Pope Francis has granted Archbishop of Cebu José Palma’s request to declare a special jubilee year with plenary indulgence attached to the faithful who participate in the celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines.
Also known as the Holy Year, a Jubilee Year in the Church is a celebration of very special events, usually of religious origin.
“In commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Archdiocese of Cebu, His Holiness Pope Francis, by a decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary, graciously granted a request… to declare within the Archdiocese a Jubilee Year special, as well as the attached plenary indulgence, ”the Archdiocese announced on social networks.
The Pope has also granted Archbishop Palma the power to bestow his papal blessing on the faithful who participate in the jubilee celebrations from April 4, 2021 to April 22, 2022.
A plenary indulgence will also be given to the faithful who attend the festivities and religious services during these dates.
“An indulgence is a surrender before God of the temporal punishment due to sins the guilt of which has already been forgiven which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed acquires under certain conditions prescribed by the action of the Church who, as minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints, ”said the Archdiocese of Cebu, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Archdiocese said the indulgence would be given under customary conditions, such as when going to confession, receiving Communion, or praying for the Pope’s intentions.
Visiting churches declared by the Archdiocese as places of pilgrimage also gave a faithful the right to receive indulgence.
“The plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the conditions customary to Christians who, with a spirit detached from all sin, participate in the celebrations of the Jubilee Year and / or who go with dedication, in the form of pilgrimage, to the 12 declared pilgrimage churches, ”added the Archdiocese of Cebu.
The archdiocese had declared 12 churches throughout Cebu province as places of pilgrimage.
Thank you. You are now subscribed to the daily newsletter
Activities would include re-enacting the arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to the island as well as the Battle of Mactan where Magellan died.
Members of the clergy hoped worshipers would join in the celebrations despite pandemic protocols.
“We pray for this because the whole Church in the Philippines, and in particular the Church of Cebu, the cradle of Christianity in the Far East, eagerly awaits the fifth centenary of its evangelization,” said Cebu priest, Father. Mhar Balili.
Support UCA News …
… .As we move into the final months of 2021, we ask readers like you to help us keep UCA News free.
For 40 years, UCA News has remained Asia’s most trusted and independent Catholic news and information service. Every week, we publish nearly 100 news exclusive and in-depth reports, features, commentary, podcasts and video broadcasts, developed from a world view and the Church through discerning Catholic eyes.
Our journalistic standards are as high as those of the quality press; we are particularly focused on a rapidly growing part of the world – Asia – where in some countries the Church is growing faster than pastoral resources can meet – South Korea, Vietnam and India for n ‘name just three.
And UCA News has the advantage of having in its ranks local reporters covering 23 countries in South, South-East and East Asia. We report the stories of the local people and their experiences in a way that the Western media simply does not have the resources to reach. And we report the dawning life of new Churches in ancient lands where being Catholic can sometimes be very dangerous.
With declining support from financial partners in Europe and the United States, we need to appeal for support from those who benefit from our work.
Click here to find out how you can support UCA News. You can tell the difference for as little as US $ 5 …
