Dies Irae, Dies Illa – Day of Wrath
What is the Apostolic Pardon?
Today, November 26, 2024, I was blessed to attend a Sung Requiem Mass for the poor souls and it moved me to tears. The prayers, the hymns, the solemnity of the Mass; made me think about my own death. Yet, it filled me with hope as I witnessed the suppliant prayers of Holy Mother Church for her children. We Catholics pray for our fellow Catholics, whom we may not even know. This struck me as amazing—this is the meaning of the communion of saints. The saints in Heaven pray for us and we in turn pray for our helpless brothers and sisters in Purgatory—what an amazing blessing to be Catholic!
The words of the Dies Irae, (attributed to Thomas of Celano,) sung during the Requiem Mass, are moving and frightening. Its haunting melody remains etched in our memory, serving to remind our soul that we are working toward our judgement. Grim? Terrifying? Stark? All of this and yet, as Catholics, we are children of Holy Mother Church. What has she not provided us to reach safely, without losing the alertness of a Crusader in the midst of battle? Yes, the books will be opened and every action and thought judged by the Just Judge. But, the Judge is Just and has already provided us with sufficient graces to save us from Hell and even Purgatory.
One such “battle gear” (one might call it) is the Apostolic Pardon. The first time, I heard of the Apostolic Pardon was when I was listening to one of Fr. Ripperger’s talks, where he mentioned it in passing; (I don’t remember which talk it was, sorry) and it never occurred to me until today, to read up about it. However, after attending the Traditional Mass for the last few years and studying the Catechism and the writings of the saints, it has become clearer to me that we need to do everything we can to help our own soul and the souls of our family members (while we are yet alive), to avoid not just Hell, but even Purgatory. We should make every effort to remain in the state of grace and pray the morning offering asking God to give us every grace and blessing of this day, and when it is time for one of us to go before the Just Judge, we should remember to ask the priest (administering the last Sacraments) for the Apostolic Pardon for the soul of our loved one.
What is the Apostolic Pardon?
The Apostolic Pardon is a special blessing granted by the Pope or a priest, which absolves a person from the temporal punishment due to sins. It is often given to a person, who are seriously ill, dying, or in danger of death. The pardon is rooted in the Church’s practice of granting indulgences and is seen as a way to cleanse a person from the remaining effects of sin, even after they have been forgiven for their sins, in Confession.
In essence, it is a form of mercy that allows the individual to receive God's grace and forgiveness in their final moments. The Apostolic Pardon is often administered during the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick or shortly before death, although it can also be given by a priest if the person is in imminent danger of death and is unable to receive confession.
The Apostolic Pardon is typically accompanied by the following words or something similar:
"By the authority of the Apostolic See, I grant you a full pardon and remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
This act is intended to ensure that the person can enter into eternal life without the burden of any remaining punishment due to sin. It does not forgive the sins themselves (that is already accomplished through confession) but removes the temporal punishment due to those sins.
Isn’t it amazing that the Church provides for everything that we need to reach Heaven? Yet, these things are not spoken about much these days. If we don’t know about these graces and provisions, we cannot make use of them. Therefore, it is up to us to learn, to find out what we as Catholics already possess, to help us make it Home. November is ending and we are soon going to be in the Season of Advent, as we continue to pray for the holy souls, let’s aim to not spend time in Purgatory. Let our goal be to go straight Home. As St. Therese of Liseaux has said, “Purgatory is a waste of time.”
Strong, strong consolation can be enjoyed by family members who witness a priest provide this blessing to a dying loved one. I know--we had to watch my mother die. Good post.
There is strong consolation in what you wrote Lydia. And thank you for linking to the text about Dies Irae, great information.