All Saints' Day and the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed

Two very important days are upon us again: All Saints' day and the commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.  Two days which remind us of very real aspects of the Church: Ecclesia triumphans et Ecclesia penitens.  These days affirm in us some very real Catholic dogmas: sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, the judgement seat of God, etc.  It is a very good idea to take advantage of the occasion and study the virtues of the Saints and pray and offer other devotions for the Souls of the Faitful Departed.  It is also helpful to know about the indulgences granted for each of these days.

This year All Saints' day falls on a Sunday.  On this day the Raccolta (offical book of indulgences) grants a special indulgence to all that pray the Salve Regina with the Dignare me antiphona and the Benedictus Deus in sanctis suis in the morning and the Sub tuum praesidium in the evening.  I will post the prayers and the indulgence.

From the Raccolta:

184. The Salve Regina and Sub Tuum Præsidium.
To all the faithful who, being moved by a spirit of true religion to make some reparation for the injuries done to the honour of Mary, Mother of GOD, and to the saints, and to defend and propagate the worship and veneration of their sacred images and pictures, shall to this end say at morn the Salve Regina, etc., with the VV. Dignare me, etc., and Benedictus Deus in sanctis suis, and at even, Sub tuum præsidium, etc., with the same versicles. i. 100 Days, once a day. ii. Seven Years and Seven Quarantines, on Sundays, iii. Plenary, twice a month,
on any two Sundays in the month. I, II, IV. iv. Plenary, on every Feast of our blessed Lady, and on the Feast of All Saints. I, II, IV. v. Plenary, in articulo mortis, at the point of death, to all who have been accustomed during life to say the prayers, provided they have been to Confession and Communion, or are at least contrite in heart.

(See Instructions.) 184 Pius VI, April 5, 1786. 

note: iv. Plenary, on every Feast of our blessed Lady, and on the Feast of All Saints. (Special Conditions: Confession, Communion, Prayer according to the Pope’s intention.)

Morning

SALVE Regina, Mater misericordiæ, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exules filii Hevæ; ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrymarum valle. Eia ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte; et JESUM, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exilium ostende, O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.	HAIL, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, JESUS, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata. R. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.	V. Make me worthy to praise thee, O Holy Virgin. R. Give me strength against thine enemies.
V. Benedictus DEUS in sanctis suis. R. Amen.	V. Blessed be GOD in his saints. R. Amen.

Evening

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta DEIGenitrix; nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus nostris, et a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta.	WE fly to thy patronage, O Holy Mother of GOD; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
V. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata. R. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.	V. Make me worthy to praise thee, O Holy Virgin. R. Give me strength against thine enemies.
V. Benedictus DEUS in sanctis suis. R. Amen.	V. Blessed be GOD in his saints. R. Amen.

It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. - 2 Maccabees 12:46

Now a look at what the Raccolta says about praying for the dead and the indulgences one can obtain on the day of the Commemoration of All the faithful Departed:

XVI. THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED

402. The Office of the Dead.

i. 100 Days, on days prescribed by the Rubrics, ii. 50 Days, at other times. (See Instructions.) 402 St Pius V, Bl. July 9, 1568 ; Bl. April 5, 1571. 

403. The Heroic Act.

This heroic act of charity in behalf of the souls in purgatory consists in a voluntary offering, made by any one of the faithful in their favour, of all works of satisfaction done by him in this life, as well as of all suffrages which shall be offered for him after his death ; by this act he deposits all these works and suffrages into the hands of the Blessed Virgin, that she may distribute them in behalf of those holy souls whom it is her good pleasure to deliver from the pains of purgatory, at the same time that he declares that by this personal offering he only forgoes in their behalf the special and personal benefit of these works of satisfaction, so that, if he is a priest, he is not hindered from applying the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the intention of those who give him alms for that purpose.

This heroic act of charity, called also a vow of oblation, was instituted by F. Caspar Oliden, a Theatine. It was he who propagated it, and it was at his prayer that it was enriched with many Indulgences.

i. An Indult of a privileged altar, personally, every day in the year to all priests who have made this

offering.

ii. Plenary, daily, applicable only to the departed, II, III, IV.

iii. Plenary, every Monday to all who hear Mass in suffrage for the souls in purgatory, II, III, IV. (See

Instructions.) 403 Benedict XIII, August 23, 1728; Pius VI, December 12, 1788; Pius IX, September 30, 1852,

November 20, 1854; Pius X, February 20, 1907.

N.B. All Indulgences granted, or to be granted and gained by the faithful who have made this offering, are applicable to the holy souls in purgatory. For all the faithful who cannot hear Mass on Monday, the Mass heard on Sundays is available for gaining Indulgence No. iii. In the case of those who are not yet communicants, or who are hindered from communicating, their respective ordinaries may authorize confessors to commute the works enjoined. Lastly, although this act of charity is denominated a vow in some printed tracts, in which also is given a formula for making the offering, no inference is to be drawn therefrom that this offering binds under sin.; neither is it necessary to make use of the said formula, since, in order to share in the said Indulgences, no more is required than a hearty act of our will.

N.B. This act, or offering-, may be at any time revoked.

404. The De Profundis.

i. 100 Days, to all the faithful, every time that, at the sound of the bell at nightfall, they say devotedly on their knees the Psalm De profundis or Pater, Ave and Requiem æternam. ii. Plenary, once a year, if said daily. I, II, IV. N.B. In places where no bell is rung, these Indulgences may be gained by reciting the above at nightfall. iii. 50 Days, three times a day to all who say the De profundis with V/. and R/. Requiem æternam. (See Instructions) 404 Clement XII, Br. August n, 1736; Pius VI, Prop. March 18, 1781; Pius IX, July 18, 1877;

Leo XIII, February 3, 1888.

Psalm, cxxix.

DE profundis clamavi ad te, DOMINE : *

DOMINE, exaudi vocem meam. Fiant aures tuæ

intendentes * in vocem deprecationis meæ. Si

iniquitates observaveris, DOMINE: * DOMINE,

quis sustinebit? Quia apud te propitiation est : * et

propter legem tuam sustinui te, DOMINE

Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus : speravit anima

mea in DOMINO.

A custodia matutina usque ad noctem * speret

Israel in DOMINO. Quia apud DOMINUM

misericordia, * et copiosa apud eum redemptio. Et

ipse redimet Israel * ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.

V/. Requiem æternam * dona eis, DOMINE.

R/. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Psalm, cxxix.

OUT of the depths I have cried unto Thee, O

LORD: LORD, hear my voice, Let thine ears be

attentive : to the voice of my supplication. If Thou,

O LORD, shalt mark our iniquities: O LORD, who

can abide it? For with Thee there is mercy : and by

reason of thy law I have waited on Thee, O LORD.

My soul hath waited on his word : my soul hath

hoped in the LORD.

From the morning watch even unto night: let Israel

hope in the LORD. For with the LORD there is

mercy: and with Him is plenteous redemption.

And He shall redeem Israel: from all his iniquities.

V/. Eternal rest give to them, O LORD.

R/. And let perpetual light shine upon them. 

407. All Souls Day. 

Plenary Indulgence, T.Q. I,II, IV (See Instructions.) 407 Pius X, February 27, 1907; September 2 & 11, 1907. This Indulgence, like that of the Portiuncula, may be gained as often as a person visits a church or public chapel of the Benedictines, whether monks or nuns, between first Vespers on November i and sunset on November 2. I, II, IV. Communities and those dwelling with them may use a semi-public chapel. Those who wear a duly blessed medal of St Benedict, and are hindered from visiting a church or public chapel of the Benedictines by infirmity, enclosure or distance (more than a mile), may gain the same indulgence by visiting- any church or public chapel. I, II, IV

Other indulgences not mentioned in the Raccolta:

• A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, may be gained on the 2nd by making a pious visit to a church to pray a Pater and the Creed, and 

• A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, may also be gained from 1 November to 8 November by visiting loved ones' graves and praying the Eternal Rest prayer for their peace.