Wishing you a Holy day in Jesus and Mary,
I have a question to ask you.

We know that to obtain the daily plenary indulgence, the Holy Rosary recited with other people in addition to Communion, Confession and prayer for the Supreme Pontiff is fine. Now I was wondering: given that sometimes I happen to recite the Holy Rosary via telephone with other people, whether this method was suitable for gaining plenary indulgence.

You are always in my prayers and I hope you will remind me to Jesus and Mary in the Holy Mass.
A fraternal greeting in Jesus and Mary.

Mattia.

Priest’s answer

Dear Mattia, 
1. In the Manual of Indulgences, number 48 reads : “A plenary indulgence is granted, if the Rosary is recited in a church or public oratory or in a family group, a religious Community or pious Association; a partial indulgence is granted in other circumstances’’ 

2. Your virtual meeting does not expressly fall into any of these categories.

However, since according to the very mind of the Church the law is made in favor of men, the law that prevents or prohibits must be interpreted in the most restricted way and the law that favors must be interpreted in the widest way and in one’s favor (odiosa sunt restringenda et favorabilia sunt amplianda), your coming together is comparable to that of a pious association, even if there is no ecclesiastical decree.

Therefore in my opinion you can obtain plenary indulgence.

3. I would like to take this opportunity to recall some requirements for obtaining plenary indulgence.

The Manual of Indulgences specifies that for plenary indulgences the following norms must be observed:
1- the recitation of only the third part of the Rosary is sufficient; but the five decades must be recited without interruption.
2- pious meditation on the mysteries must be added to vocal prayer.
3- in public recitation, the mysteries must be stated according to the proven custom in force in the place; instead in private recitation it is sufficient for the faithful to add meditation on the mysteries to the vocal prayer (in other words it is not required that the person praying says for example: in the fifth joyful mystery one contemplates etc…, but they can go on without mentioning the mystery. It is enough that they connect with it mentally. (editor’s note).

4. In the same Manual of indulgences we can read too: “The Rosary is a practice of piety in which the recitation of 15 decades of “Hail Mary”, interspersed with the “Our Father” is combined with the pious meditation of as many mysteries of our redemption. However, the third part of this is also called Rosario”. (t/n)

I thank you for always being in your prayers.

I too will gladly do the same thing for you.
I bless you and wish you all the best.
Father Angelo

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