§ 3. On Indulgences To Be Gained In The Article Of Death

1741. I. The dying can, by various titles, gain SEVERAL INDULGENCES, which they call latae, that is, to be obtained without the ministry of a priest, namely: 1. If they possess sacred things, for example crosses, medals, rosaries, enriched with apostolic Indulgences; - 2. if they are members of some Confraternity, for example of the Most Holy Rosary, of the Third Order of St. Francis, etc.; or if they wear some approved Scapular; 3. if they have frequently in life elicited acts of the theological virtues, etc.⁴

The conditions required for gaining these indulgences are the same as for the indulgence of the Apostolic Blessing (see below, q. 2). But if they are annexed, for example, to a cross, rosary, etc., it is required that the sick person have these things with him, or near the bed, although he does not see them, and that he invoke the Most Holy Name of Jesus as many times as there are indulgences to be gained.

II. Among the indulgences which they call ferendae (or to be granted through the ministry of a priest), which can be gained in the article of death, there especially stands forth the APOSTOLIC BLESSING for the article of death, or GENERAL ABSOLUTION, which the Roman Ritual reports.

1742. Questions. Q. 1. When can GENERAL ABSOLUTION be imparted?

Resp. In grave infirmity, namely in the imminent article of death, under which is understood not indeed the agony, but an evident and proximate danger of death, as is gathered from the Bull of Benedict XIV. The rubric of this blessing says: "It is customarily imparted after the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist, and Extreme Unction." In which case the Confiteor must be said three times (S. C. Indulg., February 5, 1841, to the 6th).⁵

Q. 2. What is required ON THE PART OF THE PRIEST for VALIDLY imparting this Indulgence?

Resp. 1. That he be delegated. This delegation is made by the Roman Pontiff to all Bishops requesting it, together with the power of subdelegating priests, both secular and regular; and indeed in such a way that neither the Indult granted to Bishops expires by the death of the S. Pontiff, nor the subdelegation by the departure or death of the subdelegating Bishop (Thus Benedict XIV, Constitution Pia Mater, April 5, 1747).⁶

2. That he use the formula prescribed by Benedict XIV: if this is omitted, even because of the lack of a book, the indulgence is not conferred, because it is not only directive, but preceptive. S. C. Indulg., February 5, 1841, in Valentinen., to the 8th.⁷

NB. This formula, according to the Brief of our Most Holy Lord LEO XIII, Quo universi (July 7, 1882), must be used by all, even if by another title, for example from a privilege conceded to some Order or Confraternity, General Absolution is given. Wherefore, in the typical edition of the Roman Ritual (Regensburg, 1884), all other formulas which were formerly read in the appendix have been expunged.

Q. 3. What is required ON THE PART OF THE INFIRM?

Resp. 1. The intention of gaining the indulgence, at least interpretative, as is clear from the words of the Rubric. For it is said that it is to be imparted to those "who either have even requested it... or probably would have requested it, or have given signs of contrition." 2. That the sick person be "confessed and refreshed with holy Communion, or insofar as he has been unable to do this, at least contrite, and has devoutly invoked the NAME OF JESUS by mouth, if he could, but if not, in the heart." 3. An act of contrition and charity; and 4. An act by which the sick person receives death from the hand of the Lord with a calm and willing soul, as is clear from the Bull. - And these conditions indeed, as long as the sick person is in possession of his mind, are required as conditions sine qua non for gaining the indulgence, as the Authors commonly teach, and concerning the invocation of the Most Holy Name of Jesus the S. C. OF INDULGENCES expressly declared on September 23, 1775.⁸

Wherefore the RITUAL admonishes: "But if the sick person wishes to confess, let him (the Confessor) hear him and absolve him. If he does not ask for confession, let him excite him to eliciting an act of contrition; concerning the efficacy and power of this Blessing, if time allows, let him admonish him briefly; then let him instruct and exhort him, that he willingly bear the inconveniences and pains of illness in expiation of his past life, and offer himself ready to God for freely accepting whatever shall please Him, and patiently undergoing death itself in satisfaction for the punishments which he has merited by sinning." - It is a matter of prudence to moderate this exhortation (which can already be made in confession) in such a way that disturbance of the sick person, or indignation of the bystanders, is avoided.

Q. 4. Whether this Apostolic Blessing can be REPEATED?

Resp. 1. Affirmative, in a different danger of death; 2. negative, in the same article of death. - For, from the Decree of the S. C. of Indulgences, March 12, 1855,⁹ it is prohibited "to impart several times to a sick person, remaining in the same danger of death, by the same or by several priests having this faculty, the plenary Indulgence in the article of death which is commonly called the papal blessing." - Likewise, there it is prohibited "to impart several times to a sick person, in the same circumstances, a plenary Indulgence from another reason, for example aggregation to the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary, of the Holy Scapular, etc." Nor is it permitted to repeat it because the sick person received it in the state of mortal sin, or relapsed into sin, or received Extreme Unction or absolution again. The reason is because the sick person gains the indulgence in the true article of death, if then he is in the state of grace and has already fulfilled the other conditions.