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HOLY WEEK LITURGIES in 2020 Iust1fl P Tudum Instructions on the Sacrament of Penance and Indulgences

HOLY WEEK LITURGIES in 2020 Iust1fl P Tudum Instructions on the Sacrament of Penance and Indulgences

OF VENICE IN FLORIDA

PASTORAL DIRECTIVES FOR THE HOLY WEEK LITURGIES IN 2020 IUST1fl p tUDUM Instructions on the of Penance and

Drawing upon Guidance offered by the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the and the

During the special circumstances of the COVID 19 Pandemic, the Apostolic See has provided Pastoral Directives regarding the celebration of Holy Week as well as the and Special Indulgences. The Holy Father has directed the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and the Apostolic Penitentiary to provide these directives under his authority.

The Apostolic See, the and the Diocesan are the competent authorities to regulate the Sacred Liturgy and the Sacraments. ought to understand it is of vital importance to follow the directives given during this time. By doing so, the visible communion of the is manifest and is a source of hope and comfort to the Faithful. HOLY WEEK

In a of March 19, 2020 (Prot. N. 153/20), the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued an instruction, by mandate of the Holy Father, with regard to the celebration of Holy Week for the Year 2020 only:

The Easter Tridium and Easter Sunday: These feasts are the heart of the entire liturgical year, not one feast among others. Therefore, these liturgical celebrations are to be observed at their proper times and not transferred to another date or time.

Chrism : The Ordinary may decide to transfer the celebration of the Chrism Mass. However, after prayerful discernment and consultation, the Diocese of Venice will hold its Chrism Mass on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at Epiphany Cathedral at 2:00 pm. with one from each . This will be the respective Deans, unless for some reason one is unable to be present. It is regretted that no one else can attend. Thank you for your understanding. The Holy Week Liturgies

• The Liturgies of Holy Week are to be celebrated in a Cathedral or church without the presence of the faithful. • The faithful ought to be informed of the times of the various celebrations of Holy Week so they can prayerfully unite themselves to the celebration.

Page 1 of 6 The Mass of the Lord’s Supper

• The Holy Thursday Liturgy is to be celebrated by the Parish Priests (Concelebration is allowed for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The assisting priests can perform the non-presiding ministries. i.e. Lector. The appropriate social distancing needs to be observed while live streaming). • Priests who do not attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper have the to celebrate another Mass at a suitable time and place. Additional Masses are also to be without the presence of the faithful using the rubrics for Mass with The Participation of a Single Minister (c.f. Roman ). • The Washing of the Feet, an optional part of the Holy Thursday Liturgy, is to be omitted. • The Eucharistic Procession to a place of repose that usually concludes the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper is also omitted. The Blessed Sacrament is to remain in the Tabernacle. I A Priest who finds it impossible to unite to a celebration of the Mass on Holy Thursday is instructed to pray “Vespers for the day from the Liturgy of Hours.” Good

• The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion is to be celebrated. • The Universal Prayers is to include a special prayer for the sick and those who are feeling lost or dismayed ( n. 13.) Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday

• The Easter Vigil may only be celebrated in a church (as opposed to a chapel or other place). Concelebration is allowed for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The assisting priests can perform the non-presiding ministries. i.e. Lector. The appropriate social distancing needs to be observed while live streaming. • The preparation and lighting of the fire is to be omitted • The Paschal Candle is to be lit, the Procession is omitted and the Exultet is to be sung or said. • For the Baptismal Liturgy, that is usually part of the Easter Vigil, only the Renewal of the Baptismal Promises is necessary (Roman Missal n. 55). • Those who are unable to unite themselves to a celebration of the Easter Vigil in a church are encouraged to pray “the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday from the .”

Livestreaming: In order that the Faithful may be united to the celebrations of Holy Week live streaming is encouraged. Liturgies which are livestreamed are to be simultaneous with the celebrations taking place in the church and not pre-recorded.

Page 2 of 6 THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

The Apostolic Penitentiary has announced that because of the gravity of the present circumstances there are some necessary clarifications regarding the Sacrament of Penance.

• Even in the time of COVID-19, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is administered in accordance with universal law and with the provisions of the Order of Penance.

• Individual confession is the ordinary way of celebrating this sacrament (cf. can. 960 dC).

• General absolution, without individual confession, cannot be imparted except where there is an imminent danger of death, since there is not enough time to hear the confessions of individual penitents (cf. can. 961, § 1 dC), or a grave necessity (cf. can. 961, § 1 dC). 961, § l,2CIC).

• The consideration of whether the grave necessity exists for general absolution is the responsibility of the Ordinary, considering the supreme good of the of souls (cf. can. 1752 dC). It is not foreseen, at this time, that the conditions for general absolution will exist in the Diocese of Venice.

• In the present pandemic emergency, it is up to the Ordinary to indicate to priests and penitents the prudent precautions to be adopted in the individual celebration of reconciliation, such as the celebration in a ventilated place outside the confessional, the adoption of a suitable distance, the use of protective masks, without prejudice to absolute attention to the safeguarding of the sacramental seal and the necessary discretion.

• The Church anticipates that Catholics are to be catechized regarding the general norm to be observed when sacramental confession is not possible, specifically:

“Where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones (cf. CCC, no. 1452).”

For this reason, general absolution ought to be considered only when the Ordinary determines according to canon 961§1 CIC that grave circumstances exist which make general absolution necessary.

Page 3 of 6 For your Easy Reference: Norms Regarding General Absolution

Please be reminded and take note of the underlined sections:

Canon 960 Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary means by which a member of the faithful conscious of grave sin is reconciled with God and the Church. Only physical or moral impossibility excuses from confession of this type; in such a case reconciliation can be obtained by other means.

Can. 961 §1. Absolution cannot be imparted in a general manner to many penitents at once without previous individual confession unless:

10 danger of death is imminent and there is insufficient time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents;

2° there is grave necessity, that is, when in view of the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors available to hear the confessions of individuals properly within a suitable period of time in such a way that the penitents are forced to be deprived for a long while of sacramental grace or holy communion through no fault of their own. Sufficient necessity is not considered to exist when confessors cannot be present due only to the large number of penitents such as can occur on some great feast or pilgrimage.

§2. It belongs to the to judge whether the conditions required according to the norm of §1, n. 2 are present. He can determine the cases of such necessity, attentive to the criteria agreed upon with the other members of the conference of .

Canon 962 §1. For a member of the Christian faithful validly to receive sacramental absolution given to many at one time, it is required not only that the person is properly disposed but also at the same time intends to confess within a suitable period of time each grave sin which at the present time cannot be so confessed.

§2. Insofar as it can be done even on the occasion of the reception of general absolution, the Christian faithful are to be instructed about the requirements of the norm of §1. An exhortation that each person take care to make an act of contrition is to precede general absolution even in the case of danger of death, if there is time.

Canon 963 Without prejudice to the obligation mentioned in Can. 989, a person whose grave sins are remitted by general absolution is to approach individual confession as soon as possible, given the opportunity, before receiving another general absolution, unless a just cause intervenes.

Page 4 of 6 INDULGENCES

The Apostolic Penitentiary has announced that Francis, showing his paternal closeness and renewing his invitation to pray incessantly for those who are sick with the Coronavirus, has promulgated plenary indulgences for the particular circumstances of the epidemic.

Trusting in the word of Christ the Lord, and considering with a spirit of faith the epidemic currently underway, to be lived in a spirit of personal conversion, the Apostolic penitentiary, by the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, grants the gift of Indulgences in accordance with the following disposition: Those Suffering from the Coronavirus

A plenary is granted to “the faithful suffering from Coronavirus, who are subject to quarantine by order of the health authority in hospitals or in their own homes if, with a spirit detached from any sin, they unite spiritually through the media to the celebration of Holy Mass, the recitation of the Holy , to the pious practice of the Way of the Cross or other forms of devotion, or if at least they will recite the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and a pious invocation to the Blessed Mary, offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards their brothers and sisters, with the will to fulfil the usual conditions as soon as possible.” (The usual conditions for a plenary indulgence are sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer according to the Holy Father’s intentions). Those Who are Exposed to the Coronavirus in Caring for the Sick

“Health care workers, family members and all those who, following the example of the Good Samaritan, exposing themselves to the risk of contagion, care for the sick of Coronavirus according to the words of the divine Redeemer: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (in 15: 13), will obtain the same gift of the Plenary Indulgence under the same conditions” as those suffering from the Coronavirus. Those Who Intercede for An End to the Epidemic, the Sick, and those Who Have Died

A plenary indulgence is granted to those faithful who offer a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or Eucharistic adoration, or reading the Holy Scriptures for at least half an hour, or the recitation of the Holy Rosary, or the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross, or the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to implore from Almighty God the end of the epidemic, relief for those who are afflicted and eternal salvation for those whom the Lord has called to Himself.

Page 5 of 6 Those in Danger of Death unable to receive the Sacrament of Anointing The Church prays for those who find themselves unable to receive the Sacrament of the and of the Viaticum, entrusting each and every one to divine Mercy by virtue of the communion of and granting the faithful a Plenary Indulgence on the point of death, provided that they are duly disposed and have recited a few prayers during their lifetime (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 of Indulgences, no.12).

Please Note: These indulgences are offered to the Faithful who are unable to receive Sacraments at this time or dedicate themselves to the ordinary penitential practices of the Church. They are intended to bring comfort to those who are in need of being reassured of the Church’s urgent desire for the salvation of souls. The indulgences ought to be communicated to the Faithful with care, so they understand them as spiritual aids to the life of holiness and are not confused by the ecciesial language used.

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