God, in His Divine Mercy, will always forgive us when we go to Him with a genuinely contrite heart. But it’s important to remember that forgiveness of a sin is separate from punishment for the sin. Through sacramental confession we obtain forgiveness, but we aren't ‘let off the hook’ as far as punishment goes.

A Holy Year brings with it the chance for the faithful to gain a plenary indulgence. (An indulgence is defined as "the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned.")

A plenary indulgence may be obtained any day during the jubilee year by making a pilgrimage to an officially named pilgrimage site and fulfilling the conditions required by the Church:

• Sacramental Confession within a week of the pilgrimage.
• Reception of Holy Communion within a week of the pilgrimage.
• Prayers for the intentions of the Pope (such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be).
• A spirit of total detachment of any inclination to sin.
• A desire to join spiritually in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.

Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth.