THE OLD ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION SOUTH EAST UK

URBIS ET ORBIS

D E C R E T U M

Dono Sacrarum Indulgentiarum ditantur peculiaria spiritalia incepta per Sacerdotalem Annum, in honorem Sancti Ioannis Mariae Vianney indictum, peragenda.

Instat dies qua centum et quinquaginta anni revoluti commemorabuntur a pio transitu in caelum Sancti Ioannis Mariae Vianney, Parochi oppidi Arsensis, qui fuit hic in terris mirum exemplar veri Pastoris facti servi gregis Christi.

Cum ergo eius exemplum natum sit excitare fideles, et praeprimis sacerdotes ad eius imitandas virtutes, Summus Pontifex Benedictus XVI censuit maxime convenire, hac occasione sumpta, ut a die XIX Iunii MMIX ad diem XIX Iunii MMX, peculiaris celebretur in tota Ecclesia Annus Sacerdotalis, quo durante meditationibus piis, aliis actionibus sacris et aliis opportunis inceptis, magis ac magis confirmentur sacerdotes in fidelitate erga Christum.

Quae quidem sacra periodus initium sumet in sollemnitate Sacr.mi Cordis Iesu, electa nimirum in diem sanctificationis sacerdotalis, cum Summus Pontifex vesperas celebrabit praesentibus sacris exuviis Sancti Ioannis Mariae Vianney ab Exc.mo Episcopo Bellicensi-Arsensi Romam allatis. Ipse Beatissimus Pater Annum Sacerdotalem concludet in foro petriano adstantibus ex toto orbe terrarum sacerdotibus, fidelitatem erga Christum et vinculum propriae fraternitatis renovantibus.

Sacerdotes igitur orationibus et bonis operibus a Summo et Aeterno Sacerdote Christo satagant obtinere ut Fide, Spe, Caritate aliisque virtutibus colluceant et consuetudine vitae exterioreque quoque habitu indicentur esse plene bono spiritali populi dediti; quod quidem cordi Ecclesiae maxime semper fuit.

Huic valde desiderato fini consequendo, apprime iuvabit donum Sacrarum Indulgentiarum, quod Apostolica Paenitentiaria, per praesens Decretum iuxta ipsius Augusti Pontificis mentem editum, durante Sacerdotali Anno benigne dilargitur:

A.- Sacerdotibus vere paenitentibus, qui quovis die saltem Laudes matutinas vel Vesperas coram Ss.mo Sacramento, sive publicae adorationi exposito sive in tabernaculo adservato, devote recitaverint et, prompto et generoso animo, celebrationi sacramentorum, praesertim Paenitentiae, exemplum Sancti Ioannis Mariae Vianney imitati, sese praebeant, plenaria misericorditer in Domino impertitur Indulgentia, quam etiam confratribus defunctis per modum suffragii applicare possint, si, iuxta normam iuris, praeterea sacramentalem confessionem instituerint, ad eucharisticum Convivium accesserint et ad mentem Summi Pontificis oraverint.

Sacerdotibus, insuper, partialis conceditur Indulgentia, etiam confratribus defunctis applicabilis, quoties ad vitam sancte ducendam et ad sacra munera, sibi commissa, sancte persolvenda, preces rite adprobatas devote recitaverint.

B.- Omnibus christifidelibus vere paenitentibus, qui in ecclesia aut oratorio, et divino Missae Sacrificio devote astiterint et pro Ecclesiae sacerdotibus obtulerint Iesu Christo, Summo et Aeterno Sacerdoti orationes et quaecumque opera bona illa die peracta ut ipsos sanctificet et faciat secundum Cor suum, plenaria conceditur Indulgentia, dummodo peccata sua sacramentali paenitentia expiaverint et ad mentem Summi Pontificis preces fuderint: diebus, quibus aperietur et claudetur Annus Sacerdotalis, die CL anniversario pii transitus Sancti Ioannis Mariae Vianney, prima feria quinta cuiuslibet mensis aliisve quibusdam diebus a locorum Ordinariis pro fidelium utilitate determinandis.

Summe convenit ut, in cathedralibus atque paroecialibus templis, sacerdotes, cura pastorali fungentes, haec pietatis exercitia publice dirigant, Sanctam Missam celebrent fideliumque confessiones excipiant.

Senibus, infirmis, omnibusque qui legitima causa domo exire nequeunt, concepta detestatione cuiusque peccati et intentione praestandi, ubi primum licuerit, tres consuetas condiciones, in propria domo seu ubi impedimentum eos detinet, plenaria pariter conceditur indulgentia, si diebus supra signatis, preces pro sacerdotum sanctificatione recitaverint et aegritudines vel incommoda propriae vitae Deo per Mariam, Reginam Apostolorum, fiducialiter obtulerint.

Omnibus fidelibus, denique, partialis conceditur Indulgentia, quoties ad sacerdotum conservationem in puritate et sanctitate vitae impetrandam, quinquies Pater, Ave et Gloria in honorem Sacr.mi Cordis Iesu devote recitaverint vel aliam ad hoc approbatam precem.

Praesenti durante Anno Sacerdotali valituro. Quibuscumque in contrarium facientibus non obstantibus.

Datum Romae, ex aedibus Paenitentiariae Apostolicae, die XXV mensis Aprilis, in festo S. Marci, Ev., anno Dominicae Incarnationis MMIX.

Iacobus Franciscus S. R .E. Card. Stafford

Paenitentiarius Maior

† Ioannes Franciscus Girotti, O. F. M. Conv.

Ep. Tit. Metensis, Regens

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The Vatican has decreed a plenary indulgence for the Year of Priests, which will begin on June 19, 2009: the feast of the Sacred Heart. In a decree made public on May 12, and signed by Cardinal James Stafford, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican announced that the plenary indulgence will be available to all priests and faithful Catholics under the usual conditions. The decree stated that the indulgence will be granted to:

(A) All truly penitent priests who, on any day, devotedly pray Lauds or Vespers before the Blessed Sacrament exposed to public adoration or in the tabernacle, and ... offer themselves with a ready and generous heart for the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance, will be granted Plenary Indulgence, which they can also apply to their deceased confreres, if in accordance with current norms they take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. Priests are furthermore granted Partial Indulgence, also applicable to deceased confreres, every time they devotedly recite the prayers duly approved to lead a saintly life and to carry out the duties entrusted to them.

(B) All truly penitent Christian faithful who, in church or oratory, devotedly attend Holy Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to His Heart, are granted Plenary Indulgence, on the condition that they have expiated their sins through Sacramental Confession and prayed in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. This may be done on the opening and closing days of the Year of Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

The elderly, the sick and all those who for any legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain Plenary Indulgence if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, "on the days concerned, they pray for the sanctification of priests and offer their sickness and suffering to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles."

Partial Indulgence is offered to all faithful each time they pray five Our Father, Ave Maria and Gloria Patri, or any other duly approved prayer "in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to ask that priests maintain purity and sanctity of life."