𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚

August 2nd is a special day for all Franciscans as it recalls the small Assisi-area chapel that became the foundational home of the Franciscan family – the Porciúncula. It is a place rich in the memory of all Franciscans, and its legacy reaches far and wide.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
In 1216, in a vision, it was reported that St. Francis obtained from Jesus himself the Indulgence of the Pardon of Assisi. According to tradition, this Indulgence was verbally approved by Pope Honorius III. This tradition’s historical authenticity is still a subject of dispute. The controversy arises from the fact that none of the earliest accounts of St. Francis mentions the Indulgence, and no contemporary document or mention of it has come down to us. The oldest document dealing with the Indulgence is a notary’s deed of October 31, 1277, in which Blessed Benedict of Arezzo, whom St. Francis himself received into the order, testifies that he had been informed by Brother Masseo, a companion of St. Francis, of the granting of the Indulgence by Honorius III at Perugia.
The original conditions of the Indulgence were a visit to the Portiuncula chapel on August 2nd, connected with the celebration of sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Pope, and reciting at least the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed. To gain this, as any plenary indulgence, the faithful must be free from any attachment to sin.
Nonetheless, Pope Sixtus IV extended the Indulgence from the Portiuncula to all churches of the Franciscans (1481). Since then the Indulgence has been renewed and expanded several times. In 1967, Pope Paul VI confirmed the permanence of the Indulgence for August 2nd at Franciscan churches worldwide.

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒃𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒊 (𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝑫𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒍)

1. Sacramental Confession (During Eight days before or after)
2. Participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
3. Recitation of the Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, and a prayer.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.