Plenary
Indulgence for
Divine Mercy Sunday
In a decree dated August 3, 2002, the Apostolic Penitentiary
announced that in order “to ensure that the faithful would observe this day
(Divine Mercy Sunday) with intense devotion, the Supreme Pontiff himself
established that this Sunday be enriched by a plenary indulgence…so that the faithful might receive in great abundance the gift
of the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
In this way, they can foster a growing love for God and for their
neighbor, and after they have obtained God’s pardon, they in turn might be
persuaded to show a prompt pardon to their brothers and sisters.”
The plenary indulgence is granted (under the usual
conditions of a sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and a prayer for
the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on Divine Mercy
Sunday, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin,
even a venial sin, recite the Our Father and the Creed, and also adding a devout
prayer (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!).
Additional provisions are offered for those who are impeded
from fulfilling these requirements, but who wish to acquire a plenary
indulgence. The full text of the decree
of the Apostolic Penitentiary may be found at: www.mercysunday.com. While the readings and prayers for Mass on
this day remain unchanged (they reflect perfectly on Our Lord’s Divine Mercy)
the Holy See offers this reflection:
The Gospel of the Second Sunday of Easter narrates the
wonderful things Christ the Lord accomplished on the day of the Resurrection
during His first public appearance: “On the evening of that day, the first day
of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the
Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with
you.’ When He had said this, He showed
them His hands and His side. Then the
disciples were glad to see the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so even I send
you,’ and then He breathed on them, and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (Jn 20, 19-23).
In addition, the decree requires that parish priests “should
inform the faithful in the most suitable way of the Church’s salutary
provision. They should promptly and
generously be willing to hear their confessions. On Divine Mercy Sunday, after celebrating
Mass they should lead the prayers that have been given above and they should
also encourage the faithful to perform acts of mercy as often as they can.”
From the Feb. 2003 edition of the BCL (Bishops Committee on
the Liturgy) NewsLetter by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY
General Remarks On Indulgences
1. This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon
Law (can. 992) and in the "../../../../archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm"
(n. 1471): "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal
punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the
faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed
conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of
redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions
of Christ and the saints".
2. In general, the gaining of indulgences requires certain
prescribed conditions (below, nn. 3, 4), and the performance of certain
prescribed works (nn. 8, 9, 10 indicate those specific to the Holy Year).
3. To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is
necessary that the faithful be in the state of grace at least at the time the
indulgenced work is completed.
4. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In
order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of
grace:
— have the interior disposition of complete detachment from
sin, even venial sin;
— have sacramentally confessed their sins;
— receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to
receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy
Communion is required);
— pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
5. It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the
sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the
Pope's intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is
performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried
out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act.
Prayer
for the Pope's intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an
"Our Father" and a "Hail Mary" are suggested.
One
sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate
Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father's intentions are required
for each plenary indulgence.
6. For the sake of those legitimately impeded, confessors
can commute both the work prescribed and the conditions required (except,
obviously, detachment from even venial sin).
7. 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.
Cardinal William Wakefield Baum
Major Penitentiary
Bishop Luigi De Magistris
Titular Bishop of Nova
Regent
From the Official Vatican website
