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SBC2RCC
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | York, South Carolina USA |
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| First Name: | Monte | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | was Southern Baptist Minister, now Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Jan 2nd, 2008 06:34 pm |
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I have some understanding about indulgences and accept them as a valid teaching of our Catholic Church. What I am looking for is a simple explanation of what is involved in fulfilling this one. Particularly, what we would do at our parish, since many cannot afford a trip to France. 8-)
Thanks much,
Monte
Here's the link from the Latest updates at the Vatican website:
From the Vatican: A Decree on Plenary Indulgence for 150th Anniversary of our Lady of Lourdes
or
Click Here
NOTE: Edited to shorten link
Last edited on Thu Jan 3rd, 2008 01:22 am by
____________________
In Christ,
Monte W
(Formerly on CHN Forum as "Pilgrim Paul"
Minima Maxima Sunt
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David W. Emery
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Posted: Wed Jan 2nd, 2008 09:33 pm |
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Here is some basic information on the Lourdes Jubilee and the indulgence attached to it.
The Vatican decree (see the link provided by Monte) prescribes three ways to obtain the plenary indulgence, depending on your personal circumstances. First, for those who can make the pilgrimmage to France and visit the town and the shrine at Lourdes, they are to visit specific sites in the town connected with the apparitions, pray certain prayers (outlined below), including the standard prayers for the intention of the Holy Father and fulfill the other standard conditions for the obtaining of a plenary indulgence. This pilgrimmage may be made anytime between now and December 8, 2008.
For those unable to make the pilgrimmage, allowance has been made for them to visit any shrine in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes (closer to home) and fulfill the other requirements there. This may be done between February 2 and February 11, 2008, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the apparitions.
“The elderly, sick, and all those unable to leave home for a just cause, if they consciously reject all sin and have the intention to fulfil the above-mentioned conditions as soon as possible, are likewise able to obtain — at home or wherever they may be — a Plenary Indulgence, if, between the days of 2 and 11 February 2008, they complete a ‘spiritual visit’ (to the aforementioned places) in the desire of their heart, recite the prayers indicated above, and trustingly offer the pains and discomforts of their own lives to God through Mary.” (From the Vatican decree)
A “spiritual visit” may be defined as meditating (praying) in such a way that they make an imaginary visit to a shrine. The guidelines offered in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola explain how to do this.
The required prayers are as follows: “Pause to reflect for an appropriate length of time at each of these Jubilee sites, concluding with the Lord's Prayer, some legitimate form of the Profession of Faith, and the Jubilee prayer or some other Marian invocation.” (From the Vatican decree)
“Pause to reflect” is the same as a meditation (see above). If visiting a local shrine, the actual visit to the named places is assumed to take place in the imagination, as in the provision for the elderly and sick. A “legitimate form of the Profession of Faith” refers to the Nicene Creed or the Apostles’ Creed. The official Jubilee Prayer is as follows:
150th Jubilee Prayer of Our Lady of Lourdes
Lord, you prepared Mary
to be the Mother of your Son
by her Immaculate Conception.
You kept her free from all sin.
For the fidelity
of her "Yes", from the Annunciation
to the Crucifixion,
we thank you, Lord.
In Lourdes, Lord,
you prepared Bernadette
to give witness
to the Apparitions of the Virgin.
By the openness and her courage,
her humility and her courage,
she thwarted all the traps of the cunning
and of the naysayer.
For what you made real in Bernadette,
we thank you, Lord.
And now, Lord,
as we prepare for the
Jubilee Year of the Apparitions,
prepare us for this time of great joy.
Help us to listen to the words
of reconciliation and peace.
Open our hearts, our eyes, that we may
embrace the poor and distressed.
That this Jubilee Year
will be a time of Grace
for those who come
to the Grotto of Lourdes
and for those who join with us in prayer.
Like Bernadette,
we want to receive the Eucharist
and to deepen our relationship with Christ
and to live by the Holy Spirit
more and more during this Jubilee Year,
that we offer through the Intercession of Mary,
your humble servant, and with the people
who have gone before us,
who have proclaimed her Blessed.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto,
sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper,
et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
“Other Marian invocation” (prayer for her intercession) may include any of the common prayers such as the Memorare or the Hail Mary.
Any baptized Catholic in the state of grace is eligible to gain an indulgence granted (as this one is) by papal authority. One must have at least a general intention to gain the indulgence and perform the required works in the manner described. From the Manual of Indulgences, concerning the general requirements to obtain a plenary (“full”) indulgence:
26. To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental confession, eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff [the pope]. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be absent.
If the latter disposition is in any way less than perfect or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be partial only.…
27. The three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or after the performance of the prescribed work.…
29. The condition of praying for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff is fully satisfied by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary; nevertheless, each one is free to recite any other prayer.…
For additional information about the Lourdes Jubilee, the official website may be found here.
For information about the apparitions at Lourdes, see this site.
David
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SBC2RCC
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
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| Posts: | 125 |
| First Name: | Monte | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | was Southern Baptist Minister, now Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Thu Jan 3rd, 2008 06:14 pm |
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Thanks David for the response.
I had two further questions. One, does the local shrine have to be specifically related to Lourdes, or can it be any Marian shrine? Right off, this seems an obvious thing, but if a person is not living in a strongly Catholic area, there may not be such a shrine nearby. This is likely the case here in South Carolina. I'll ask around to find out if there is one nearby. I live just outside Charlotte NC, in York County, SC.
Second Question: The nature of a plenary indulgence, would you give some brief information on this? I did a search and found some good information on New Advent and at EWTN. It seems to me that this matter of receiving an indulgence is another wonderful gift that is available to us as Catholics. Unfortunately, like so much else that is part of our faith, it is often misunderstood. -- along the lines of this, can we pass this indulgence along as it were, give the benefit to others, here or in purgatory?
Thanks again,
Monte
____________________
In Christ,
Monte W
(Formerly on CHN Forum as "Pilgrim Paul"
Minima Maxima Sunt
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David W. Emery
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Posted: Thu Jan 3rd, 2008 11:00 pm |
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Hi, Monte. The Vatican decree states the following in reference to those who will be using Option B, visiting a local church: “If… they devoutly visit a blessed image of the Holy Virgin Mary of Lourdes in any church, chapel, grotto or other suitable place in which it is solemnly displayed.…”
Therefore, it does not matter what kind of monument it is, so long as it contains a blessed image (statue or picture) of Our Lady of Lourdes, as she is described in St. Bernadette’s account of the apparitions. Any image in a Catholic church, chapel, grotto or shrine would be blessed, given that the place is consecrated.
The only requirement, then, is that the place contain a blessed image of Our Lady of Lourdes. You might look around, for instance, for a parish church by the same name; quite likely that church has an image of its patron saint. By the way, don’t feel bad about it if there is no public image near you. I live in a heavily Catholic area on the Mexican border, and there are numerous churches and images of Mary around the diocese, but there is no public image of Our Lady of Lourdes within at least 150 miles; I haven’t checked farther away, because that is outside of reasonable traveling distance for me.
Possibly my use of the word “shrine” could mislead someone to think that the entire place must be dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. But this is not necessarily the case. The etymology of the word “shrine” shows it coming from the Latin term “scrinium,” which means “treasure box,” a term used to describe a container or holder for a relic or image (“reliquary”) or even the image itself. The word’s use for a holy place or building is therefore actually a secondary meaning. Even a small area of a place is often referred to as a “shrine” when it is dedicated to a particular saint or mystery of the faith. For instance, if I have a little corner of my home dedicated to a favorite saint, have an image of the saint there, and use this place for prayer, it can legitimately be referred to as a shrine.
Recall, too, Monte, that one is not restricted to finding a place where an image of OL of Lourdes resides. I should think that material poverty is easily included in the Vatican’s words, “those unable to leave home for a just cause.” In other words, if you are unable to travel even a moderate distance because you can’t afford it, Option C is available. This involves simply making the prayers during the period of February 2–11, 2008 and fulfilling the other, general requirements as one can.
Regarding the different options and the requirements for obtaining a plenary indulgence, I included the essentials in my post above.
David
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SBC2RCC
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | York, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 125 |
| First Name: | Monte | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | was Southern Baptist Minister, now Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sat Jan 5th, 2008 05:35 pm |
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Thanks for the info. Yes, it occurred to me that the lack of adequate transportation, funds, time off from work, etc. would weigh in towards using option C.
Monte
____________________
In Christ,
Monte W
(Formerly on CHN Forum as "Pilgrim Paul"
Minima Maxima Sunt
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