In celebration of 800 years since the Church approved of the Rule of St. Francis, the Franciscan Family requested and received a unique way for Catholics to get a plenary indulgence. From December 8, 2023 the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, until February 2,2024 the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus, Catholics can be granted a plenary indulgence if they pray before a Nativity scene at a Franciscan church.
A plenary indulgence on the occasion of the eighth centenary of “Christmas at Greccio”
as experienced by Saint Francis of Assisi
All one must do to qualify for a plenary indulgence is visit a Franciscan church and pray before the Nativity scene they have erected. If you wish to receive the plenary indulgence, here is a list of churches under our province’s pastoral care. The Franciscan Family invites all Catholics to share in this “privilege” in any Franciscan church.
In addition to praying before the Nativity, it is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intention 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 days) before or after the indulgenced act. This places us in the appropriate spiritual state for receiving graces that the Church grants us in an indulgence.
How this Franciscan plenary indulgence came to be…
In April 2023 the Franciscan Family – appealed to Pope Francis to allow plenary indulgences in celebration of their octocentenary.In the appeal, the Franciscans wrote that the offer of plenary indulgences would act “in order to promote the spiritual renewal of the faithful and increase the life of grace.”
Here is the announcement on October 4, 2023 from the Franciscan Family that the Holy See had “favorably welcomed the request.”
