Indulgences For The Year Of Faith
Every sin has consequences. It disrupts our communion with God and the Church, weakens our ability to resist temptation, and hurts others. The necessity of healing these consequences, once the sin itself has been forgiven, is called the temporal punishment. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and other works of charity can take away entirely or diminish this temporal punishment. Because of the fullness of redemption obtained for us by Christ, the Church attaches to certain prayers and actions an indulgence or pardon, that is, the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due to sin. Christ, acting through the Church, brings about a healing of the consequences of sin when an individual uses such a prayer or engages in such an action."During the whole span of the Year of Faith, proclaimed from October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013, all individual faithful truly repentant, duly confessed, communing sacramentally, and who pray according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, will be able to acquire a Plenary Indulgence from the temporal punishment for their sins imparted by God's mercy, applicable in suffrage to the souls of the deceased faithful."
"a.- Every time they take part in at least three instances of preaching during the Sacred Missions, or at least three lessons on the Acts of Vatican Council II and on the Articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in any church or ideal place;"
"b.- Every time they visit by way of pilgrimage a Papal Basilica, a Christian catacomb, a Cathedral; Church, a sacred place designated by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith and take part there in some sacred function or at least pause for an apt time of recollection with pious meditations, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, according to the case, to Holy Apostles or Patrons;"
The designated churches in the Diocese of Calgary are:
- St. Mary's Cathedral, Calgary;
- Our Lady Queen of Peace (Polish), Calgary;
- St. Mary's Church, Banff;
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Beiseker;
- St. Mary's Church, Brooks;
- St. Mary's Church, Acadia Valley;
- Immaculate Conception Church, Standoff.
"c.- Every time, in days determined by the Ordinary of the place for the Year of Faith ... in any sacred place they participate in a solemn Eucharistic celebration or the Liturgy of the Hours, adding the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form;"
The designated days in the Diocese of Calgary are:
- November 30 - Centennial Opening Eucharist; December
- December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary;
- December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe;
- January 1 - Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God;
- April 8 - Annunciation (observance transferred due to Holy Week);
- August 15 - Assumption;
- November 4 - Centennial Closing Eucharist.
"d.- A day freely chosen, during the Year of Faith, for the pious visit of the baptistery or other place, in which they received the sacrament of Baptism, renewing the baptismal promises in any legitimate formula." (Italized text taken from the October 5th Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary and approved by Pope Benedict XVI)