Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Divine Mercy Sunday

ROME, MAY 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.

Another reader asked for further clarification regarding the indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday (see April 17): "I heard on a recent EWTN program that there is a difference, namely, that one of the conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence is not required, namely, the need for total detachment to venial sins. Elsewhere I have read that such detachment may be so difficult to attain as to make the gaining of a plenary indulgence a rare exception. Clearly, if this is all true, then the Divine Mercy plenary indulgence -- wouldn't this be a more generous grant by the Church?"

The decree instituting the indulgence stated that it was granted subject to the usual conditions, which includes detachment to any sin, even venial sin. This is a sine qua non condition and no indulgence may be obtained without it.

It is not, however, an impossible condition to meet, as we explained in our columns on this topic on Feb.