DOCSLIB.ORG

Immaculate Conception Cathedral 1218 East Jefferson, Brownsville, Texas, 78520 956-546-3178

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Immaculate Conception Cathedral 1218 East Jefferson, Brownsville, Texas, 78520 956-546-3178 Immaculate Conception Cathedral 1218 East Jefferson, Brownsville, Texas, 78520 956-546-3178 Most Reverend Daniel E. Flores Bishop of Brownsville Most Rev. Mario Avilés Auxiliary Bishop OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE Rev. Fr. Lawrence Mariasoosai, O.M.I. Rector Rev. Jose Torres, O.M.I Rev. Edgar Garcia, O.M.I Deacon Roberto Cano Deacon Luis Zuñiga Sacred Heart WEEKEND MASSES: WEEKDAY MASSES: Saturday 12:00 noon in Spanish Monday - Wednesday 12:00 noon in Saturday Vigil 6:30 PM (en Español) English Sunday 8:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 7:00 PM Thursday - Friday Noon in Spanish (en Español) 11:00 AM (Bilingual) (televised) CONFESSIONS: Mon-Fri 11:00 AM, Saturday 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM St. Thomas SAINT THOMAS SACRED HEART Sunday Mass: 9 :00 AM (Español) Sunday Mass: 11:30 AM (English) Miercoles: 6:30 PM Confesiones Sunday: 6:00 PM (Latin) 7:00 PM Misa Primer Viernes7:00 PM Misa Cathedral Parish Office Faith Formation Nora Vega, Secretary Mirta Hernandez, DRE 956-546-3178 956-546-3178 ext 107 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8 am to 1 pm/2 pm to 5 pm Sundays (Oct-May) Cathedral Gift Shop Cathedral Gift Phone: 546-9927 Forget the checkbook and make Shop tithing simple for you and your Open Mon- Sat 10:30 to 4:00 pm family. Immaculateconceptioncathedral.org MASSES FOR THE WEEK Third Sunday in Ordinary Time January 24, 2021 SUNDAY January 24 8:00am † Eduardo Martinez-Maricela Lozano The kingdom of God is at hand. 9:00 am (ST) † Evangelina Torres 11:00am † Twila Young Repent, and believe in the gospel.— 11:30am (SH) Pro-Populo Mark 1:15 12:30pm † Ramon and Herlinda Araguz 7:00pm † Leticia Saenz Sheldon MONDAY January 25 12:00pm † Carlos De Leon-Fam TUESDAY January 26 12:00 pm † Ramona Garcia-Fam WEDNESDAY January 27 12:00 pm † Lorenzo Peñafiel-Rosario Ramirez THURSDAY January 28 12:00 pm Por la salud de Raquel Martinez y Familia Martinez FRIDAY January 29 12:00 pm Happy Birthday Ma. Trinidad Leal de Rico SATURDAY January 30 12:00 pm † Margarita Molina 5:00 pm Wedd: Harol C. Averill/Megan Mathers 6:30 pm † Abelardo Garcia-Fam WE WILL ALSO REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AT MASS TAMBIEN RECORDAREMOS EN MISA A LAS SIGUIEN- TES PERSONAS †Maria Martinez†Roman Martinez†Edurado Rocha†Diana Flores†Cosby Contreras†Marcos Padilla Jr.†Pablo Gonza- lez Jr. †Ruben Gerardo Hernandez†Aurora Mckee†Joe Galvam†Lionel T. Garza†Ninfa Zamora Garcia†Ana Bailey†Andres Rosas†Demetrio Zepeda=Everardo Rodriguez†Carlos and Carmen Ortiz†Daniel Gerardo Alaniz†Horacio Treviño Ala- niz†Alfonso Gonzalez†Victoria Garcia De Gallegos†Juan Tadeo Martinez†Raquel Martinez†Ma. Del Rosario Gueva- ra †Enrique Loya †Felicidad Ruiz Special Intentions/Intenciones Especiales Salud de: Griselda Aguirre Nelly De Leon Raquel Martinez y Familia Juan Garza Accion de Gracias a el Santisimo Sacramento Habra Hora Santa todos los miercoles a las 5 pm por las vocaciones sacerdotales aqui en la Catedral. IMPOSIBLE SIN AMOR El alma no puede vivir sin amor.—San Francisco de Sales FROM THE RECTOR’S DESK My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I would like to share some more information about the Year of St. Joseph and wish that these messages help you enhance your under- standing of St. Joseph and bring you closer to the Holy Family. Therefore let us deepen our relationship with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph especially during this Year of St. Joseph. What the Year of St. Joseph means, and how to gain the indulgencesWhat the Year of St. Joseph means, and how to gain the indulgences! The announcement that many people have been anxious and longing to hear for several years finally came on Dec. 8 as Pope Francis de- clared the beginning of a Year of St. Joseph.The timing was perfect, coming on the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pius IX declaring St. Joseph as Patron of the Catholic Church and on the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, Joseph’s spouse.Along with the Pope’s announcement in his apostolic letter Patris Corde (“Heart of the Father)” came a proclamation from the Apostolic Penitentiary about spe- cial plenary indulgences that are now available for this Year of St. Joseph. More on the exact ways to obtain them in a moment. First, let’s hear what a couple of St. Joseph scholars think. “It’s beautiful that after 2,000 years the Church celebrates a special year in honor of the humble and hidden Husband of Mary,” Father Larry Toschi, an Oblate of St. Joseph, pastor, and founder of the Holy Spouses Society in California said. “As Oblates of St. Joseph, committed by lifelong vow to serving the interests of Jesus in imitation of St. Joseph, it brought great joy to our hearts to receive this announcement from Pope Francis, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the 150th anniversary of his being proclaimed Patron of the Catholic Church. After his Holy Virginal Spouse, St. Joseph is the greatest model of sanctity and the most powerful intercessor ever. May this year bring renewal and re-flourishment to our Church and help each of us grow in holiness through imitating him.” Father Stanley Smolenski, the director of the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Joyful Hope/Our Lady of South Carolina, is also exceptionally happy about the announcement.“This third millennium has been providentially reserved for St. Joseph,” he said. “The first was Christocentric via the Councils, the second was Marian-focused on her devotions, apparitions and dogmas. That means that the third person of the Earthly Trinity, St. Joseph, would naturally follow.”“We have seen the importance of St. Joseph increasing in our times with social decay,” he added. “Isodore Isolanis, a 16th-century Dominican, prophesied that ‘The sound of victory would be heard when the faithful acknowledge the sanctity of St. Joseph.’”Father Donald Calloway, vicar provincial and vocation director for the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception and author of Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father, said, “It’s amazing. My phone is ringing off the hook. I’m getting calls from bishops’ offices around the world.”They’re telling him, “We want to do the con- secration for our diocese ending especially on March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph.” And in a single day since the announcement he got more 300 emails about the consecration.“We’re setting in motion major things for the world. The book has a huge part in it.” Huge, too, are the plenary indulgences Rome is offering during this Year of St. Joseph. Plenary Indulgences for the Year of St. Joseph All this year until Dec. 8, 2021, the decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary, which is in charge of indulgences, has established that the faithful “following his example can daily strengthen their life of faith in the full fulfillment of God’s will.” They will have “the opportuni- ty to commit themselves, with prayers and good works, to obtain with the help of St. Joseph, head of the heavenly Family of Nazareth, comfort and relief from the serious human and social tribulations that today afflict the contemporary world.” Back 150 years ago when Pius IX also saw turmoil aplenty, causing him to then declare St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.What are these indulgences the Apostolic Penitentiary is bestowing in this Year of St. Joseph per the Holy Father’s decree to “benefit the perfect achievement of the intended purpose?” We can gain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, “with a soul detached from any sin” if we participate in the Year of St. Joseph in several specific ways that the Apostolic Penitentiary has established for us to gain the plenary indulgence. As long as we’re in the state of grace one sacramental confession suffices for gaining several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Com- munion and separate prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father are required for each plenary indulgence. According to the most recent Church guidelines on the subject, “it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act.” Yet “it is, however, fitting that Communion be received and the prayer for the intention of the Holy Father be said on the same day the work is performed.” Here are the many opportunities and ways throughout this Year of St. Joseph, from now until Dec. 8, 2021, for us to gain the plenary indulgence over and over. Fulfilling the above conditions along with performing one of the particular works determined by the Penitentiary office can be done daily. One plenary indulgence per day. Remember, the only living person we can apply it to is our self. And we can apply it to any soul in purgatory. Think how many souls you get help — from relatives to unknowns by asking St. Joseph and Mary to pick out the souls for you. Here we go: First, because St. Joseph “invites us to rediscover the filial relationship with the Father,” renew faithfulness to prayer and listen intensely to God’s will, the plenary indulgence is granted if we meditate for at least 30 minutes on the Our Father, or be part of a “spiritual retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph.” Second, St. Joseph the just man “urges us to rediscover the value of silence, prudence and loyalty in fulfilling one’s duties.” Because St.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Information Guide Vatican City
    Information Guide Vatican City A guide to information sources on the Vatican City State and the Holy See. Contents Information sources in the ESO database .......................................................... 2 General information ........................................................................................ 2 Culture and language information..................................................................... 2 Defence and security information ..................................................................... 2 Economic information ..................................................................................... 3 Education information ..................................................................................... 3 Employment information ................................................................................. 3 European policies and relations with the European Union .................................... 3 Geographic information and maps .................................................................... 3 Health information ......................................................................................... 3 Human rights information ................................................................................ 4 Intellectual property information ...................................................................... 4 Justice and home affairs information................................................................. 4 Media information .........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Stages of Papal Law
    Journal of the British Academy, 5, 37–59. DOI https://doi.org/10.5871/jba/005.037 Posted 00 March 2017. © The British Academy 2017 Stages of papal law Raleigh Lecture on History read 1 November 2016 DAVID L. D’AVRAY Fellow of the British Academy Abstract: Papal law is known from the late 4th century (Siricius). There was demand for decretals and they were collected in private collections from the 5th century on. Charlemagne’s Admonitio generalis made papal legislation even better known and the Pseudo-Isidorian collections brought genuine decretals also to the wide audience that these partly forged collections reached. The papal reforms from the 11th century on gave rise to a new burst of papal decretals, and collections of them, culminating in the Liber Extra of 1234. The Council of Trent opened a new phase. The ‘Congregation of the Council’, set up to apply Trent’s non-dogmatic decrees, became a new source of papal law. Finally, in 1917, nearly a millennium and a half of papal law was codified by Cardinal Gasparri within two covers. Papal law was to a great extent ‘demand- driven’, which requires explanation. The theory proposed here is that Catholic Christianity was composed of a multitude of subsystems, not planned centrally and each with an evolving life of its own. Subsystems frequently interfered with the life of other subsystems, creating new entanglements. This constantly renewed complexity had the function (though not the purpose) of creating and recreating demand for papal law to sort out the entanglements between subsystems. For various reasons other religious systems have not generated the same demand: because the state plays a ‘papal’ role, or because the units are small, discrete and simple, or thanks to a clear simple blueprint, or because of conservatism combined with a tolerance of some inconsistency.
    [Show full text]
  • The Jurisprudence of the Tribunal of Roman Rota As Precedents to the Local Church Tribunals
    The Jurisprudence of the Tribunal of Roman Rota as Precedents to the Local Church Tribunals Anthony B. C. Chiegboka and Kanayo Louis Nwadialor DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ujah.v14i1.11 Abstract The Apostolic tribunals especially the tribune of the Roman Rota is charged with the unity of jurisprudence and the responsibility to oversee the proper administration of justice since the doctrine of judicial precedents do not exist within the canonical jurisprudence of the local Churches. As such the local Churches must look to the jurisprudence and praxis of the Roman Curia in supplying for an express prescription of law. In line with the above therefore, this paper has discussed the basic issues of the Roman Rota as it is endowed with the status of judicial precedents considered necessary to serve as a guide and orientation for the interpretation of law in the local Church tribunals. Introduction John Paul 11(1988) provided for the judicial competences of some tribunals of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia (e.g. Congregation for Doctrine of Faith on graviora delicta-art 53; Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments, non-consummation-art 67 and nullity of ordination-art 68 etc.) differently from the de facto Apostolic Tribunals (i.e. The Apostolic Penitentiary-artt. 117-120; The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura-artt. 121-125 and The Tribunal of the Roman Rota-artt. 126-130). These dicasteries present different nuances of authority and 185 Chiegboka & Nwadialor: The Jurisprudence of the Tribunal of Roman Rota as … authenticity. For instance, there is no appeal against the judgement of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (can 1629, 1°) and the Congregation for Doctrine of faith in graviora delicta (grave delicts) cases.
    [Show full text]
  • The Holy See
    The Holy See APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION PASTOR BONUS JOHN PAUL, BISHOP SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD FOR AN EVERLASTING MEMORIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction I GENERAL NORMS Notion of Roman Curia (art. 1) Structure of the Dicasteries (arts. 2-10) Procedure (arts. 11-21) Meetings of Cardinals (arts. 22-23) Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Questions of the Apostolic See (arts. 24-25) Relations with Particular Churches (arts. 26-27) Ad limina Visits (arts. 28-32) Pastoral Character of the Activity of the Roman Curia (arts. 33-35) Central Labour Office (art. 36) Regulations (arts. 37-38) II SECRETARIAT OF STATE (Arts. 39-47) First Section (arts. 41-44) 2 Second Section (arts. 45-47) III CONGREGATIONS Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (arts. 48-55) Congregation for the Oriental Churches (arts. 56-61) Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (arts. 62-70) Congregation for the Causes of Saints (arts. 71-74) Congregation for Bishops (arts. 75-84) Pontifical Commission for Latin America (arts. 83-84) Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (arts. 85-92) Congregation for the Clergy (arts. 93-104) Pontifical Commission Preserving the Patrimony of Art and History (arts. 99-104) Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life (arts. 105-111) Congregation of Seminaries and Educational Institutions (arts. 112-116) IV TRIBUNALS Apostolic Penitentiary (arts. 117-120) Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (arts. 121-125) Tribunal of the Roman Rota (arts. 126-130) V PONTIFICAL COUNCILS Pontifical Council for the Laity (arts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Holy See
    The Holy See APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION PASTOR BONUS JOHN PAUL, BISHOP SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD FOR AN EVERLASTING MEMORIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction I GENERAL NORMS Notion of Roman Curia (art. 1) Structure of the Dicasteries (arts. 2-10) Procedure (arts. 11-21) Meetings of Cardinals (arts. 22-23) Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Questions of the Apostolic See (arts. 24-25) Relations with Particular Churches (arts. 26-27) Ad limina Visits (arts. 28-32) Pastoral Character of the Activity of the Roman Curia (arts. 33-35) Central Labour Office (art. 36) Regulations (arts. 37-38) II SECRETARIAT OF STATE (Arts. 39-47) 2 First Section (arts. 41-44) Second Section (arts. 45-47) III CONGREGATIONS Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (arts. 48-55) Congregation for the Oriental Churches (arts. 56-61) Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (arts. 62-70) Congregation for the Causes of Saints (arts. 71-74) Congregation for Bishops (arts. 75-84) Pontifical Commission for Latin America (arts. 83-84) Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (arts. 85-92) Congregation for the Clergy (arts. 93-104) Pontifical Commission Preserving the Patrimony of Art and History (arts. 99-104) Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life (arts. 105-111) Congregation of Seminaries and Educational Institutions (arts. 112-116) IV TRIBUNALS Apostolic Penitentiary (arts. 117-120) Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura (arts. 121-125) Tribunal of the Roman Rota (arts. 126-130) V PONTIFICAL COUNCILS Pontifical Council for the Laity (arts.
    [Show full text]
  • Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the Granting of Special Indulgences to the Faithful in the Current Pandemic
    N. 200320c Friday 20.03.2020 Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the granting of special Indulgences to the faithful in the current pandemic The gift of special Indulgences is granted to the faithful suffering from COVID-19 disease, commonly known as Coronavirus, as well as to health care workers, family members and all those who in any capacity, including through prayer, care for them. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom 12: 12). The words written by Saint Paul to the Church of Rome resonate throughout the entire history of the Church and guide the judgment of the faithful in the face of all suffering, sickness and calamity. The present moment in which the whole of humanity, threatened by an invisible and insidious disease, which for some time now has become part of all our lives, 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 the care of the sick at heart. As Saint John Paul II points out, 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 likewise deeply human, because in it the person discovers himself, his own humanity, his own dignity, his own mission” (Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris, 31). Pope Francis, too, in these recent days, has shown his paternal closeness and renewed his invitation to pray incessantly for those who are sick with the Coronavirus.
    [Show full text]
  • Country Information Guide Vatican
    Country Information Guide Vatican A guide to information sources on the Vatican City and the Holy See, with hyperlinks to information within European Sources Online and on external websites Contents Information sources in the ESO database .......................................................... 2 General information ........................................................................................ 2 Culture and language information..................................................................... 2 Defence and security information ..................................................................... 2 Economic information ..................................................................................... 3 Education information ..................................................................................... 3 Employment information ................................................................................. 3 European policies and relations with the European Union .................................... 3 Geographic information and maps .................................................................... 3 Health information ......................................................................................... 3 Human rights information ................................................................................ 4 Intellectual property information ...................................................................... 4 Justice and home affairs information................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Holy See
    The Holy See ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (COLORADO, WYOMING, UTAH, ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO) 17 October 1998 Dear Brother Bishops, 1. With great joy I greet you, the Pastors of the Church in the States of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Your ad Limina visit, by bringing you to "see Peter" (cf. Gal 1:18) is meant to be, in the life of the particular Churches over which you preside, an opportunity "to strengthen unity in the same faith, hope and charity, and more and more recognize and treasure that immense heritage of spiritual and moral wealth that the whole Church, joined with the Bishop of Rome by the bond of communion, has spread throughout the world" (Pastor Bonus, Appendix I, No. 3). In this series of meetings with the Bishops of the United States, I have emphasized that the faithful and committed implementation of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council is the path indicated by the Holy Spirit for the whole Church to prepare for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 and the beginning of the new Millennium. The renewal of Christian life which was at the forefront of the Council's work is the same goal which guided Pope John XXIII to advocate a revision of the Code of Canon Law (cf. Address to Roman Cardinals, January 25, 1959), a desire reaffirmed by the Council Fathers (cf. Christus Dominus, 44). After much labor this revision bore fruit in the new Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983 and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches promulgated in 1990.
    [Show full text]
  • General Remarks on Indulgences from the Apostolic Penitentiary
    General Remarks on Indulgences from the Apostolic Penitentiary 1. This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints". 2. In general, the gaining of indulgences requires certain prescribed conditions (below, nn. 3, 4), and the performance of certain prescribed works (nn. 8, 9, 10 indicate those specific to the Holy Year). 3. To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is necessary that the faithful be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. 4. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace: • have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin; • have sacramentally confessed their sins; • receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required); • pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. 5. It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act.
    [Show full text]
  • L'o S S E Rvator E Romano
    Price € 1,00. Back issues € 2,00 L’O S S E RVATOR E ROMANO WEEKLY EDITION IN ENGLISH Unicuique suum Non praevalebunt Fifty-third year, number 13 (2.640) Vatican City Friday, 27 March 2020 The Pope recites the Our Father in spiritual communion with all the Christians of the world Mercy for humanity so greatly tried In spiritual communion with Christians throughout the world, on Wednesday, 25 March, Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Pope Francis recited the “Pater Noster” to implore for “mercy for humanity so greatly tried by the coronavirus pandemic”. The following is a translation of the Pope’s introductory words which he offered in Italian on live steaming, from the private library of the Apostolic Palace at noon. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today we made an appointment with all Christians throughout the world to pray to- gether the ‘Our Father’, the prayer that Jesus taught us. As trusting children, we address our Father. We do it every day, several times a day. However, at this time, we want to implore mercy for humanity, so greatly tried by the coronavirus pandemic. And we do it together, Christians of every Church and Community, of every tradition, age, language and nation. Let us pray for the sick and their families; for healthcare workers and those who assist them, for the authorities, law enforcement agencies and volunteers and for the ministers of our community. Many of us today are celebrating the In- carnation of the Word in the womb of the Vir- gin Mary, when her humble and total [reply]: “Here I am”, reflected in the “Here I am” of the Son of God.
    [Show full text]
  • Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on Plenary Indulgences for the Deceased Faithful in the Current Pandemic
    N. 201023b Friday 23.10.2020 Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on Plenary Indulgences for the deceased faithful in the current pandemic DECREE This year, in the current circumstances due to the “Covid-19” pandemic, the Plenary Indulgences for the deceased faithful will be extended throughout the entire month of November, with adaptation of works and conditions to guarantee the safety of the faithful. This Apostolic Penitentiary has received many petitions from holy Pastors who have asked that this year, due to the "Covid-19" epidemic, pious works be commuted in order to obtain the Plenary Indulgences applicable to souls in Purgatory, in accordance with the Manual of Indulgences (conc. 29, § 1). For this reason, the Apostolic Penitentiary, on the special mandate of His Holiness Pope Francis, willingly establishes and decides that this year, in order to avoid gatherings where they are forbidden: a.- the Plenary Indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased, even if only mentally, normally established only on the individual days from 1 to 8 November, may be transferred to other days of the same month, until its end. These days, freely chosen by the individual believers, may also be separate from each other; b- the Plenary Indulgence of 2 November, established on the occasion of the Commemoration of all the deceased faithful for those who piously visit a church or oratory and recite the “Our Father” and the “Creed” there, may be transferred not only to the Sunday before or after or on the day of the Solemnity of All Saints, but also to another day of the month of November, freely chosen by the individual faithful.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vatican City
    The Vatican City Location The Vatican City, also called the State of the Vatican City or Vatican City State, is the smallest independent state in the world. Its territory consists of a small land enclosed area within the city of Rome, Italy. The coordinates for the state are 41°54’North and 21°27’East. It is located on Vatican Hill, which is in the northwest part of Rome. Its boundaries are mostly an imaginary border that extends along the outer edge of St. Peter’s Square where it touches Piazza Pio XII and Via Paolo VI. Geography The Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world with 0.44 square kilometers, which is also 108.7 acres (about 0.55 times the size of New York State’s fairgrounds). The border is 3.2 kilometers long and the only surrounding country is Italy. It is a Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters from September to May and hot, dry summers from May to August. The elevation extremes are 19 m at its lowest point and 75 m at its highest point. The area is 100 percent urban, with absolutely no farmland, pastures, or woodland areas. The Vatican City is located on a hill, which today is known as Vatican Hill (Mons Vaticanus) named many years ago before the emergence of Christianity. History That part of Rome was originally supposed to remain uninhabited because the area was considered sacred. However, in 326 the first church, Constantine’s Basilica, was built over the tomb of St. Peter. It was after that when the area became more populated, but every building that was built was connected to St.
    [Show full text]