Apostolic Pardon?

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While viewing another thread I came upon an unfamiliar term…Apostolic Pardon. The context is one of a dying person being told that when they get Extreme Unction to make sure the priest gives the Apostolic Pardon so that the dying person can go straight to heaven. In all the threads regarding purgatory etc. I don’t think I have ever heard of this. How does this manifest itself?
 
While viewing another thread I came upon an unfamiliar term…Apostolic Pardon. The context is one of a dying person being told that when they get Extreme Unction to make sure the priest gives the Apostolic Pardon so that the dying person can go straight to heaven. In all the threads regarding purgatory etc. I don’t think I have ever heard of this. How does this manifest itself?
The Handbook of Indulgences No. 28:
"Priests who minister the sacraments to the Christian faithful who are in a life-and-death situation should not neglect to impart to them the apostolic blessing, with its attached indulgence. But if a priest cannot be present, holy mother Church lovingly grants such persons who are rightly disposed a plenary indulgence to be obtained in articulo mortis, at the approach of death, provided they regularly prayed in some way during their lifetime. The use of a crucifix or a cross is recommended in obtaining this plenary indulgence. In such a situation the three usual conditions required in order to gain a plenary indulgence are substituted for by the condition ‘provided they regularly prayed in some way.

The three usual conditions are, in addition to being in the state of grace and having the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin:


  1. *]have sacramentally confessed their sins
    *]receive the Holy Eucharist
    *]pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff
 
The Handbook of Indulgences No. 28:
"Priests who minister the sacraments to the Christian faithful who are in a life-and-death situation should not neglect to impart to them the apostolic blessing, with its attached indulgence. But if a priest cannot be present, holy mother Church lovingly grants such persons who are rightly disposed a plenary indulgence to be obtained in articulo mortis, at the approach of death, provided they regularly prayed in some way during their lifetime. The use of a crucifix or a cross is recommended in obtaining this plenary indulgence. In such a situation the three usual conditions required in order to gain a plenary indulgence are substituted for by the condition ‘provided they regularly prayed in some way.

The three usual conditions are, in addition to being in the state of grace and having the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin:


  1. *]have sacramentally confessed their sins
    *]receive the Holy Eucharist
    *]pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff

  1. This last part is not correct. The Enchiridion states:
    In all but the plenary indulgence of In Articulo Mortis, at the moment of death, a plenary indulgence mentioned below MUST be accompanied by the three prerequisites of a plenary indulgence.
    The Apostolic Pardon is the plenary indulgence In Articulo Mortis. The dying may not, in fact, be able to comply with some or even all of the three conditions but they are assuredly still capable of receiving the plenary indulgence.
 
This last part is not correct. The Enchiridion states:
In all but the plenary indulgence of In Articulo Mortis, at the moment of death, a plenary indulgence mentioned below MUST be accompanied by the three prerequisites of a plenary indulgence.
The Apostolic Pardon is the plenary indulgence In Articulo Mortis. The dying may not, in fact, be able to comply with some or even all of the three conditions but they are assuredly still capable of receiving the plenary indulgence.
Looking at the 2006 publication from USCCB, Manual of Indulgences, No. 12:

At The Point of Death

§1 A priest who administers the sacraments to someone in danger of death should not fail to impart the apostolic blessing to which a plenary indulgence is attached.

§2 If a priest is unavailable, Holy Mother Church benevolently grants to the Christian faithful, who are duly disposed, a plenary indulgence to the acquired at the point of death, provided they have been in the habit of reciting some prayers during their lifetime; in such a case, the Church supplies for the three conditions ordinarily required for a plenary indulgence.

§3 In this latter case, the use of a crucifix or a cross in obtaining the plenary indulgence is commendable.

§4 The faithful can obtain this plenary indulgence at the hour of death, even if they have already acquired a plenary indulgence on that same day.
 
Looking at the 2006 publication from USCCB, Manual of Indulgences, No. 12 (not 28) on page 54 of the fourth ed. of Enchiridion Indulgentarium has:

At The Point of Death

§1 A priest who administers the sacraments to someone in danger of death should not fail to impart the apostolic blessing to which a plenary indulgence is attached.

§2 If a priest is unavailable, Holy Mother Church benevolently grants to the Christian faithful, who are duly disposed, a plenary indulgence to the acquired at the point of death, provided they have been in the habit of reciting some prayers during their lifetime; in such a case, the Church supplies for the three conditions ordinarily required for a plenary indulgence.

§3 In this latter case, the use of a crucifix or a cross in obtaining the plenary indulgence is commendable.

§4 The faithful can obtain this plenary indulgence at the hour of death, even if they have already acquired a plenary indulgence on that same day.
For the vast majority of my years, we called it the apostolic blessing. I honestly don’t remember when the terminology changed as I habitually refer to it still as the apostolic blessing, just as I use older terminology for a lot of things, especially now that I am retired. Many times, the person is no longer really able to make a confession at the point I am making my last visit; I am glad when they are able to receive even a small fragment of the Host although the presence of the n/g tube when it is in use precludes that.
 
I know someone close to me who was dying and in the ICU with a failing heart and two collapsed lungs, close to death. He received the Sacrament of the Sick from the Chaplin, but recovered, although still with a terminal condition.
What does the plenary indulgence grant him? Does this change because he did not die at that time? Thanks for any advice.
 
I know someone close to me who was dying and in the ICU with a failing heart and two collapsed lungs, close to death. He received the Sacrament of the Sick from the Chaplin, but recovered, although still with a terminal condition.
What does the plenary indulgence grant him? Does this change because he did not die at that time? Thanks for any advice.
Plenary indulgence, through the authority of the Church, reduces temporal punishment for sin. This can equate to reduced time in purgatory.

It’s not a free pass or a method of receiving forgiveness for sin.

It requires detachment from sin and the spiritual exercises described above.
 
Sounds good but can someone put it into super layman terms?

😊
That particular blessing is a type of plenary indulgence that those thought to be near death can receive when they receive the Anointing of the Sick.
Baltimore Catechism No. 3

Q. 844. What is Plenary Indulgence?

A. A Plenary Indulgence is the full remission of the temporal punishment due to sin.

Q. 845. Is it easy to gain a Plenary Indulgence?

A. It is not easy to gain a Plenary Indulgence, as we may understand from its great privilege. To gain a Plenary Indulgence, we must hate sin, be heartily sorry for even our venial sins, and have no desire for even the slightest sin. Though we may not gain entirely each Plenary Indulgence we seek, we always gain a part of each; that is, a partial indulgence, greater or less in proportion to our good dispositions.
 
I know someone close to me who was dying and in the ICU with a failing heart and two collapsed lungs, close to death. He **received the Sacrament of the Sick from the Chaplin, but recovered, **although still with a terminal condition.
What does the plenary indulgence grant him? Does this change because he did not die at that time? Thanks for any advice.
Maybe God giving him a chance for reparation?
 
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