Today, the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican Dicastery that administers all questions related to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, issued the following decree.
The gift of special indulgences is granted to the faithful affected by Covid-19 disease, commonly called Coronavirus, as well as to health workers, family members and to all those who, for whatever reason, even with prayer, are taking care of them.
Be glad in hope, constant in tribulation, persevering in prayer (Rom 12,12). These words written by Saint Paul to the Church of Rome resonate throughout the history of the Church and guide the judgment of the faithful in the face of every suffering, disease and calamity.
The present moment in which the whole of humanity is under threat, threatened by an invisible and insidious disease, which has long since entered strongly into everyone's life, is marked day after day by anguished fears, new uncertainties and above all widespread physical and moral suffering.
The Church, following the example of her Divine Master, has always had assistance to the sick at heart. As indicated by Saint John Paul II, the value of human suffering is twofold: It is supernatural, because it is rooted in the divine mystery of the redemption of the world, and it is also deeply human, because in it man finds himself, his profound identity, his dignity, his mission (Apostolic Letter, Salvifici doloris, 31).
Even Pope Francis, in recent days, has expressed his paternal closeness and renewed the invitation to pray incessantly for the Coronavirus patients.
So that all those who suffer because of Covid-19, precisely in the mystery of this suffering, can rediscover the same redemptive suffering of Christ (SD, 30), this Apostolic Penitentiary, ex auctoritate Summi Pontificis, trusting in the word of Christ the Lord and considering with spirit of faith the epidemic currently underway, to be experienced in terms of personal conversion, grants the gift of Indulgences under the following device.
A plenary Indulgence is granted to the faithful affected by Coronavirus, subjected to quarantine by order of the health authority, in hospitals or in their own homes if, with a soul detached from any sin, they will spiritually join - by means of the media - the celebration of the Holy Mass, the recitation of the Holy Rosary, the pious practice of the Via Crucis or other forms of devotion, or if at least they will recite the Creed, the Our Father and a pious invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, offering this proof in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards our brothers and sisters, with the will to fulfill the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father), as soon as it is possible for them to do so.
Health workers, family members and those who, following the example of the Good Samaritan, exposing themselves to the risk of contagion, assist Coronavirus patients according to the words of the divine Redeemer: There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for his friends (Jn 15:13), will obtain the same gift of the plenary Indulgence subject to the same conditions.
Furthermore, this Apostolic Penitentiary willingly grants a plenary Indulgence under the same conditions on the occasion of the current world epidemic, even to those faithful who offer a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or Eucharistic adoration, or the reading of the Holy Scriptures for at least half an hour, or the recitation of the Holy Rosary, or the pious exercise of the Via Crucis, or the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to implore from Almighty God the cessation of the epidemic, relief for those who are afflicted and eternal salvation of how many the Lord has called to himself.
The Church prays for those who find it impossible to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum, entrusting each and everyone to divine Mercy by virtue of the communion of saints and grants the faithful a plenary Indulgence at the point of death, provided that they be duly disposed and habitually recite some prayers during life (in this case the Church makes up for the three usual conditions required). For the attainment of this indulgence, the use of the crucifix or the cross is recommended (cf Enchiridion indulgentiarum, n.12).
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, Health of the Sick and Help of Christians, our advocate, would like to help suffering humanity, driving away from us the evil of this pandemic and obtaining all the good necessary for our salvation and sanctification.
This Decree is valid despite any contrary provision.
Given in Rome, from the seat of the Apostolic Penitentiary, on March 19, 2020.
Mauro Card. Piacenza
Major Penitentiary
Krzysztof Nykiel
Regent
Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary
The gift of special indulgences is granted to the faithful affected by Covid-19 disease, commonly called Coronavirus, as well as to health workers, family members and to all those who, for whatever reason, even with prayer, are taking care of them.
Be glad in hope, constant in tribulation, persevering in prayer (Rom 12,12). These words written by Saint Paul to the Church of Rome resonate throughout the history of the Church and guide the judgment of the faithful in the face of every suffering, disease and calamity.
The present moment in which the whole of humanity is under threat, threatened by an invisible and insidious disease, which has long since entered strongly into everyone's life, is marked day after day by anguished fears, new uncertainties and above all widespread physical and moral suffering.
The Church, following the example of her Divine Master, has always had assistance to the sick at heart. As indicated by Saint John Paul II, the value of human suffering is twofold: It is supernatural, because it is rooted in the divine mystery of the redemption of the world, and it is also deeply human, because in it man finds himself, his profound identity, his dignity, his mission (Apostolic Letter, Salvifici doloris, 31).
Even Pope Francis, in recent days, has expressed his paternal closeness and renewed the invitation to pray incessantly for the Coronavirus patients.
So that all those who suffer because of Covid-19, precisely in the mystery of this suffering, can rediscover the same redemptive suffering of Christ (SD, 30), this Apostolic Penitentiary, ex auctoritate Summi Pontificis, trusting in the word of Christ the Lord and considering with spirit of faith the epidemic currently underway, to be experienced in terms of personal conversion, grants the gift of Indulgences under the following device.
A plenary Indulgence is granted to the faithful affected by Coronavirus, subjected to quarantine by order of the health authority, in hospitals or in their own homes if, with a soul detached from any sin, they will spiritually join - by means of the media - the celebration of the Holy Mass, the recitation of the Holy Rosary, the pious practice of the Via Crucis or other forms of devotion, or if at least they will recite the Creed, the Our Father and a pious invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, offering this proof in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards our brothers and sisters, with the will to fulfill the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father), as soon as it is possible for them to do so.
Health workers, family members and those who, following the example of the Good Samaritan, exposing themselves to the risk of contagion, assist Coronavirus patients according to the words of the divine Redeemer: There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for his friends (Jn 15:13), will obtain the same gift of the plenary Indulgence subject to the same conditions.
Furthermore, this Apostolic Penitentiary willingly grants a plenary Indulgence under the same conditions on the occasion of the current world epidemic, even to those faithful who offer a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or Eucharistic adoration, or the reading of the Holy Scriptures for at least half an hour, or the recitation of the Holy Rosary, or the pious exercise of the Via Crucis, or the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to implore from Almighty God the cessation of the epidemic, relief for those who are afflicted and eternal salvation of how many the Lord has called to himself.
The Church prays for those who find it impossible to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum, entrusting each and everyone to divine Mercy by virtue of the communion of saints and grants the faithful a plenary Indulgence at the point of death, provided that they be duly disposed and habitually recite some prayers during life (in this case the Church makes up for the three usual conditions required). For the attainment of this indulgence, the use of the crucifix or the cross is recommended (cf Enchiridion indulgentiarum, n.12).
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, Health of the Sick and Help of Christians, our advocate, would like to help suffering humanity, driving away from us the evil of this pandemic and obtaining all the good necessary for our salvation and sanctification.
This Decree is valid despite any contrary provision.
Given in Rome, from the seat of the Apostolic Penitentiary, on March 19, 2020.
Mauro Card. Piacenza
Major Penitentiary
Krzysztof Nykiel
Regent
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