The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-22

Christ be the notary, the Blessed Virgin the
charter and the angels the witnesses. require no
other authentic document, and leave 1t TO Uod 10
prove that this work comes from him.
After reply of such sublime simplicity he
quilted Perugia with the blessing of the Sovereign
Pontiff to return to St. Mary OF Angels. hasiiis
stopped halfway at a lazar-house to take NIUE
repose. he had vision, and on awakening called
Masseo and said:
"Let us rejoice, brother; for L affirm the IN
diligence the Sovereign Pontif has granted me Is
ratified in heaven"
Yet the day of the year was not fixed. The
Pope had not named the particular day, and
Francis found himself unable to choose. He waited
and prayed hopefully.
Two years later our Divine Lord appeared to
him and chided him for the delay In an ecstasy OF
fervor the saint begged our Lord to finish what he
had begun, and name the day of His great mercy.
Divine Goodness answered:
st is my will that it be the day when | broke
the bonds of Peter the Prince of My Apostles,
from the first Vespers to the evening of the NOR
row. Go acain to him who is Ny Vicar on earth
that he may promulgate this indulgence"
SO the 2nd day of August 1928 was set for a
great general amnesty between God and man in
that little Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at
Assist called the Portiuncua, little portion,
from its smalness, and its being his choice of
a gift
With great solemnity the Vicar of Christ in
Il
End of August till the end of the world.
August 1, 1923, a day of triumph for st.
Francis. The little chapel and all the space round
about it was crowded with people. st. Francis
preached wonderful sermon on the love of God
for sinners Seven bishops assisted i'll the solemn
consecration of his little chapel and III turn each
one announced that henceforth all persons who
should come there with contrite heart and con-
tess their sins from the first vespers of St Peter
III Chains till shutdown of August should receive
full remission of all the punishment temporal and
eternal, due to their past sins. For, though sin
is forgiven In the sacrament of penance, the debt
incurred thereby still remains to be paid in this
world or the next
Then commenced great pilgrimage every
year to Assist on the first of August that all the
confessors in the vicinity were occupied for every
hour, day and night, of the nearly thrtytwo hours
OF the duration of the indulgence. For two hun
'dred years this So till Pope Sixtus w. in 1880
extended the indulgence de the Portiuncua.
lie granted to all clustered nuns of the Franciscan
rule the indulgence in their respective chapels.
Soon after the relief was granted to all the
Brothers of the order. In 1922 Pope Gregory XIV
extended 1t to all the churches of the three orders
of st. Francis, adding, however the obligation of
receiving the Holy Eucharist as we'll as confessing
Prayer for the welfare of Christen1om was also
enjoined.
The first condition is to make contrite con-
fession-zfor only in the state of grace may soul
merit the remission of the temporal punishment
due to sin even after it is forgiven. This confess
sion may be made three days previously to the day
of the indulgence.
The second condition is to receive Holy Com
munion (this was added to the condition of con-
fession for all churches outside the Church of
Portiuncula) on the first or second of August
The third condition is, to visit devoutly a
church privileged with the indulgence any time
from 3 p m on the first to sunset on the second of
August
This visit may be repeated as often as one has
time and inclination to return to the church and
at each visit the indulgence may be gained for a
helpless soul i'm Purgatory. Only once may it be
gained for oneself. There is no prescribed length
of time for each visit.
The fourth condition is to pray for the inten-
ton of the Holy Father Any prayers may be said,
but 1T is usual to say five times the Our Father
and Hail Maryland these should be said with the
lips as well as with the heart.
1t is a great opportunity to help the souls in
Purgatory which no humble, sincere Catholic may
lightly neglect. Make effort to find out the near
est church to you privileged with this singular in
diligence and without interfering with your bust
ness or even your legitimate pleasure you can pay
tribute of respect to the Oliver of all good by
claiming for yourself and for your beloved dead
this great grace, the free and full pardon of all
your sins and the penalties awaiting them in this
world or the next.