[LIVE] Receive the blessing of Pope Francis and the plenary indulgence

This Friday, March 27, Pope Francis will impart a special blessing and the faithful will be able to receive a plenary indulgence in the midst of this pandemic of coronavirus that threatens our society and the world.

LIVE VIDEO.

Here is the video where you can see it live and in real time for when this blessing of the Pope takes place.

Pope Francis has invited all the faithful of the Church to have this special moment of prayer, all united this Friday, March 27, at 6:00 p.m. (Rome time)

• 10:00 (Los Angeles),
• 11:00 (Denver),
• 11:00 am (Ciudad de México),
• 12:00 (Bogotá, Quito, Lima),
• 13:00 hours (Miami, New York, Ontario, Puerto Rico),
• 14:00 (Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires),

The Pope will preside over a prayer in the Sacred of St. Peter´s Basilica, with the square empty and with the cross of the miraculous Christ that has been moved to St. Peter´s Square and to cry out to heaven for mercy in these difficult moments for the Coronavirus.

All the faithful of the world can receive the blessing and the indulgence by seeing and hearing Pope Francis through the various means of communication of television, radio and internet, at the moment he performs it. The Liturgy of the Word will also be read and the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament will take place.

On the Coronavirus pandemic that has been unleashed throughout the world, Pope Francis, with words full of confidence and faith, said:

"We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, of compassion, of tenderness. Let us remain united. Let us make our closeness to the loneliest and most exhausted people felt". (Pope Francis)

Urbi et Orbi blessing and plenary indulgence.

Pope Francis will impart the apostolic blessing Urbi et Orbi, which is addressed to the City of Rome and the whole world. This special blessing, which is normally given at Christmas and Easter, will give the faithful the possibility to receive the plenary indulgence (according to conditions)

The conditions for this case were indicated by the Vatican: people must be sorry for their sins, recite the prescribed prayers, have the moment of prayer with the liturgy of the word and promise to go to confession and receive the Eucharist as soon as possible.

The Urbi et Orbi blessing is a special blessing which is normally given by the Pope only twice a year, (as indicated above). This blessing carries with it a plenary indulgence, which is the remission of the penalties due for sins against our God.

The moment has been propitious to receive this special blessing with the option of a plenary indulgence, since many people, in different parts of the world, are in quarantine trying to contain the contagion of the coronavirus, and have not been able to receive communion, go to confession or participate in Holy Mass as they usually do.

What is a plenary indulgence?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, an indulgence is "a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. It means that the most faithful are destined to a period in purgatory before being allowed into heaven.

Those who die having received a plenary indulgence avoid purgatory and go directly to Heaven.

In addition to this, with the approval of Pope Francis, the Vatican has issued a decree granting a plenary indulgence to all Catholics who suffer or care for those who have a coronavirus (Covid-19), as well as health care workers, family members and all those who in any capacity, including through prayer, care for them.