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Pope Benedict XVI has decreed a plenary indulgence for Catholics in Hong Kong diocese who join a novena to pray to Our Lady, Help of Christians or special prayers for the Church in China.Diocesan Vicar General Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming told UCA News the pope, at the request of Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, has offered the indulgence to those who join in the diocese's May 15-23 novena.
Those who join in activities marking the feasts of Our Lady, Help of Christians and Corpus Christi on May 24 and 25, respectively, also are eligible.
The novena is a response to Pope Benedict's call for a World Day of Prayer for the Church in China on May 24. He announced this in his June 2007 letter to mainland Catholics.
This day, he said, is "dedicated to the liturgical memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christians, who is venerated with great devotion at the Marian Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai."
Cardinal Zen, in a message on the novena, writes that as part of the motherland, local Catholics actively respond to the prayer call, asking God to bless their motherland and the Blessed Mother to protect the Church.
Seventeen Hong Kong churches dedicated to Mary, including the Trappists' Our Lady of Joy Abbey, a chapel and a Mass center, are designated venues for the novena prayers and the Our Lady, Help of Christians celebration as well as a prayer gathering for the Church in China.
Catholic bishop John Arnold of the UK launched CathCommunity.org and is getting in on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The novena will begin with a solemn prayer at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Father Chan, also cathedral parish priest, said he would thank God the diocese is blessed with religious freedom and freedom to pray.
Over the nine days, the designated churches will take turns hosting the daily 8 p.m. prayers. These sessions will include adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and rosary recitation. The May 24 and 25 celebrations will feature processions.
In addition, Hong Kong's two bishops will deliver talks on the pope's letter to mainland Catholics. Cardinal Zen will preside at the May 24 feast-day celebration and Coadjutor Bishop John Tong Hon will close the special activities with the Holy Cross and Marian procession on May 25 at Our Lady of Fatima Church on Cheung Chau Island.
In a May 9 notice, diocesan Chancellor Father Lawrence Lee Len said a Catholic must join at least one of the special sacred functions held May 15-25 to be eligible for the indulgence.
Father Lee also cited three other conditions: the Catholic must make a sacramental confession, receive Communion and pray for the pope's intentions with a pure heart. These are the normal conditions involved in gaining an indulgence, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines as "a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven."
It notes an indulgence can be "partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin," and "the faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead."
Those unable to join the prayers due to illness or other grave reasons may obtain the plenary indulgence by fulfilling the three conditions, uniting spiritually with those who join in the special activities, and offering their prayers and sufferings for the China Church, the notice said.
Father Lee said the pope desires that the faithful will yearn for and put into practice the supernatural virtues, especially faith, hope and charity, and strengthen their communion with the pope as the visible foundation of the Catholic Church's unity everywhere.
Meanwhile, St. John the Baptist Parish, though not among the designated churches, will conduct a novena May 16-24 and hold a Marian procession, Sheshan pilgrimage sharing and talks on China Church history and Marian dogma. Father Chan confirmed that Catholic participants in those activities also are eligible for a plenary indulgence.
In early April, the diocese canceled a plan for pilgrimages to Sheshan on May 24 after Chinese authorities declined its request to hold Mass that day at the shrine's basilica. Mainland Church authorities also advised Catholics not to go on pilgrimage to Sheshan to avoid overcrowding and security problems.
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