Remember that when you greet a Bishop you can reverence his ring for an indulgence! The ring is a symbol of the Bishop’s close union with his local church; a symbol of his authority/jurisdiction. By decree of Pope St. Pius X (March 18, 1909), a partial indlgence of 50 days, applicable to the souls in Purgatory, may be gained by devoutly kissing the ring of a Bishop. Just remember to bend your knee when you meet ‘em and try not to chip your tooth on the ring!
3 comments:
I remember reading that you only kneel (left knee) when kissing the Ordinary of the diocese where you are located.
I'm not sure that the indulgence still applies. I suspect that St Pius X's decree was revoked back in 1968 when Paul VI pruned the list of works for which indulgences were awarded. Even 'motu proprio' grants of indulgences were, to the best of my knowledge, revoked.
I kissed the ring of the bishop in my diocese and he looked absolutely terrified. Only later did I discover from an old classmate of the bishop that my appearance is similiar to the woman he was engaged to before he decided to answer the call to the priesthood.
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