Jubilee Year and Plenary Indulgences

On December 8th. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception we began the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. This jubilee year carries with it a special opportunity to earn plenary indulgences by making pilgrimage through a holy door.  For many Catholics that first sentence will raise a few questions. 1. What is a jubilee year? 2. What is a Holy Door? 3. What is a plenary indulgence? 4. How to I earn earn a plenary indulgence?

1. What is a jubilee year?
A jubilee year in the Catholic Church is a time of grace. The motto for this jubilee year is “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Lk 6:36 ). Pope Francis has declared this year from December 8th, 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, through December 20th, 2016, The Feast of Christ the King of the Universe, to be an Extraordinary Year of Mercy.
This jubilee (or Holy Year) is extraordinary because it falls outside of the normal 25 year cycle for a Holy Year. The first Holy Year plenary indulgence was initiated by Pope Boniface VIII on Christmas in the year 1300 and set an interval of every 100 years. Clement VI shortened this interval to every 50 years in 1343, and Urban VI further reduced the interval to every 33 years in 1389. Paul II (Ineffabilis providentia, April 19, 1470) set the cycle of holy years at one every 25 years; Sixtus IV therefore declared a Jubilee in 1475; this interval has remained in force, notwithstanding the extraordinary jubilees.... Gradually, the meaning of the jubilee shifted from the simple “plenissime” indulgence to a broader and more positive intention: spiritual renewal in love for God, fidelity to the Gospel and thereby the progress of human society in justice and charity” (Pius XII, Bull Jubilaeum maximum, May 26, 1949) The Holy Year convoked by Pope Francis falls ourside of the this 25 year cycle and so is exraordinary. The Popes have convoked many extraordinary Holy Years through history both to commemorate anniversaries and to advert dangers against the church. The occasion for this holy year is the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of Vatican Council II, December 8, 1965.

2. What is a Holy Door?
The Holy Door is located in St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Traditionally during a Holy Year pilgrims would travel to Rome to walk through one of the four Holy Doors located in each of the four major basilicas. Those doors are bricked shut and only opened during Holy Years so that Pilgrims may gain the plenary indulgence associated with passing through them. Pope John Paul II stated that the Holy Door "... evokes the passage from sin to grace which every Christian is called to accomplish. Jesus said, 'I am the door' (Jn 10:7) in order to make it clear that no one can come to the Father except through Him. This designation which Jesus applies to Himself testifies to the fact that He alone is the Savior sent by the Father. There is only one way that opens wide the entrance into this life of communion with God: This is Jesus, the one and absolute way to salvation. To Him alone can the words of the psalmist be applied in full truth: 'This is the door of the Lord where the just may enter' (Ps 118:20)." 
Apostolic Constitution Per annum sacrum (December 25, 1950) proclaimed the universal character of the jubilee indulgence, which was extended until December 31, 1951. It was no longer absolutely necessary to make the journey to Rome, since ordinaries were authorized to designate in every episcopal see, for the prescribed visits, the cathedral church and three other churches of oratories in which worship services were celebrated regularly.

As part of this Holy Year of Mercy Holy Doors will for the first time be available in individual diocese. In our Diocese of Duluth the Holy Door is located in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth. The opening of these Holy Doors provides a special opportunity for as many Catholics to be able to make the pilgrimage through a Holy Door as possible and each door provides the same opportunity for an indulgence as the Holy Door in St. Peters.

3. What is a plenary indulgence?
This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (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". 

This indulgence can be gained for yourself or for the soul of someone already deceased. You cannot however earn the indulgence on behalf of another living person. 

A plenary indulgence can be earned once per day. 

How do I earn a plenary indulgence?

There are many ways to earn a plenary indulgence, but for the purpose of the Holy Year of Mercy the requirements are: 

— 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. This can be any prayer but an Our Father and a Hail Mary are recommended. 

Having met the above requirements, for the Holy Year of Mercy the final act of the indulgence would be to make a pious pilgrimage to one of the Holy Doors and to Pass through the door. This should if possible be done on the same day as going to reconciliation, receiving the Eucharist and  praying for the intention of the Pope, however it can be performed up to 20 days away. Apostioic Penitentiary The Gift of the Indulgence

It is also possible to earn an indulgence by completing the above preparation and then performing one of the Spiritual or Corporal work of mercy. Pope Francis Says in his letter outlining the means of obtaining indulgences in the Jubliee year, "Each time that one of the faithful personally performs one or more of these actions, he or she shall surely obtain the Jubilee Indulgence." The seven corporal works of mercy are; 1. To feed the hungry, 2. To give drink to the thirsty, 3. To clothe the naked, 4. To shelter the homeless. 5. To visit the sick, 6. To visit the imprisoned, 7. To bury the dead. The seven spiritual works of mercy are; 1. To counsel the doubtful, 2. To instruct the ignorant, 3. To admonish the sinner, 4. To comfort the sorrowful, 5. To forgive all injuries, 6. To bear wrongs patiently, 7. To pray for the living and the dead.

In his letter the Pope also gives consideration to the ill and elderly who may not be able to make the pilgrimage to a holy door, in his letter he states. "those for whom, for various reasons, it will be impossible to enter the Holy Door, particularly the sick and people who are elderly and alone, often confined to the home. For them it will be of great help to live their sickness and suffering as an experience of closeness to the Lord who in the mystery of his Passion, death and Resurrection indicates the royal road which gives meaning to pain and loneliness. Living with faith and joyful hope this moment of trial, receiving communion or attending Holy Mass and community prayer, even through the various means of communication, will be for them the means of obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence."

Oath against modernism

“Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God and these holy Gospels of God.”

 also from Fr. Z

“Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God and these holy Gospels of God.”

Posted on 2 October 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

For some work I am doing today I had occasion to re-read the old Oath Against Modernism.

In 1910 St. Pope Pius X issued Motu Proprio a document called Sacrorum Antistitum in which he provided the Church with an °Oath Against Modernism.  He explains what he is about in the first paragraph:

It seems to Us that it has not been ignored by none of the holy Bishops [Sacrorum Antistitum] that the class of men, the modernists, whose personality was described in the encyclical letter Pascendi dominici gregis, have not refrained from working in order to disturb the peace of the Church. They have not ceased to attract followers, either, by forming a clandestine group; by these means, they inject in the very veins of the Christian Republic the virus of their doctrine, by editing books and publishing articles in anonymity or with pseudonyms. By reading anew Our aforementioned letter, and considering it carefully, it is clearly seen that this deliberate movement is the work of the men that we described in it, enemies that are the more dangerous the closer they are; that abuse their ministry by offering poisoned nourishment and by surprising the less cautious; by handing a false doctrine in which the sum of all errors is enclosed. …

Thus, he issued an Oath and all clergy, anyone holding an office, all seminaries profs, etc., were to take.  Period.

It has been awhile since I have posted on this Oath, and I suspect there may be some readers here who have either never read it or never heard of it.

Since this is something every Catholic should know about, for your opportune knowledge, here it is with my emphases and comments.

THE OATH AGAINST MODERNISM

Given by His Holiness St. Pius X September 1, 1910.

To be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries.

I . . . . firmly embrace and accept each and every definition that has been set forth anddeclared by the unerring teaching authority of the Church, especially those principal truths which are directly opposed to the errors of this day. [Consider the context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This could still apply today.] And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world (see Rom. 1:90), that is, from the visible works of creation, as a cause from its effects, and that, therefore, his existence can also be demonstrated: Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that these same proofs are well adapted to the understanding of all eras and all men, even of this time. Thirdly, I believe with equally firm faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher of the revealed word, was personally instituted by the real and historical Christ when he lived among us, and that the Church was built upon Peter, the prince of the apostolic hierarchy, and his successors for the duration of time. Fourthly, I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport. Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical’ misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously. [This would be hard for some people to understand today. There is a difference between development of doctrine and change of doctrine.] I also condemn every error according to which, in place of the divine deposit which has been given to the spouse of Christ to be carefully guarded by her, there is put aphilosophical figment or product of a human conscience that has gradually been developed by human effort and will continue to develop indefinitely. Fifthly, I hold with certainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a blind sentiment of religion welling up from the depths of the subconscious under the impulse of the heart and the motion of a will trained to morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the intellect to truth received by hearing from an external source. By this assent, because of the authority of the supremely truthful God, we believe to be true that which has been revealed and attested to by a personal God, our creator and lord.

Furthermore, with due reverence, I submit and adhere with my whole heart to the condemnations, declarations, and all the prescripts contained in the encyclical Pascendiand in the decree Lamentabili, [remember the historical context.] especially those concerning what is known as the history of dogmas. I also reject the error of those who say that the faith held by the Church can contradict history, and that Catholic dogmas, in the sense in which they are now understood, are irreconcilable with a more realistic view of the origins of the Christian religion. [This would knock a few people out of their present offices.] I also condemn and reject the opinion of those who say that a well-educated Christian assumes a dual personality-that of a believer and at the same time of a historian, as if it were permissible for a historian to hold things that contradict the faith of the believer, or to establish premises which, provided there be no direct denial of dogmas, would lead to the conclusion that dogmas are either false or doubtful. Likewise, I reject that method of judging and interpreting Sacred Scripture which, departing from the tradition of the Church, the analogy of faith, and the norms of the Apostolic See, embraces the misrepresentations of the rationalists and with no prudence or restraint adopts textual criticism as the one and supreme norm. Furthermore, I reject the opinion of those who hold that a professor lecturing or writing on a historico-theological subject should first put aside any preconceived opinion about the supernatural origin of Catholic tradition or about the divine promise of help to preserve all revealed truth forever; and that they should then interpret the writings of each of the Fathers solely by scientific principles, excluding all sacred authority, and with the same liberty of judgment that is common in the investigation of all ordinary historical documents.

Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact-one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history-the fact, namely, that a group of men by their own labor, skill, and talent have continued through subsequent ages a school begun by Christ and his apostles. I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles. The purpose of this is, then, not that dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way.

I promise that I shall keep all these articles faithfully, entirely, and sincerely, and guard them inviolate, in no way deviating from them in teaching or in any way in word or in writing. Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God and these holy Gospels of God (which I touch with my hand).

…. Haec omnia spondeo me fideliter, integre sincereque servaturum et
inviolabiliter custoditurum, nusquam ab iis sive in docendo sive
quomodolibet verbis scriptisque deflectendo. Sic spondeo, sic iuro, sic
me Deus adiuvet et haec sancta Dei Evangelia.

I have not heard that the Church released men from this oath if they once took it.

ACTION ITEM! Mom of 4 with 5th on the way – pancreatic cancer

ACTION ITEM! Mom of 4 with 5th on the way – pancreatic cancer



From Fr. Z's Blog

ACTION ITEM! Mom of 4 with 5th on the way – pancreatic cancer

Posted on 17 December 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

Sending this to you in the hopes that you can help get the word out about this family.They need a miracle. We are storming heaven in prayer for her.

This family belongs to St. Stanislaus Oratory, Milwaukee, ICKSP.
Faithful Catholic husband and wife. I know them personally.
Michelle is 21 weeks pregnant with their fifth child. Their fourth child was born with Down’s Syndrome.
Michelle, the mom, has aggressive pancreatic cancer. Please see the Go Fund me article link below.

Please, please pray for this faithful Roman Catholic family.
They so desperately need us.
She needs a miracle. She won’t make it without one.
We are praying through Our Lady of Good Success, and through the intercession of Mother Marianna Torres.

Thank you, Father, for any and all prayers and help you can give to them.

Link: HERE
https://www.gofundme.com/2eeytz2c

And Michelle is the parish photographer for St. Stanislaus. She is throughout this video about the restoration of the church. You’ve visited here not that long ago.
You can see her starting at the 2:44 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55qVIlw6n8k

Proposal for the Year of Mercy

Dom Mark Kirby at his blog Vultus Christi posed the following very great idea. 

Proposal for the Year of Mercy
Even if these things were done, it remains that other questions need to be addressed. A priest friend said to me this morning that bishops the world over need to consider a moratorium on Holy Communion in the hand. Perhaps for the Year of Mercy? Are we to show no mercy to the One who is present among us under the appearances of a thing so fragile as the Host? Do we not recognize in the Sacred Host God become, for love of us, vulnerable, poor, silent, and defenseless? Do we not see that the Sacred Host is the ultimate expression of what Saint Paul (see Philippians 2:7) calls the kenosis of the Son of God, that is His utter self–emptying?
More than a Mere Oversight?
The Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum promulgated eleven years ago by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments 25 March 2004, seems, in most places, to have had little or no effect. One wonders if the clergy were at all given the opportunity to come together to study the document and, with one mind, plan its implementation. Among other things, in article 92,the Instruction says clearly:

“If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful”.

http://vultuschristi.org/index.php/2015/11/ave-verum-corpus-2/