Fr. Augustine Hilander is leading a group of Lay Dominicans on a pilgrimage to Italy where you will visit various Dominican Saints around Italy. Click herefor the website or download the brochure here.
Letter from the master of the order
The Master of Order is asking people to pray the Rosary for the 2025 Jubilee Year, starting this October. Here is the link to his letter.
PLENARY INDULGENCE IN HONOR OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
A Catechesis on the Meaning of Indulgences
as well as Conditions prescribed by Holy Mother Church.
The Holy See has authorized a plenary indulgence to Lay Dominicans and other members of the Dominican Family and other Faithful, in honoring the patronage of St. Thomas Aquinas. The Master of the Order sent a letter to the Brothers and Sisters of the Dominican Family dated January 25, 2023, in which he notes the celeb qation of the 7th Centenary of the canonization of St. Thomas, Doctor of the Church, on July 18, 2023 and the 750th Anniversary of St. Thomas’ death on March 7, 2024.
In his letter, the Master of Order, Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, explains that a plenary indulgence is granted on those persons of the Faithful who are “properly disposed” who will,
“participate in the Eucharistic celebrations organized by the Dominican Family in our churches and schools on the important occasions of the jubilee of the canonization and death of St. Thomas Aquinas, and
“on the faithful who will make pilgrimages to Churches, shrines and oratories under his patronage.”
The Master said that the “double jubilee celebrations will be from 28 January 2023 to 28 January 2025.” The Master also asked that a necessary catechesis be provided, “on the meaning of indulgence as well as the conditions prescribed by Holy Mother Church for its worthy reception.”
Catechesis on Indulgences.
How to obtain an indulgence? What is an indulgence? In order to help answer that question, provided below are a couple of resources (if you are willing to study the subject!). The first resource is from the document entitled the Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Apostolic Constitution on Indulgences, dated January 1, 1967, under the authority of Pope Pius VI, which helps the reader identify what needs to be accomplished to obtain a plenary or a partial indulgence.
Under paragraph titled “NORM”, the document identified above lists the requirements to obtain an Plenary Indulgence, as follows: n.7 — To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfill three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent.
If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial, except for the provisions contained in n. 11 for those who are “impeded.” . . . n. 11 — While there is no change in the faculty granted by canon 935 of the Code of Canon Law to confessors to commute for those who are “impeded” either the prescribed work itself or the required conditions [for the acquisition of indulgences], local Ordinaries can grant to the faithful over whom they exercise authority in accordance with the law, and who live in places where it is impossible or at least very difficult for them to receive the sacraments of confession and Communion, permission to acquire a plenary indulgence without confession and Communion provided they are sorry for their sins and have the intention of receiving these sacraments as soon as possible.
In other words, these conditions may be summarized as follows:
In order to obtain a plenary indulgence, the standards are:
Perform the work to which the indulgence is attached (see above);
Receive sacramental confession;
Receive sacramental Holy Eucharist;
Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father;
Any disposition to, or attachment to sin, even venial sin, must be absent; and,
If any such disposition or condition is absent, then a partial indulgence is granted, unless otherwise impeded.
What is an indulgence? The second source, a paper entitled “Mercy and Indulgences” will help define and explain the nature of indulgences to the reader. In 2015, I wrote a paper on Mercy and Indulgences, relating to the Holy Father’s Year of Mercy, when on December 8, 2015, the Feast day of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope thrust open the “Holy Doors” at the Vatican. It began a year of study and understanding of Mercy, of which the subject of indulgences is closely related.
The purpose of the paper is to “explain the doctrine of the Church on indulgences and to review the concepts involved, and what it means to the ordinary Catholic faithful to pursue indulgences, and the grace-filled opportunity for the everyday life of each and every Catholic that participates in this wondrous part of Christ’s lifegiving graces.” A link to the paper is here: Mercy and Indulgences. Mr. John Keenan, OP, JD Friday, January 27, 2024