Indulgence granted on St. Nicholas feast

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal granted plenary indulgence to all the faithful yesterday in a circular on the occasion of the feast of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine the other day. In his circular, Vidal said that all the faithful could obtain plenary indulgence if they fulfill diligently the habitual conditions such as sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and praying for the intention of the supreme pontiff.

Plenary indulgence will also be granted if a faithful's heart is totally freed from any attachment to sin, will participate fully and religiously in a celebration or pious exercise in honor of St. Nicholas or visit devotedly to his church and remain there for some appropriate moment for meditation and concluding it with prayers.

"The aged, the sick, and those who for valid reasons cannot go out of their houses can obtain the plenary indulgence on those days if, detesting all sins, spiritually associate themselves with those who make the pious visit and having the intention to fulfill as soon as possible the habitual conditions such as the recitation of the Lord's Prayer, Apostles Creed, and other prayer in honor of St. Nicholas," Vidal said.

The Handbook of Indulgences states that a plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who perform the works listed and the conditions stated. This means the full remission of all-temporal punishment or time spent in purgatory due to sin in one's entire lifetime.

There are additional conditions that must be met for the acquiring of a plenary indulgence. It will be granted if the person truly repudiate and be sorry for all sin, mortal and venial; reception of Holy Communion on the day the indulgence is sought; Sacrament of Penance several days, though not specified how many, before or after the indulgence is sought; and prayer for the intentions of the Pope on the day the indulgence is sought, in the form of one Our Father and one Hail Mary.

Only one plenary indulgence per day can be obtained, unless it is the hour of death. Several plenary indulgences may be gained on the basis of a single sacramental confession.

Only one may be gained, however, on the basis of a single Holy Communion and prayer for the Pope's intentions.- Jasmin R. Uy