Privileged Altar
A Privileged Altar (Altare Privilegiatum) was an altar in a Roman Catholic church where a plenary indulgence could be applied in favor of a soul in purgatory by the priest celebrating Mass whenever Mass was celebrated there. This was an additional indulgence, over and above the graces and benefits normally flowing from the celebration of Mass. Such altars were once granted by special concession, but later became widespread: the privilege was extended by the Pope to altars in many churches and by the twentieth century any bishop could designate one altar in each church under his jurisdiction as a privileged altar (normally the main altar for daily Mass in most parish churches).
Privileged Altar
Luca Giarelli · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Field
- altar of Catholic church
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
A Privileged Altar (Altare Privilegiatum) was an altar in a Roman Catholic church where a plenary indulgence could be applied in favor of a soul in purgatory by the priest celebrating Mass whenever Mass was celebrated there. This was an additional indulgence, over and above the graces and benefits normally flowing from the celebration of Mass. Such altars were once granted by special concession, but later became widespread: the privilege was extended by the Pope to altars in many churches and by the twentieth century any bishop could designate one altar in each church under his jurisdiction as a privileged altar (normally the main altar for daily Mass in most parish churches).
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Privileged Altar. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q602849 · wikipedia · Privileged altar
In this article
Overview
Such altars were supposed to have a plaque or inscription nearby: "altare privilegiatum". Individual priests could, by various means, obtain a grant of a "personal privileged altar". This type of grant of the indulgence was not limited to a physical altar, as above, but traveled with the priest whenever, and wherever, he celebrated Mass. Such a privilege was automatically granted by law to cardinals and bishops, and could be obtained by priests upon request or by undertaking the "Heroic Act of Charity", a private commitment by the priest offering to God any indulgences he merited to be applied to the most needy souls in purgatory. The grants of privileged altars were replaced by Norm 20 of Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Constitution Indulgentiarum Doctrina ', which expanded the grant of the indulgence explained above to all Masses, "whatsover", wherever and by whomever they are celebrated.
Privileged Altar is an altar of Catholic church.
Saint Blaise parish church in Abtenau (Salzburg). Skapulier-Altar (1702): Altar painting by Johann Friedrich Pereth.
Wolfgang Sauber
Michaelbeuern abbey church altar by Johann Michael Rottmayr
Werner100359
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Furniture
924 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Prague AltarTerminology
- predellaTerminology
- prie-dieuTerminology
- priority seatTerminology
- Proserpina sarcophagusTerminology
- prothesisTerminology
- public bookcaseTerminology
- Public menorahTerminology
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with Privileged Altar?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.