For the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, which falls this year on July 24, the Vatican has granted indulgences.
A plenary indulgence is granted:
– to grandparents, the elderly, and the faithful who, motivated by a true spirit of penance and charity, will participate on July 24th in the solemn celebration that Pope Francis will preside over in the Vatican, or in the various functions that take place throughout the world;
– to the faithful who, on the same day, devote adequate time to visit, in person or virtually through the media, their disabled brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty (such as the sick, the abandoned, or the disabled
– to the sick elderly and to all those who, unable to leave their homes for a serious reason, will unite spiritually with the sacred services of the World Day, offering to the Merciful God their prayers, the pains and sufferings of their lives, especially while the words of the Supreme Pontiff and the various celebrations are broadcast through the media
Confessors
At the same time, the Vatican asks — in fact, “firmly requests” — that priests are available for the Sacrament of Confession, as confession is one of the requisites for gaining an indulgence.
[The Apostolic] Penitentiary firmly requests priests, equipped with the appropriate faculties to hear confessions, to make themselves available with a ready and generous spirit for the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.
And today we celebrate...