PERDONO D'ASSISI, INDULGENZA del. — Also called the indulgence of the Porziuncola, because it is attached to the visitation of the chapel of the Porziuncola in the basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli, near Assisi.
I. LA PORZIUNCOLA E LA CONCESSIONE DELL'-
The little church of the Porziuncola (also called, in the 13th century, S. Maria degli Angeli), depended on the Benedictines of Assisi, and was the last among FRANCESCANE (v.) who near it founded the Order of Friars Minor and established his first habitual residence; here he celebrated the general Chapters of the Order and wished to die in 1226. For it, enclosed within the great basilica of S. Maria degli Angeli at the center of the crossing, beneath the dome, St. Francesco obtained the celebrated indulgence of the Perdono d'Assisi. Historical accounts relate how Francesco, during a vision, had asked Christ for a plenary indulgence for whoever visited the chapel. Christ granted it, sending him nevertheless to Pope Honorius III, then in Perugia (1216), who, after some hesitation, would have granted it, though without the respective bull, which Francesco did not want.
II. THE INDULGENCE IN PONTIFICAL CONCESSIONS AND CURRENT DISCIPLINE
Despite various historical uncertainties regarding the origin of the indulgence, many pontiffs confirmed it and expanded its concessions.Initially, it could be gained only at the Porziuncola on 2 August, beginning with first vespers until sunset on the feast day and only once. Martin IV once again confirmed it, vivae vocis oraculo, to Cardinal Matteo d'Acquasparta, then Master of the Sacred Palace. Quite early, the practice of applying it to the deceased was introduced; however, the first pontifical decree on the matter dates only to 1687, with the brief Alias felicis of Innocent XI. By the second half of the 14th century, it was already common to acquire it toties quoties (and thus also the idea of applying it to the deceased), as attested by the jurist Bonifacio de Amamata, though still only for 2 August. Nevertheless, official recognition came only in 1700 and 1723 through two documents of the Congregation of the Council. The extension of toties quoties to every day of the year, introduced in practice, was allegedly approved and again granted vivae vocis oraculo by Paul III in 1544, according to an official notarial deposition by Masseo Bardi, Bishop of Chiusi, who was present at the act and later recorded it in 1588. The Church, however, remained reluctant toward this daily indulgence, and by the end of the 17th century, some books defending it were condemned, and a verse alluding to it was erased from the chapel. Only with the brief Constat apprime of Benedict XV (16 April 1921) was solemn concession granted.
The indulgence soon began to be extended to other churches as well. The first recorded is the church of S. Domenico in Perugia, which allegedly obtained it from Benedict XI, probably in 1504. After numerous other concessions to particular churches and regions, it was extended by Leo X (and perhaps already by Sixtus IV around 1480) in 1517 to all Franciscan churches for members of the First and Second Orders. Gregory XV in 1622 granted it to all the faithful who visited a Franciscan church. Urban VIII in 1643 extended it to all churches of the Third Order; Clement X in 1670 to the churches of the Conventuals, while the Capuchins had obtained it since 1622. Later, it was extended to other churches, provided they were located at a certain distance from Franciscan churches. By decree of the Sacred Penitentiary in 1924, the privilege was extended to churches for which bishops made a request, provided they were at least three kilometers distant from a Franciscan church, with the faculty to transfer it to the following Sunday if 2 August fell on a weekday. The usual conditions are required: visiting the church, Confession, Communion, and the recitation of six Pater, Ave, Gloria for each visit. Outside the Porziuncola, this indulgence may be gained from noon on 1 August to midnight on 2 August (or, respectively, the Sunday determined by the bishop).
### III. HISTORICAL TESTIMONIES AND CONTROVERSIES.
The greatest difficulty surrounding the Porziuncola indulgence lies in the fact that none of the most authoritative early sources on the life of St. Francis—such as Celano and St. Bonaventure—mention II. The first reference appears in the later Legend of the Three Companions (v. QUESTIONE FRANCESCANA). Even the practice of pilgrimages does not seem to have known of this indulgence before around 1260. In the last quarter of the 13th century, a series of notarial testimonies emerged, partly prompted by the Umbrian provincial, Friar Angelo. Among these are the testimony of Benedetto of Arezzo (1277), who heard it from Friar Masseo, who had been with St. Francis when he went to the Pope to request the indulgence; that of Giacomo Coppoli, who reports the Assisi (v.); and that of Pietro Zalfani, who claims to have been present at the promulgation made by St. Francis. From the end of this century also dates a Questio by Pietro di Giovanni Olivi on the indulgence, highly significant from a doctrinal standpoint. Around 1310, in addition to other highly important testimonies, there is the official act of Bishop Teobaldo of Assisi, who records the narrative and adds his authority to II. Alongside these official, sober, and serious depositions, legends flourished, particularly the treatise by Francesco Bartholi, where popular tradition is extensively recounted and enriched with the addition of many miracles. After the opposition to the indulgence in the 13th and early 14th centuries, further objections arose at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, particularly regarding the daily nature of the indulgence. The true and profound critical controversy emerged in 1900 when P. Sabatier, after having denied credence to the account in his Vie de st François (1894), re-examined the documents for the publication of Francesco Bartholi’s Tractatus de indulgentia and became convinced of its authenticity. This led to a twofold reaction among scholars: some Protestants inclined toward accepting it (K. Müller, Zöckler), while many Catholics (Van Ortroy, P. A. Kirsch, N. Paulus) abandoned II. Shortly thereafter, particularly within the Franciscan milieu, with Lemmens, Oliger, Holzapfel, René de Nantes, and also Monsignor Faloci-Pulignani, the Sabatierian thesis was upheld, albeit with differing opinions on the extent of the indulgence granted to St. Francis. The objections raised include: the silence of the earliest and most genuine sources; the contrary custom in the 13th century regarding such concessions; strong doubts about the cited documents, especially because the need was felt to give them official form, and so on. The responses were as follows: sources like Celano and St. Bonaventure also omit many other important events in the life of St. Francis; such papal concessions in the 13th century were not entirely unprecedented (Pierens), and in any case, an exception could well exist; the official form of the documents was required by the public opposition of the time.
On the whole, it seems that one cannot deny the existence of an unspecified concession—its extent and content yet to be determined—of an indulgence by Pope Honorius III to St. Francis.