ECCLESIASTICAL JUBILEE.
The following authentic document we have carefully translated from the Spanish; and, having already referred to it, (vol. i. p. 132,) we now offer no comment on its contents.
We, Dr. Don Jorje de Benavente, Archbishop Elect of Lima, &c. to our clergy, religious communities, and all the faithful residing in and inhabiting this our diocese.
Forasmuch as our most holy father Gregory XVI, Roman Pontiff, and visible head of the Universal Church, moved by the pastoral vigilance and paternal love becoming a successor of St. Peter, has condescended to grant a general jubilee to the whole Catholic world, with a view that the common penitence and prayer of the faithful may obtain from the Father of Mercies and God of all consolation the cessation of the weighty ills that affect the spouse of J. C.; the supreme government of this republic, always zealous for the exact observance of the holy religion which we profess, has given the corresponding pass to the Brief, which with this object his Holiness has despatched, of which the tenor is as follows:
The Pontiff Gregory XVI. to all the faithful Christians who shall see the present letters, health and apostolical benediction.
After having taken solemn possession of the pontificate in the Basilic of the Lateran, we have written many times to our venerable brothers the patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops, concerning the calamities of the Church; encouraging them to oppose with all their might, like walls of Israel, those snares with which, to our great sorrow, she is beset. For the same purpose, also, we have admonished them that they should raise their eyes and hands to the mountain from whence we expect assistance; certain that, with the favour of Him who governs the winds and the sea, tranquillity will be procured, and that the divine mercy descends when the humble prayer ascends to God.
But seeing that the conspiracy of the wicked everywhere gains ground, and that the tempest even increases, we have resolved that in all the Church prayers be publicly offered; by this means opening up the treasure of celestial gifts, to the end that the consciences being regulated and purified in a holy manner from the uncleanness of transgressions, prayers themselves may be rendered more agreeable and acceptable to God, ascending to his presence as a delicate perfume.
It has been an ancient custom of the Romish Church, observed by our predecessors, not only in the commencement of their supreme pontificate, but always when the Lord chastened his people, to resort to the prayers of the community, and to rouse all to penitence by freely opening for them the sacred treasury of the indulgences; with a view that, detesting their iniquities, and humbly making confession of them, they should with confidence draw near to the Throne of Grace, that is to God, who is magnanimous to pardon, and refuses not his mercies even when he is provoked. With this example before us, we, after calling on the Father of Mercies with constant and fervent prayer, promulgate throughout the whole Catholic world an indulgence in the form of a general jubilee; cheerfully hoping that the Author of all comfort shall shorten the days of tribulation, so that, the storm having entirely ceased, the peace of the Church may be firmly established, and public happiness everywhere restored.
Hence, confiding in the mercy of Almighty God, and in the authority of the blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul,—and exercising the power to bind and unbind, which, though of ourselves unworthy, the Lord conceded to us,—we have resolved to concede, and we do grant by the tenor of these presents, full indulgence (such as it has been customary to concede on the year of jubilee) of all their sins to all and to each of the Christians of both sexes residing in and entering into this our capital (Rome), who in the term of three weeks current from the fourth Sunday of Advent,—that is, from the 23rd day of this month, December, till the 13th inclusive of the following January, on which falls the first Sunday after the Epiphany,—and on the eighth day of the same, shall have twice visited the Basilics of St. John of Lateran, of the chief of the Apostles, and of St. Mary la Mayor, or one of these at least, and there will have devoutly prayed for some time, and fasted Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of one of the said weeks; and within the same period, having confessed their sins, will have received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist, and may have given the poor some charity, as to each individual his devotion may dictate: moreover to all the faithful Christians existing in all parts without our capital we concede plenary indulgence, provided they shall have twice visited all or some one of the churches, which may be assigned to them by the local ordinaries, or their vicars or officers, or others under their orders; and, in their default, by the curates of souls, after these our letters may have reached their notice;—it being further required that they should have practised with devotion the other foresaid works in the space of three weeks, to be fixed upon by the churches.
In like manner we concede that voyagers and travellers may enjoy the same indulgence immediately that, on returning to their homes, they put in practice the above-named works, and visit twice the cathedral church, either the greater or parochial, of the place of their residence. We also grant to the regulars of both sexes who live in perpetual seclusion, and all laical persons who, from being in gaols or prisons, or on account of corporeal infirmity, or any other impediment, shall not be able to practise all or any of the works mentioned, that a confessor of those actually approved by the local ordinaries may commute these works into others of a pious kind, or prorogue them to some other early period, and impose on them those which the penitents themselves can exercise; and that he may also dispense the communion to children who shall have never communicated.
We further concede licence and authority to all and to each of the faithful Christians, seculars or regulars, of whatever order or institute, though the particular denomination should be specified, that they may choose, for the expressed object, any confessor, secular or regular, of those actually approved by the ordinaries, (as also to the nuns, who may choose any confessor of those approved for them, whether the nun be a novitiate or a profesa,) who can absolve them, and liberate them at the tribunal of conscience, and for this time only, from the censures of excommunication, suspension, and other ecclesiastical penalties, for whatever reason enjoined or imposed, either jure vel ab homine; and also from all their sins, excesses, crimes, and delinquencies, however grave and enormous they may be, even when they shall have been especially reserved to the local ordinaries, or to us and the apostolical chair, and whose absolution on the other hand should not be considered as granted in the most ample concession; moreover, they may commute into other pious and salutary works all manner of vows, though these may have been made with an oath, and the power of dispensation regarding them reserved to the apostolic chair,—always excepting the vow of religion and chastity, and the bonds (obligatorios) accepted by a third person, or from the commutation of which an injury would follow to another, as also those penal acts which are called preservatives from sin,—unless the future commutation be presumed to be not less sufficient to separate from sin than the first matter of the vow, imposing salutary penance in the above-said cases, and such other particulars as the confessor may be pleased to enjoin.
But not on this account is it our pleasure to give dispensation by these presents in any other public or private irregularity, nor in any defect, stigma, incapacity, or ineptitude, in whatever way contracted; or to confer authority of dispensation therein, or to qualify and restore such delinquents to their former state, even in the tribunal of conscience; nor to derogate the constitution, sacramentum penitentiæ, published with its corresponding explanation by our predecessor of happy memory, Benedict XIV; nor that these letters can or ought to avail in any way those who by us and the apostolic chair, or by any prelate or ecclesiastical judge, may have been expressly excommunicated, suspended, interdicted, or publicly denounced as liable to spiritual animadversion,—unless within the term of the three specified weeks they give satisfaction to, or come to an understanding with, the parties concerned.
Thus then, by the tenor of these presents, and the ineluctable obligation of holy obedience, we strictly enjoin all our venerable brethren, the patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, and all other prelates in the churches, and all ordinaries wheresoever, their vicars and officers, and failing of these, the curates of souls, to the end that when they receive transcripts of these letters, or printed copies thereof, and moved by circumstances of time and place, find it convenient in the Lord to publish the same, they may so publish and cause them to be published in their churches, dioceses, provinces, cities, towns, territories, and places; and having, as far as in them lies, prepared the minds of the people by the preaching of the divine word, may designate the churches and the time whereat and wherein this jubilee may be obtained; all constitutions and apostolical briefs to the contrary notwithstanding,—especially those in which the power of absolution in the cases therein expressed is reserved to the R. P. for the time being,—so that the concessions of such like indulgences and powers, or of any other kind, may be of use to no one, unless express mention or special derogation be made thereof: notwithstanding, moreover, the rule of not conceding indulgences after the manner of this letter, and the statutes and customs of any order, congregation, or institute whatsoever, although the same should be corroborated by oath and apostolic confirmation, or any other form of stability whatsoever; notwithstanding, moreover, the privileges and pardons in whatever way conceded, approved, and renewed by apostolic letters in favour of the said orders, congregations, institutes, and individuals thereunto belonging. For as much as touching all and each of the above, (and notwithstanding that express and special mention should be made thereof and the tenor thereof, and not by general expressions to the same effect, or that some other particular form ought to be used with regard to them,) holding their tenor to be sufficiently expressed in these letters, and the prescriptions thereof duly observed, we do for this particular time nominally and expressly annul and derogate them, as well as everything that may appear to the contrary, to the end that the foregoing concession may have its due effect.
And with a view that these letters, which cannot be forwarded to every situation, may yet easily reach the notice of all, we desire that to their transcripts, or printed copies, provided they be signed by some notary public, and sealed with the seal of some person constituted in ecclesiastical dignity, may be given in all parts, and by all, the same credit as to the originals, if these shall be shown to them.
Given at St. Peter’s in Rome, sealed with the ring of the Sovereign Pontiff, on the 2nd December 1832, the second year of our pontificate.
For Cardinal Albano,
A. Pichoni, Substitute.
Lima, September 5th, 1834.—Examined with the exposition of the council of state on the 3rd instant. If the Metropolitan doubts not the authenticity of this brief, he shall cause it to be published in this diocese and the other bishoprics, with this express qualification, namely—without prejudice of the jurisdiction and innate powers of the episcopate.—To this effect let it be returned, retaining a certified copy.—A rubric of his excellency P. O. and of the secretary of state—Leon.
For the reasons expressed,—satisfied of the authenticity of the said brief, and in fulfilment of what is therein ordained, we order it to be published, and in effect we do publish it with due solemnity, as well in this capital as in all the curacies or parishes of our diocese; and we ordain and command that from the 2nd of October first, till the 7th of December, spiritual exercises shall be successively performed in the churches of Santo Domingo, San Pedro, San Agustin, La Merced, San Francisco, San Lazaro, and Santuario de Cocharcas, the distribution of which will be separately assigned, so that the faithful may be prepared to gain the holy jubilee according to and in the manner expressed in the proclaimed brief.
The jubilee will be opened and commence on the second Sunday of Advent; on which occasion will be said in this holy cathedral church a solemn mass, with a sermon, at which all the clergy and religious community will assist; after the conclusion of which the hymn, Veni Creator, will be sung: and from this day to the 27th of December inclusive, will expire the three weeks designated by his Holiness for gaining the jubilee, which shall be concluded with a solemn mass as an act of thanks, which will be said in the same manner as the first; and the same will be practised in the other churches as best may be.
To gain the jubilee in this capital, we fix upon the churches of the Cathedral, Santo Domingo, San Francisco, San Pedro, San Agustin, La Merced, and La Parroquia de San Lazaro, which the faithful shall visit twice, or at least one of the said churches, during the three weeks indicated; at the same time putting in practice whatever else the brief requires.
In the suburbs the jubilee will be published, and it will be gained on the same days as in this capital.
In the other parishes of this archbishopric, the three weeks of the jubilee will run from Passion Sunday to Saturday in Albis inclusive, of 1835; in consideration that this is the most proper time, for, during it, all the faithful congregate in the parochial capitals to comply with the annual precept of the Church.
To gain the jubilee in the suburbs and other parishes of the archbishopric, we assign the parochial churches, which the faithful shall visit twice, taking care to do whatever else his Holiness prescribes.
With respect to the religious communities of either sex, the sick, imprisoned, voyagers and travellers, it will be according to the literal tenor of the brief cited. And that it may come to the notice of all the faithful of this archbishopric, this our edict shall be fixed on all the doors of the churches; and the necessary copies shall be remitted to all the prelates and parish priests of the archbishopric.
Given in Lima, sealed with the seal of our office, and countersigned by our secretary, on the 26th September 1834.
Signed,
Jorje (George), Archbishop elect, of Lima.
Dr. Manuel Garate, Secretary.