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Vatican Grants Emergency Plenary Indulgence for Divine Mercy Chaplet
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Because of the pandemic, anyone who, with “the will to fulfil the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father’s intentions), as soon as possible,” recites the Divine Mercy Chaplet with the intention “to implore from Almighty God the end of the epidemic, relief for those who are afflicted and eternal salvation for those whom the Lord has called to Himself,” can receive a plenary indulgence each day.
Two thoughts:
Two thoughts:
- Do we know whether each plenary indulgence would have to have its own sacramental communion, or whether one communion could suffice for all the plenaries obtained, when the time comes again that the penitent could receive communion?
- What is so complicated or burdensome about the prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father, that there would even have to be an “as soon as possible” provision? Those prayers can be recited anytime, anywhere. They take a couple of minutes, tops.
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UpUpAndAway
Guest
I can’t address your first point, but I believe the “as soon as possible” provision refers to the collective “usual conditions” and not to each condition individually. The specific conditions are listed in parentheses to remind the reader of what they are.
It’s like when I was a child and my mother told me that do my homework “now.” She meant to start my homework immediately, not do my math, science and English homework “now,” as that would have required me to do all three simultaneously, an impossible task.
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Vico
Guest
It is a general statement for the usual conditions: “with the will to fulfil the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father’s intentions), as soon as possible.”
When there is not freedom from attachment to all sin, including venial sin, the plenary becomes partial. Many partial indulgences may be obtained in one day per norm 18.
One communion per plenary indulgence (except at the hour of death) is needed per norm 20:
Confession if valid about 20 days before or after the indulgenced act, per a clarification given by the Holy See, for normal conditions.
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Tis_Bearself
Patron
We have a debate going on in another thread about whether, when communion restarts, one would have to “make up” all the missed communions that are being replaced by spiritual communions during this epidemic. In other words, if I earn 30 indulgences while Mass and communion are suspended, and I do 30 spiritual communions (one for each indulgence), then when communion returns, do I have to make 30 actual receptions of communion to cover these indulgences. The Vatican’s recent special decree is not clear on this point.
At least two bishops (Bishop Hying of Madison WI and Bishop Provost of Lake Charles LA) have already issued decrees for their dioceses that the faithful do not have to meet the communion requirement for the plenary indulgence during the time Mass is suspended. (Bishop Hying also removed the confession requirement.) This basically means that when communion resumes, the faithful do not have to “make up” the missed communions. Bishops can do this under Norm 25 in the Manual of Indulgences. I’m presuming the bishops are doing this because the Vatican decree is not clear on this point to them and their flocks either. However, most bishops have not spoken to the issue.
It was noted in the other thread that one could also ask one’s confessor to commute the condition of needing to receive communion for each indulgence. This is permitted under Norm 24. I was originally planning to make up all the communions. But given that the stay-at-home order here and thus the Mass suspension was just extended out another several weeks, I am considering asking a confessor to do this, although I will likely have to explain the whole business to him.
As noted, it is easy to say the prayers for the Holy Father right now, we can do that from home.
As for confession, it is presumed that the confession one makes as soon as one can reasonably get there would cover all the past indulgences earned, and some of us are still able to go to confession in our areas even during the Mass suspension. I went last weekend.
At least two bishops (Bishop Hying of Madison WI and Bishop Provost of Lake Charles LA) have already issued decrees for their dioceses that the faithful do not have to meet the communion requirement for the plenary indulgence during the time Mass is suspended. (Bishop Hying also removed the confession requirement.) This basically means that when communion resumes, the faithful do not have to “make up” the missed communions. Bishops can do this under Norm 25 in the Manual of Indulgences. I’m presuming the bishops are doing this because the Vatican decree is not clear on this point to them and their flocks either. However, most bishops have not spoken to the issue.
It was noted in the other thread that one could also ask one’s confessor to commute the condition of needing to receive communion for each indulgence. This is permitted under Norm 24. I was originally planning to make up all the communions. But given that the stay-at-home order here and thus the Mass suspension was just extended out another several weeks, I am considering asking a confessor to do this, although I will likely have to explain the whole business to him.
As noted, it is easy to say the prayers for the Holy Father right now, we can do that from home.
As for confession, it is presumed that the confession one makes as soon as one can reasonably get there would cover all the past indulgences earned, and some of us are still able to go to confession in our areas even during the Mass suspension. I went last weekend.
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Yes, sadly, you would have to explain this to some priests.
I’m willing to bet that the average Catholic in the pew in this country — at least the lukewarm ones (and I, like many, have been “lukewarm” for a longer period in my past that I care to admit) — doesn’t even comprehend what a “plenary indulgence” IS. To them, we’re all going straight to heaven because we’re “good people”. Read any obituary these days.
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