APOSTOLIC BRIEF.
GREGORY XVI. POPE.
FOR A PERPETUAL MEMORIAL OF THE SAME.
PLACED in the sublime chair of the Prince of the Apostles, without any merit on our part, but by a secret dispensation of divine Providence; and feeling, for this reason, a lively solicitude for the whole flock of our Lord,
we are accustomed to receive with singular good will, the petitions of those, whose efforts tend chiefly to this object, that the faithful of Christ may be more and more grounded and strengthened in faith, and inflamed with the love of piety and religion,
and that they may diligently study to walk in the ways of the Lord, and faithfully observe his commandments.
Our paternal heart experienced no ordinary gladness, when we learned from our beloved son Charles Eleonor Dufriche Desgenettes, curé of the church of Notre Dame des Victoires,
commonly called Les Petits Pères, at Paris, in France, that, by the authority of our venerable brother the archbishop of Paris, there had been instituted in the said parish church, a confraternity in honor of the sacred and immaculate heart of the blessed
Virgin Mary, for the conversion of sinners, together with statutes and rules approved, as we are assured, by our same venerable brother, and that the institution of this confraternity had produced abundant spiritual blessings among the faithful of Christ.
Wherefore our said beloved son, Charles Eleonor Dufriche Desgenettes, curé of the said church, has earnestly besought us, that we would be pleased to distinguish this confraternity, with the title and the rights of an archconfraternity, and to attach
to it some indulgences, that the piety of the faithful of Christ may be daily augmented.
For us, who have nothing more at heart than to strive, with all our power, to contribute to the eternal salvation of the faithful of Christ, and to propagate the devotion of the blessed Virgin Mother
of God, who, in her dignity of Queen, standing at the right hand of God, clothed in gold and decorated with ornaments of variety, always beholds her petitions granted, and is there the assured defence of the catholic church, and our most firm hope, we have
thought it right willingly to grant this petition. Wherefore, as much as possible to honor this confraternity in the Lord, and for a special testimony of our good will to all and every one
to whom these presents may come, we absolve them, and do hold them absolved, from all sentence of excommunication and interdict, and from all other ecclesiastical censures and pains, from whatever cause or in whatever manner they might be incurred. In virtue
of our apostolic authority, by these presents, we distinguish in perpetuity with the title of archconfraternity, the confraternity in honor of the sacred and immaculate heart of the blessed Virgin Mary for the conversion of sinners, already canonically
instituted in the parish church of Notre Dame des Victoires, commonly called les Petits Pères, at Paris, in France, with statutes and rules approved, as we are assured, or to be approved, by our venerable brother the archbishop of Paris. Wherefore,
we give and concede to it, all and every one of the rights, privileges, honours and indults, under whatever name designed, which other archconfraternities have and enjoy according to custom, or which they can, and may have and enjoy.
Moreover, in virtue of our same apostolic authority,
we give and grant mercifully in the Lord, to each of the members of the archconfraternity, who being truly penitent, shall have confessed his sins and received the holy communion, on the day of his admission into the said archconfraternity, a plenary indulgence
and remission of all his sins. We likewise grant to the members a plenary indulgence every time that at the article of death, being truly contrite and having confessed their sins, they shall receive the holy communion, or being unable to receive it, they shall
invoke with their mouth, or at least with their heart, the sacred name of Jesus.
We further grant a plenary indulgence to those members who, having received the sacrament of penance, shall approach the holy table on that Sunday of each year which immediately precedes Septuagesima
Sunday, as well as on the feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord, and the Purification, the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Assumption, the Conception, and the Sorrows of the blessed Virgin Mary, the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, and the feast of St.
Mary Magdalen. We likewise grant a plenary indulgence to those members of the said archconfraternity, who shall devoutly recite, each day, the Angelic Salutation for the conversion of sinners, to be gained on the anniversary day of their baptism, provided
they shall have confessed and communicated. Moreover, to those members, and to all the faithful who shall devoutly assist at the masses which are celebrated every Saturday, in honor of the sacred heart of the blessed Virgin Mary, in the oratory or church of
the said archconfraternity, and there pray for the conversion of sinners, we remit, according to the form of the church, five hundred days of the penance, which they have or may have incurred in any manner whatsoever.
In fine, in virtue of the same apostolic authority, we grant in perpetuity to the
directors of the said archconfraternity, the power of receiving and aggregating freely and lawfully all other confraternities of the same title and institution, wheresoever established, save in our own city, always adhering to the form prescribed by the constitution
of our predecessor of happy memory, Clement VIII, and of communicating to them all and each of the indulgences, remission of sins and relaxation of punishment already mentioned. We decree and concede all these graces, declaring these letters are and shall
remain true, valid and efficacious, to obtain their full and entire effect, to be in all completely adopted, and therefore, relatively to what precedes, all ordinary judges, delegates, or auditors of the apostolic palace, nuncios of the apostolic see, or cardinals
of the holy Roman Church, and legates a latere are to judge and define them as such; all right and power of judging and interpreting otherwise being removed from each and every one of them; and all attempted to the contrary, knowingly or unknowingly by whose
authority whatever, declared null and invalid. And this, not withstanding the constitutions and apostolic sanctions, and every time it may be necessary, notwithstanding the statutes and customs of the said congregation, established by oath or apostolic confirmation,
or by any other authority contrary to these presents.
Given at Saint Peter's, Rome, under the fisherman's
ring, the 24th day of April, MDCCCXXXVIII, in the eighth year of our pontificate.
E. CARD. DE GREGORIO.
Place of the Seal of the fisherman's ring.
Hyacinth Louis de Quelen, by the divine Mercy and favour of the apostolic see, Archbishop of Paris, &c. &c.
We have seen and have given publicity in our diocese to these apostolic letters by which his holiness
Pope Gregory XVI, in perpetuity distinguishes the pious confraternity approved, and canonically erected by us, the 16th day of December, 1836, in honour of the sacred and immaculate heart of the blessed Virgin Mary, for the conversion of sinners in the Church
of Notre Dame des Victoires, Paris, with the title of archconfraternity, as well as with all the faculties, rights, and privileges annexed to that title, and enriched with several indulgences, to be gained according to the usual manner.
Given at Paris, under our sign and seal, and
under the signature of the Secretary of our archbishopric, on the 11th day June, in the year of our Lord 1838.
HYACINTH, Archbishop of Paris,
By Command,
MOLINIER, Can. Secretary.
Place of the Seal.