Transcription
Have you ever wondered if someone you loved, a parent, a grandparent, a spouse, a dear friend, might be in purgatory right now, suffering, waiting, desperately hoping that someone on earth will remember them and pray for them? Have you ever felt that deep ache in your heart when you think about the possibility that they might be in pain, purifying their souls, unable to help themselves, completely dependent on your prayers?
If you've ever felt that concern, that sacred responsibility, then what I'm about to share with you today isn't just information. It's the most powerful spiritual weapon you possess as a Catholic. And yet, tragically, most Catholics have never been taught how to use it properly. I'm talking about plenary indulgences. And specifically, I'm going to reveal exactly what St. Shabbel Makloff, one of the most powerful mystics of modern times, taught about the perfect method to gain plenary indulgences for the souls in purgatory.
This isn't theory. This isn't speculation. This is a tested, proven, church approved method that has liberated countless souls from their suffering. S. Sharel had mystical visions of purgatory. He saw what happens at the exact moment when a plenary indulgence is gained for a soul. He described chains literally breaking, purifying flames being extinguished and souls ascending to heaven in brilliant light. And he made a devastating statement that most Catholics have never heard. If the faithful truly understood the power of a plenary indulgence, there wouldn't be a single soul in purgatory. Every Catholic would devote their life to gaining them constantly and all the souls would be freed.
Think about that for a moment. Zen Sharabel, one of the deepest mystics of modern times, someone who had direct visions of spiritual realities, said that if Catholics understood this, purgatory would be empty, completely empty. Not because purgatory isn't real, but because the living would have freed all the souls. The reality most Catholics don't understand what a plenary indulgence actually is. First, we need to demolish the common misunderstandings that prevent Catholics from accessing this power.
Many Catholics think an indulgence is like extra spiritual credit you earn by doing good works, like reward points at a store. This is completely wrong and trivializes something profoundly powerful. Others think it's a kind of easy shortcut that eliminates the need for true conversion or holiness. Also wrong. In fact, you cannot gain a pleenary indulgence without being in a state of grace, which means you must already be in friendship with God. Some even think it's something the church invented to control people or worse to sell during the Middle Ages. This misunderstanding comes from confusion with the historical abuses that Martin Luther correctly protested. But the genuine doctrine of indulgences is completely different from those abuses.
So what exactly is a plenary indulgence according to St. Charbell's teaching and the church? St. Charbell explained it this way. When you sin, even after confessing and receiving God's forgiveness, there are still temporal consequences of that sin. Think of it like this. If you break your neighbor's window during an argument, then apologize and he forgives you. The relationship is restored, but the window is still broken. Someone needs to repair the damage. In the spiritual world, that repair is necessary, too. Not because God is vengeful, but because divine justice requires that the disorder caused by sin be set right again.
Normally, that repair happens in two ways. here on earth through sufferings, penences, and good works offered to God or after death in purgatory. Purgatory is not a place of eternal punishment like hell. It's a state of temporary purification for those who died in friendship with God, but still carry the effects of sin. It's painful, but it's hopeful because everyone in purgatory is eventually going to heaven.
Now, here's the extraordinary power. Christ through his passion, death and resurrection earned infinite merits. Literally infinite. They cannot be measured or exhausted. The saints, especially the Virgin Mary, also earned super abundant merits through their heroically holy lives. These merits form what the church calls the treasury of the church. And Christ gave the church through Peter and his successors the authority to open this treasury and apply these merits to souls who need them. This is an indulgence. A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment for sin. A plenary indulgence removes all of it all completely. It's as if the person had never sinned in terms of temporal consequences.
S. Shabel saw this spiritually. He described that when a soul in purgatory received the benefit of a plenary indulgence, the transformation was instantaneous, not gradual, not slow, instantaneous. Why? Because you're not applying your own limited merits. You're applying Christ's infinite merits. And the infinite can pay any finite debt instantly. It's like if you owed a million dollars and someone with unlimited wealth paid your entire debt at once. Zero debt immediately.
Why so few Catholics use this power? The five obstacles. If plenary indulgences are so powerful, why do so few Catholics gain them regularly? St. Charbell identified five main obstacles.
Obstacle one, theological ignorance. Most Catholics simply were never taught about indulgences. Not in modern catechesis, not in homalies, not in formation programs. There's a collective amnesia about this treasure. San Shabel lamented that priests and catechists neglect this teaching because it seems old-fashioned or too complicated or because they fear being seen as superstitious. But ignorance leaves millions of souls suffering in purgatory when they could be freed.
Obstacle two, confusion with historical abuses. Many Catholics who know something about indulgences confuse them with the medieval abuses that Martin Luther legitimately protested. They think, "Isn't this what caused the Protestant Reformation? Wasn't it proven to be corrupt?" But the doctrine of indulgences is completely different from the abuses. The abuses involved selling indulgences for money, distorting their meaning, and exploiting people's fears. That was wrong, and the Catholic Church agreed it was wrong. But the genuine doctrine correctly understood and practiced is biblical and apostolic.
Obstacle three, spiritual laziness. Gaining a pleenary indulgence requires effort. It's not difficult, but it requires intention, preparation, and deliberate action. You can't gain it passively or by accident. San Sharbel observed that many Catholics want easy spirituality. They want to feel good without actually committing. They pray occasionally when they feel inspired, but they don't have consistent spiritual discipline. And gaining indulgences requires exactly that, consistent discipline.
Obstacle four, disbelief in purgatory. Many modern Catholics influenced by secularism secretly don't believe in purgatory. They think it's an outdated medieval concept. Or they've adopted a kind of vague universalism where everyone goes to heaven anyway. But if you don't believe in purgatory, why would you care about indulgences? And if you don't believe souls are actually suffering there right now, why would you be motivated to do anything about it? S. Shabel, however, saw purgatory mystically and knew it was absolutely real, absolutely painful, and absolutely necessary for many souls who die in grace but imperfectly purified.
Obstacle five, spiritual individualism. Modern culture emphasizes extreme individualism, my personal spiritual journey, my private relationship with God, but indulgences work through the doctrine of the communion of saints, which is fundamentally communal and interconnected. The idea that you can help souls in purgatory through your prayers and actions requires believing that the church is truly a spiritual family where members help each other even across death. This challenges modern individualism. St. Charbell emphasized that genuine Catholic spirituality is never solitary. We are always connected. the church militant on earth, the church suffering in purgatory, and the church triumphant in heaven. And this connection isn't just poetic. It's real and functional.
The power St. Charbell saw three extraordinary revelations. St. Charel received three specific mystical revelations about the power of plenary indulgences that are rarely discussed.
Revelation 1, an indulgence frees completely, not partially. St. Chaveel explained that many people think a plenary indulgence only helps a soul, reducing their time in purgatory, but not eliminating it completely. This is wrong. A plenary indulgence when all requirements are met and interior dispositions are perfect removes all temporal punishment. All the soul is completely purified and can enter heaven immediately. He described his visions. He saw a soul in purgatory wrapped in purifying flames carrying heavy chains. At the exact moment a plenary indulgence was gained and applied to that soul, he saw the chains break and fall, the flames extinguished completely, and the soul, now in brilliant white garments, ascend immediately to heaven. There was no delay. There was no gradual process. It was instantaneous because Christ's merits are infinite and can purify any soul completely in an instant.
Revelation two, you can gain multiple indulgences per day. Many Catholics think you can only gain one plenary indulgence per day or maybe per week. This is also wrong. Sang Shabbel revealed that while you can apply only one plenary indulgence to yourself per day, because after the first one, you'd already be completely purified, you can gain multiple plenary indulgences on the same day if you apply them to different souls in purgatory. He had an extraordinary practice. He would gain up to three or four plenary indulgences in a single day, each applied to a different soul in purgatory. This meant he was potentially liberating three or four souls to heaven in a single day. Imagine waking up in the morning as an ordinary person going about your day normally, but by the end of the day having freed four immortal souls from the prison of purgatory to the eternal glory of heaven. What extraordinary cosmic impact from a seemingly ordinary day.
Revelation 3. Freed souls become your eternal intercessors. This was perhaps the most beautiful revelation St. Charbell shared. He said that when you free a soul from purgatory through a plenary indulgence, that soul doesn't forget you when they enter heaven. On the contrary, they become your eternal friend and powerful intercessor. He explained, "Imagine you were imprisoned in a dark cell, suffering intensely, unable to help yourself. Then someone you don't even know comes and pays your entire debt, opens the prison door, and frees you to a life of unlimited happiness. How would you feel about that person? You would be eternally grateful. You would dedicate your life to helping them in any way possible. Souls in heaven feel this exponentially more. When you free them, they become your advocates in heaven, constantly praying for you, interceding in every need, preparing a place for you when you die. St. Charbell said, "Build your army in heaven by freeing souls." Now, when you die, you'll be received not only by Christ and Mary, but by hundreds of souls you freed, all jubilant to welcome you home. He practiced this deliberately. Throughout his life, he gained literally thousands of plenary indulgences. When he died, witnesses reported visions of multitudes of brilliant souls descending to escort St. Charbell to heaven. All singing gratitude for their liberation.
How to access this power? St. Charbell's practical method. Now that you understand the true power of plenary indulgences, how do you actually gain one? St. Shabil taught a practical and accessible method.
Step one, ensure state of grace. This is absolutely essential and non-negotiable. You must be free from all mortal sin. If you've committed mortal sin and haven't confessed it sacramentally, you cannot gain a plenary indulgence. Period. St. Shaveel recommended confessing at least once a week, even if you hadn't committed mortal sin, to ensure you were always prepared to gain indulgences.
Step two, receive holy communion. You must receive communion approximately in the same period within about 20 days before or after of performing the indulgenced work. But St. Shabel emphasized that the power is maximum when you receive communion on the same day as the work.
Step three, pray for the pope's intentions. This generally means one our father and one Hail Mary. Though you can pray more, it must be done with the specific intention of fulfilling this requirement for the indulgence.
Step four, perform an indulgence work. There are many works to which the church has attached plenary indulgences. The most common and accessible include adoration of the blessed sacrament for at least 30 minutes, praying the rosary in church, public oretry or with family, praying the stations of the cross, physically moving from station to station, reading sacred scripture for at least 30 minutes with reverence, visiting a cemetery, and praying for the deceased, especially effective November 1 date.
Step five, have detachment from all sin. This is the most subtle but crucial requirement. You must have interior detachment from all sin, even venial. It doesn't mean you'll never commit venial sin again. But it means your heart isn't clinging to any sin. You're not justifying anything. You're not planning to continue in some sinful habit.
Step six, form the specific intention. Before performing the work, explicitly form the intention to gain a plenary indulgence. Say mentally or verbally, I offer this work with the intention of gaining a plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory.
Step seven, apply the indulgence to souls. Specify for which soul or souls you're offering the indulgence. It can be a specific deceased person, a category like souls of priests in purgatory or all the souls in purgatory in general. Zan Shabbel frequently practiced applying his indulgences to the soul who most needs my prayers or to the soul who is closest to entering heaven so they would be freed immediately.
Three powerful practices St. Charbell recommended. St. Shaveel developed three specific practices to maximize the power of gaining indulgences.
Practice one, the triple day. On days when you have more time, especially Sundays or holy days, St. Charbell recommended gaining three plenary indulgences. Morning, attend mass, receive communion, then do 30 minutes of adoration of the blessed sacrament immediately after. Pray for the Pope's intentions. First indulgence gained. Afternoon at 300 p.m. Hour of Divine Mercy, pray the complete stations of the cross moving between the stations. Pray again for the Pope's intentions. Second indulgence gained. Evening. Gather family or a group to pray the complete rosary. Each person prays for the Pope's intentions individually afterward. Third indulgence gained. Result, three souls potentially freed from purgatory in a single day.
Practice two, the liberation novena. St. Charel taught a powerful novena. For nine consecutive days, gain one pleenary indulgence each day. All applied to the same specific soul. Why nine days if one indulgence should be enough? Because as St. Shaveel explained, "Sometimes we're not certain if we met all requirements perfectly or if our interior dispositions were perfect. Doing nine consecutive days ensures that even if some attempts were imperfect and became only partial indulgences, the cumulative effect would certainly free the soul."
Practice three, the annual commitment. Sir Charbell challenged devout Catholics to commit to gaining at least one plenary indulgence per week for an entire year. This means 52 indulgences per year, potentially 52 souls freed. He said, imagine arriving in heaven and being received by 52 grateful saints you freed. Now imagine doing this for 10 years, 20 years, a lifetime. You'll have an army of intercessors and will have emptied a significant portion of purgatory.
Why this matters urgently. Three forgotten reasons. St. Charbell gave three urgent reasons why gaining indulgences for souls should be a priority for every Catholic.
Reason one, supreme charity to the helpless. The souls in purgatory cannot help themselves. Their time of merit ended at death. They depend completely on our prayers and sacrifices. Not helping them when we can is neglecting the most urgent charity. Saveel said, "If you saw someone imprisoned in a dark cell begging for help, and you had the key in your hand, but simply walked by without opening the door, it would be inexplicable cruelty." But we do this every day with souls when we ignore indulgences.
Reason two, preparation for your own death. Every Catholic will probably go through purgatory unless they achieve heroic sanctity. By freeing souls now, you're creating a network of intercessors who will pray intensely for you when you're there. Even more, the more you gain indulgences and practice detachment from sin, the more you purify your own soul now, potentially reducing or eliminating your own time in purgatory.
Reason three, glory to God multiplied. Each soul that enters heaven glorifies God perfectly for all eternity. When you free a soul from purgatory, you're accelerating the moment when that soul begins their eternal glorification of God. St. Charel explained, "Each freed soul is like lighting an eternal candle that will never go out. Each one praising God with unique and beautiful light. You have the power to light those candles. Why leave the world darker when you can illuminate it?"
Conclusion. St. Charbell's challenge for you. Now you know what few Catholics know. The true extraordinary power of a plenary indulgence. You know you can literally open the doors of purgatory, free souls to eternal glory, and build an army of intercessors in heaven. The question now isn't if you know, it's if you'll act. Because you can have all this knowledge. You can agree intellectually with everything I've shared. But if you don't repeat what St. Charbell did, nothing will change. Souls will continue suffering. Loved ones will remain in purification. The opportunity will be wasted.
But if you decide today to begin gaining indulgences faithfully, you'll see with your own eyes what I'm promising. Not because I say so, but because it's a spiritual law as real as gravity. When you open the channels for God's infinite merits to flow to suffering souls, he responds always. This week, commit to gaining your first plenary indulgence deliberately. Not tomorrow, not someday, this week. Choose a day. Plan it. Confess if necessary. Go to mass. Receive communion. Pray for the Pope's intentions. Do one of the indulgenced works. Apply it to the soul you choose. And when you do, trust that something real and extraordinary happened in the invisible world. A soul was freed. A door was opened. Someone entered God's presence because of you. Then do it again next week and the next until it becomes your lifestyle, your mission, your legacy. St. Chaveel promised, "Those who dedicate their lives to freeing souls will be received in heaven with indescribable joy. They will see face to face those they freed and they will finally understand the extraordinary power that was in their hands all along. Don't let that power go to waste. Don't leave souls suffering when you can free them. Don't arrive in heaven wishing you had known, had acted, had used the treasure that was available to you all the time. Start this week. Free a soul, then another, and another. Purgatory is waiting to be emptied. St. Charbell is waiting for you to join him in this mission. The souls are waiting for you. Go and use the power that few Catholics know they have.
If this message touched your heart, share this video. There are millions of Catholics who've never heard about this power. Comment below when you gain your first indulgence and which soul you offered it for. and subscribe to this channel for more profound teachings from St. Charbell that can completely transform your spiritual life. May St. Charbell intercede for you. May the souls you free pray for you. And may you enter heaven with an army of grateful saints welcoming you to the eternal home.