Rome, May 2016. His Holiness Pope Francis, having been informed by the Grand Prior of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order, His Eminence Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, has decreed a Special Plenary Indulgence to be gained by the Knights and Dames following the international pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy City from 13 to 15 May 2016 during the Jubilee of Mercy.
His Holiness grants and bestows a Plenary Indulgence, under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff), to be gained by the Knights and Dames and to be applicable also to the souls in Purgatory by way of suffrage, if Knights and Dames have made or renewed, at least privately, the promise to faithfully observe the Statutes of the Order:
I – On the day of their admission into the Order; on 23 April, the feast day of patron saint St George the Martyr and on 14 September, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
II – If they have devoutly attended the funeral Mass for piously deceased Knights and Dames on the same day as the death or burial of the deceased (Indulgence only applicable for souls in Purgatory). Extensive concession no. XII of the Manual of Indulgences applies in articulo mortis, in which case the Church replaces the three conditions normally required for a Plenary Indulgence; Knights and Dames, however, commendably, in the acquisition of this Plenary Indulgence may use the insignia of the Order.
Knights and Dames may also obtain Partial Indulgence with a contrite heart:
a) whenever they have openly shown testimony of their faith in the presence of others at public religious celebrations or meetings (such as processions, devotions, holy preaching of the Word, Eucharistic congresses, meetings of the Order), in which they took part as brothers of the Order;
b) whenever they have piously devoted themselves to works, mercy, penance or evangelisation as provided for in the Statutes.
Knights and Dames are encouraged to acquire concretely in their lives the supernatural virtues, especially faith, hope and charity, and shall strengthen their communion with the Roman Pontiff, the visible foundation of unity of the entire Catholic Church.
In order to achieve pastoral charity leading to divine forgiveness, this Plenary Indulgence strongly urges priests received into the Order and able to hear confessions to devote themselves with a ready and generous spirit to the celebration of Penance and to administer Holy Communion often to sick Knights and Dames.