Cardinale Zuppi prays at a cemetery in San Girolamo della Certosa. | Archdiocese of Bologna
Vatican City, Oct 28, 2021 / 07:12 am
This year, the Vatican has decided once again to grant a plenary indulgence to Catholics who visit a cemetery to pray for the dead on any day in the month of November.
In a typical year, the Church only grants this plenary indulgence for the souls in Purgatory to those who pray in a cemetery on Nov. 1-8, the week of the Solemnity of All Souls’ Day.
But last year the Apostolic Penitentiary issued a decree that extended the availability of certain plenary indulgences amid concerns about avoiding large gatherings of people in churches or cemeteries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vatican announced on Oct. 28 that this same decree would also apply in November 2021.
This includes the particular Nov. 2 plenary indulgence one can receive for the souls in Purgatory by visiting a church or an oratory and reciting an Our Father and the Creed, which can now also be done on any day in November.
A plenary indulgence remits all temporal punishment due to sin. It must always be accompanied by a full detachment from sin.
A Catholic who wishes to obtain a plenary indulgence must also fulfill the ordinary conditions of an indulgence, which are sacramental confession, reception of the Eucharist, and prayer for the pope’s intentions.
Sacramental confession and reception of the Eucharist can occur up to about 20 days before or after the indulgenced act.
With the decree for pandemic conditions, those who cannot leave home, such as the sick and the elderly, can still obtain an indulgence by reciting prayers for the deceased before an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary.
They must also spiritually unite themselves to other Catholics, be completely detached from sin, and have the intention of fulfilling the ordinary conditions as soon as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment