Bull of Forgiveness – Pope Celestine V

With the Bull of Forgiveness, the Templar Pontiff Celestine V grants plenary indulgence to all those who visit the church of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L’Aquila on the day of the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. Anticipation of the Jubilee indulgence sanctioned by Boniface VIII.
29 September 1294

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Celestine bishop, servant of the servants of God, offers his greetings and apostolic blessing to all the faithful of Christ who will see this letter. Among the feasts of the saints, the memory of Saint John the Baptist must be honoured all the more solemnly because he, born from the womb of a sterile woman, fertile with virtue, with holy gifts, fruitful source of the word of the apostles and silence of those present, announced with public speeches and with the marvellous sign of his index finger the presence of Christ on earth, light of the world immersed in the darkness of ignorance, for which his glorious martyrdom mysteriously followed, imposed by the vision of the immodest woman. We, who on the day of the Beheading of this saint, in the L’Aquila church of Santa Maria di Collemaggio of the order of Saint Benedict, received the insignia of the diadem placed on our heads, we wish this church to be even more honoured and venerated with hymns and songs and with the devoted prayers of the faithful. Therefore, so that in this same church the feast of the Beheading of the Baptist is elevated with special honours with the devout attendance of the Lord’s people and is honoured all the more devoutly and assiduously, the more the simple invocation of those who turn to the Lord is found there the jewels of the Church shining with spiritual gifts that will benefit them in the tabernacles of eternal life, all those who will be truly repentant of their confessed sins and who will enter the aforementioned church every year from the vespers of the eve of the feast until the vespers immediately following the feast itself, we absolve us from all guilt and punishment that they deserve for their crimes and for everything they have committed since their baptism,

​Given in L’Aquila, the 29th September of the first year of Our pontificate.

The Holy Door of the Collemaggio Abbey is open every year for 24 hours on the days between 28 and 29 August. In 2007, the opening rite was officiated by the Neapolitan cardinal SE Crescenzo Sepe and on that occasion, the Grand Bailiff of Magna Graecia of the OSMTJ served as Guard of Honor at the tomb of Pope Celestine V to gain the indulgence of the Forgiveness for all the Templars of the world, so that they may rediscover that fraternal and holy unity that many have long hoped for.