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.