Indulg Maxxing

All the Cool (Catholic) Kids are Doing It

Quick question; can you pray the rosary during mass?

According to Twitter/X earlier this month, the answer was an emphatic no.

Many were quick to point out that no, there is not an official church teaching that prohibits anyone from praying a rosary during mass.

But also, why would you want too?

As a convert myself, I find conversations around proper sacramental etiquette to be important. I don’t want to engage in a practice that is abnormal in any way. I just want to be a good catholic.

But the idea that someone would pray a rosary while the mass was going on seemed… absurd? I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to take out their rosary beads and start reciting decades while the priest is leading the mass.

In our group chat we started joking about what would possess someone to pray a rosary during mass. Maybe it was a super alpha gymbro catholic was was trying to max out on indulgences?

decades and lifts, bro bro

“Hey bro, I lifted up your intentions this morning at mass!”

“Thanks bro! Did you also get in a rosary bro?”

“……”

“Come on broski, what are you even doing? Take every thought captive, make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. That’s St. Paul, bro!”

The running joke took its course in our group chat. Wouldn’t it be funny if one of these Gen Alpha “maxxers” started researching indulgences, finding ways to maximize the holy life and procure the maximum amount of indulgences possible. That would be funny, right?

Right?

And then the joke evolved into a serious question for me. Why…aren’t we trying to max out on indulgences? Isn’t earning indulgences, doesn’t that come from our efforts to live holier and more sanctified lives? “Maxxing out” on indulgences on the surface seems unserious at best, profane at worst. But also, shouldn’t we be pursuing them, offering them up once we’ve maxxed out?

I couldn’t get this idea out of my mind. I had to start researching the Church’s teaching on indulgences. And what I learned was pretty interesting.

First, shoutout to Ascension Press who JUST published the Manual of Indulgences, the most up to date version of the manual in March of 2026.

(It does feel pretty crazy to me that as I’m looking this up, there happens to be the most up to date manual available).

From now on “Cool, Calm and Catholic” will be dedicated to extracting what I believe are valuable nuggets from this manual.

For instance, did you know that:

• (N20) in order for an indulgence to gain a plenary status, besides excluding all attachment to sin, even venial, you must also meet the following three conditions:

  • Sacramental confession

  • Eucharistic communion

  • Pray for the intention of the Pope

• (N18) you can only earn 1 plenary a day

• (Grant 17) A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who:

  • devoutly recite the Marian rosary in…. ….an association of the faithful…

    • 5 decades must be recited without interruption

    • Devout meditation on the mysteries is to be added to the vocal prayer

    • In its public recitation the mysteries must be announced in accord with approved local custom

Think for a second about all the rosary spaces that happen on Twitter/X every single day! And it appears based on the manual that if you’re in a state of grace, no attachment to sin, you’re eligible to earn a plenary indulgence for your participation in the rosary spaces!!!!!!

Of course it’s worth pointing out that all plenary intentions must be joined to the intentions of the Holy Father, which to be honest I didn’t even know was a thing before I dived into this manual. It would be AMAZING if the rosary space hosts on Twitter/X added the Pope’s current intentions at the beginning of their rosary spaces, thereby enabling the indulgence earned at the rosary to be plenary eligible.

“But Lucas, the holy life is not a gym exercise. What you’re describing is actually a profane and obscene way to think about indulgences and sanctification. We’re trying to be saints, not athletes.”

I strongly disagree. I believe there’s a reason why St. Paul used a lot of metaphors about athletes, marathons and soldiers in his writings to describe the holy life. Yes, not everyone needs to monitor their decades/reps and document their mortification like an athlete. But far from being a hindrance, taking a maxxing mentality to holiness might actually make a big difference for some Catholics.

“But what’s even the point of maxxing? You earn you indulgence, then you’ve removed the temporal punishment for your sins. Why the emphasis on maxxing after you’ve “maxxed” ?”

Because according to Church teaching:

(N3) The faithful can obtain partial or plenary indulgences for themselves, or they can apply them to the dead by way of suffrage.

We’re asked by the Church to pray for the souls in purgatory. What if you were maxxing out on indulgences, then offering up your surplus indulgences for the souls in purgatory?

“Don’t give up bro. One good Hail Mary is worth more than 150 said badly. That’s Saint Louis de Montfort, the OG Mary Maxxer.”

At the end of the day, I’m just a novice, and I would LOVE for other Catholics to come on this INDULG MAXXING journey with me. Get a copy of the latest Manual of Indulgences, and let’s maxx out together for Jesus and His Church.