SUMMARY:
- PLENARY
INDULGENCE FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH
-
PRESENTATION OF THE SYNOD ON THE NEW EVANGELISATION
______________________________________
PLENARY
INDULGENCE FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH
Vatican
City, 5 October 2012 (VIS) - According to a decree made public today
and signed by Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro and Bishop Krzysztof
Nykiel, respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic
Penitentiary, Benedict XVI will grant faithful Plenary Indulgence for
the occasion of the Year of Faith. The indulgence will be valid from
the opening of the Year on 11 October 2012 until its end on 24
November 2013.
"The
day of the fiftieth anniversary of the solemn opening of Vatican
Council II", the text reads, "the Supreme Pontiff Benedict
XVI has decreed the beginning of a Year especially dedicated to the
profession of the true faith and its correct interpretation, through
the reading of - or better still the pious meditation upon - the Acts
of the Council and the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church".
"Since
the primary objective is to develop sanctity of life to the highest
degree possible on this earth, and thus to attain the most sublime
level of pureness of soul, immense benefit may be derived from the
great gift of Indulgences which, by virtue of the power conferred
upon her by Christ, the Church offers to everyone who, following the
due norms, undertakes the special prescripts to obtain them".
"During
the Year of Faith, which will last from 11 October 2012 to 24
November 2013, Plenary Indulgence for the temporal punishment of
sins, imparted by the mercy of God and applicable also to the souls
of deceased faithful, may be obtained by all faithful who, truly
penitent, take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and pray in
accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
"(A)
Each time they attend at least three sermons during the Holy
Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of the Council or the
articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in church or any
other suitable location.
"(B)
Each time they visit, in the course of a pilgrimage, a papal
basilica, a Christian catacomb, a cathedral church or a holy site
designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith (for example,
minor basilicas and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the
Holy Apostles or patron saints), and there participate in a sacred
celebration, or at least remain for a congruous period of time in
prayer and pious meditation, concluding with the recitation of the
Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and
invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, depending on the
circumstances, to the Holy Apostles and patron saints.
"(C)
Each time that, on the days designated by the local ordinary for the
Year of Faith, ... in any sacred place, they participate in a solemn
celebration of the Eucharist or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding
thereto the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form.
"(D)
On any day they chose, during the Year of Faith, if they make a pious
visit to the baptistery, or other place in which they received the
Sacrament of Baptism, and there renew their baptismal promises in any
legitimate form.
"Diocesan
or eparchal bishops, and those who enjoy the same status in law, on
the most appropriate day during that period or on the occasion of the
main celebrations, ... may impart the papal blessing with the Plenary
Indulgence".
The
document concludes by recalling how faithful who, due to illness or
other legitimate cause, are unable to leave their place of adobe, may
still obtain Plenary Indulgence "if, united in spirit and
thought with other faithful, and especially at the times when the
words of the Supreme Pontiff and diocesan bishops are transmitted by
television or radio, they recite ... the Our Father, the Profession
of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers that concord with
the objectives of the Year of Faith, offering up the suffering and
discomfort of their lives".
PRESENTATION
OF THE SYNOD ON THE NEW EVANGELISATION
Vatican
City, 5 October 2012 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press
Office, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of
Bishops, presented the thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops, which is due to take place in the Vatican from 7 to
28 October on the theme: "The New Evangelisation for the
Transmission of the Christian Faith".
Before
entering into the details of the forthcoming synodal assembly the
archbishop highlighted the importance of not separating the two
aspects of the chosen topic. "The theme", he said,
"indicates that the goal of new evangelisation is the
transmission of the faith. And the process of transmitting the faith,
which today faces many obstacles of different kinds, takes place
within the context of new evangelisation".
He then
went on to explain the preparations and the stages of the Synod,
describing it as a "complex and demanding process" which
can be divided into three interlinked aspects: "the spiritual
dimension, theological and pastoral reflections, and technical and
organisational preparations".
1. The
spiritual dimension
"Prayer
accompanies and stimulates all synodal activity. ... It accompanied
the preparatory work ... and will have a pre-eminent role during the
course of the gathering. Specifically, the Holy Father will preside
at four liturgical celebrations: on 7 October, the inauguration of
the Synod and the proclamation of St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard
of Bingen as Doctors of the Universal Church; on 11 October, Mass for
the inauguration of the Year of Faith; on 21 October, the
canonisation of the blesseds: Jacques Berthieu, Pedro Calungsod,
Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Carmen Salles y Barangueras, Marianne
Cope, Kateri Tekakwitha and Ana Schaffer; on 28 October, the closing
of the Synod".
2.
Theological and pastoral reflections
"Once
the Holy Father had chosen the theme, the General Secretariat of the
Synod prepared the 'Lineamenta', or preparatory document for
reflection on that topic, which was published on 4 March 2011. The
questionnaire accompanying the 'Lineamenta' was submitted to all the
ecclesial organisations with which the General Secretariat maintains
institutional contacts, with the request that responses be
forthcoming before 1 November 2011. The response rate - which reached
90.5 per cent - is an expression of the great interest that the
particular Churches and other organisations have in the theme chosen
for the Synod. ... The Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat
examined the responses which were then summarised in the
'Instrumentum laboris', made public on 19 June 2012".
"Other
documents have also played an important role in preparations for the
Synod. ... These include, apart from the Holy Father's catecheses,
... two Apostolic Letters 'Motu Proprio data'. The first of these is
'Ubicumque et semper" of 21 September 2010 by which the Holy
Father created the Pontifical Counil for Promoting New
Evangelisation, the second is 'Porta Fidei' of 11 October 2011 in
which he proclaimed the Year of Faith".
3.
Technical and organisational preparation
"As
per the norms of 'Ordo Synodi Episcoporum', the Ordinal General
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops is attended 'ex officio' by the
heads of the 'sui iuris' Eastern Catholic Churches and of the
dicasteries of the Roman Curia. Apart from the Synod Fathers
appointed by the Pope, other Synod Fathers are elected by their
respective episcopal conferences, by the 'sui iuris' Eastern Catholic
Churches if they have more than twenty-five bishops, and by the Union
of Superiors General which has the right to elect ten members".
4.
Participation in the Synod
"The
thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be
attended by 262 Synod Fathers, the largest number in the history of
Synods. Of these, 103 are from Europe, 63 from the Americas, 50 from
Africa, 39 from Asia and 7 from Oceania. The majority of the Synod
Fathers, 182, have been elected: 172 by their episcopal conferences,
10 by the Union of Superiors General, and 3 by the 'sui iuris'
Eastern Catholic Churches. Of the others, 37 are participating 'ex
officio' and 40 were appointed by the Holy Father".
"Benedict
XVI has appointed Cardinal Donald William Wuerl, archbishop of
Washington, U.S.A., as relator general of the Synod and Archbishop
Pierre-Marie Carre, archbishop of Montpellier, France, as special
secretary. He has also appointed three presidents delegate: Cardinal
John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong, China; Cardinal Francisco Robles
Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, Mexico, and Cardinal Laurent
Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of
Congo. Also participating in the forthcoming synodal assembly will be
forty-five experts, forty-nine auditors, fraternal delegates from 15
Churches and ecclesial communities not yet in communion with the
Catholic Church, and three special guests: Frere Alois, prior of
Taize, France; Rev. Lamar Vest, president of the American Bible
Society, U.S.A., and Werner Arber, professor emeritus of microbiology
at the University of Basel, Switzerland and president of the
Pontifical Academy of Sciences".
5.
Important events
"Twenty-three
General Congregations and eight Working Group sessions are scheduled
to take place. The secretary general and relator general will deliver
their reports on the morning of 8 October. During the afternoon
session representatives of the episcopate on the five continents will
deliver brief speeches indicating how the theme of the Synod is
viewed in the particular Churches on their continents".
"During
the afternoon session of 9 October, Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S.,
prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, will present a report on the
reception of 'Verbum Domini', the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
of the twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops,
which took place in October 2008".
"On
10 October His Grace Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury and
primate of the Anglican Communion, will address the assembly to
outline the Anglican approach to the challenge of new evangelisation
for the transmission of the Christian faith".
"On
the afternoon of 12 October Werner Arber, professor emeritus of
microbiology at the University of Basel, Switzerland and president of
the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, will speak on the relationship
between science and faith".
"During
the Eucharistic celebration of 11 October, the Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew I will address Benedict XVI and all those participating
in the Mass for the opening of the Year of Faith".
"At
the beginning of their work, the Synod Fathers will choose the
members of the 'commission of the message'. The commission is made up
of twelve members. The Holy Father has appointed the president and
secretary (respectively, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of
the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Archbishop Luis
Antonio G. Tagle of Manila, Philippines) and will appoint a further
two members, while the remaining eight members are to be elected by
the Synod Fathers".
"The
methodology of the Synod, which was modified by Benedict XVI in 2005,
remains substantially unchanged. Each Synod Father will have five
minutes to speak during the General Congregations, but during the
open debates in the afternoon sessions (from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.) they
will have no more than three minutes, so as to stimulate greater
participation in the discussions. Speeches by fraternal delegates,
experts and auditors must not exceed four minutes".
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The
news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used,
in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S.
-Vatican Information Service.
Copyright
© Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
