide with the closing of the Ordinary Jubilee, until January 10, 2027, a special Year of St. Francis may be proclaimed, in which every Christian faithful, following the example of the Saint of Assisi, may himself become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace.”
What is the prayer for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis?
Pope Leo XIV shared this prayer:
Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace, intercede for us before the Lord.
You recognized true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano, teach us to seek in Him the source of all reconciliation that breaks down every wall.
You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding, give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries.
In this time afflicted by conflict and division, intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ.
Amen