Double Jubilee Honoring St. Thomas Aquinas: Earn a Plenary Indulgence

St. Thomas Aquinas’ legacy will be commemorated in a special double jubilee by the Vatican.

The celebration coincides with the 700th year since his canonization and his 800th birthday, promising the faithful a rare reward: a plenary indulgence which offers the possibility of lessening the temporal effects of sin.

The Dominican Order, Aquinas’ own, will lead the celebrations.

The proceedings commence with a Mass at Fossanova Abbey, Italy, led by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro today, July 18. On March 7, 2024, the Dominican Order will honor the 750th anniversary of Aquinas’ death at the same location. The jubilee will peak on Aquinas’ 800th birthday, January 28, 2025.

Aquinas, known for his profound theological work, “Summa Theologiae,” stopped writing after a revelation he described as rendering his writings as mere ‘straw’.

To earn the indulgence, the faithful are encouraged to visit Dominican-affiliated holy sites. Participation in the jubilee celebrations, or engaging in personal prayer and reflection can earn the indulgence.

Requirements also include being in a state of grace, having an aversion to sin, and praying for the Pope’s intentions. Confession and Communion are part of the conditions. The indulgence extends to those housebound due to age, illness or other serious reasons, if they spiritually engage with the jubilee events.

As Father Gerard Francisco Timoner III, head of the Dominican Order, put it, the jubilee aims to instill a sense of “profound humility” in service to God and the Church.