Editing Indulgence (section)

=====Coronavirus plenary indulgences=====

On 20 March 2020, the [[Apostolic Penitentiary]] issued three plenary indulgences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2020/03/20/200320c.html|title=Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the granting of special Indulgences to the faithful in the current pandemic|website=press.vatican.va}}</ref><ref name=VaticanNews20Mar2020>{{cite news|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-03/church-grants-special-indulgence-coronavirus-patients.html|title=Church grants special indulgence to coronavirus patients and caregivers|author=Benedict Mayaki|date=20 March 2020|work=Vatican News|access-date=23 March 2020|language=en}}</ref> 
* The first indulgence was for victims of [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] and those helping them. The actions that the indulgence was attached to included praying the rosary, the [[Stations of the Cross]], or at least praying the [[Apostles' Creed|Creed]], [[Lord's Prayer]], and a [[Marian devotions|Marian prayer]]. 
*The second plenary indulgence was for the victims of COVID-19 at their hour of death.
*The third indulgence was for those who made an offering for an "end of the epidemic, relief for those who are afflicted and eternal salvation for those whom the Lord has called to Himself." The offering was either a visit to the Eucharist, [[Eucharistic adoration]], [[Rosary]], Stations of the Cross, [[Chaplet of the Divine Mercy]], or reading the Bible for half an hour. 
The Penitentiary took the extraordinary step of loosening the requirements regarding sacramental Communion and Confession, due to the impossibility of carrying them out in a timely fashion during lockdowns and suspension of liturgies in the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/vatican-grants-special-plenary-indulgences-during-coronavirus|title=Here's How You Can Get the Vatican's New Coronavirus Indulgences|website=National Catholic Register|date=24 March 2020 |access-date=2020-03-27}}</ref> The Vatican has also reminded Catholics that, in cases where sacramental confession is impossible, an act of perfect [[contrition]] grants one forgiveness of sin.<ref>[https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2018-12/the-act-of-contrition-sacrament-reconciliation-confession.html Vatican News: Act of Contrition and Sacrament of Reconciliation] Should we be in need of forgiveness of mortal sin, and cannot for some reason go to confession, a perfect Act of Contrition is needed along with the intention of going to confession as soon as possible.</ref>