*This has to be one of the worst advertising decisions ever made :)
Posted on 02/06/2007 7:24:05 AM PST by Rutles4Ever
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics who participate in events connected with the Feb. 11 celebration of the World Day of the Sick can receive a special indulgence, the Vatican announced.
Pope Benedict XVI authorized the indulgences in order "to enrich" the World Day of the Sick and to highlight Christian teaching on "the value and function of suffering" accepted as a way to express sorrow for one's sins and trust in the fact that Christ's suffering is a source of salvation, said the Vatican statement released Feb. 5.
The statement was signed by U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, head of the Vatican tribunal that deals with indulgences and with matters related to the sacrament of penance.
An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins he or she has committed.
A plenary, or full, indulgence is being offered to those who join the official celebrations of the World Day of the Sick in Seoul, South Korea, or in their own dioceses or parishes.
Plenary indulgences also can be obtained Feb. 11 by people who dedicate at least several hours that day to providing loving care for a sick person, especially one with an incurable or terminal illness, and by the sick themselves.
All those who want to receive the indulgence must go to confession, receive the Eucharist -- or promise to do so as soon as possible -- and pray for the intentions of the pope, all in a spirit of total detachment from the attraction of sin.
Cardinal Stafford said partial indulgences are being offered "between Feb. 9-11 to all the faithful each time they address, with a contrite heart, devoted prayers to the merciful God" on behalf of someone who is sick.
END
St. Peregrine (Cancer), St. Raphael (Physicians), St. Lucy (Blindness) will be busy with our prayers.
Any other patron saints anyone want to mention here for World Day of the Sick?
Plenary indulgence PING
+Nektarios of Aegina. Through his intercessions, my secretary's son was cured of a terminal cancer a few years back. Other miracles in my family can also be attributed to his intercessions. Here's a link to a devotional site:
http://www.nektarios.btinternet.co.uk/
St. Blaise is diseases of the throat.
I thought "sick-day activities," in the headline, implied that Catholics should call in sick at the office and stay home to (ahem) paint the study, or something ...
Pong
That's wonderful news, thank you! I am ignorant of St. Nekarios, but I will be perusing that site to learn more.
Nektarios
Well, seing that we're a both/and faith, there may be a loophole there. I forgot about Blaise.
I might add St. Gerard for difficult or endangered pregnancies.
Thanks for posting this article!
May I be added to your ping list?
Sure thing!
Good call. I wonder if the Lourde's connection is why the Church chose this date.
*This has to be one of the worst advertising decisions ever made :)
That's WEIRD!
St. Agatha -- fire and burns
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