The apostolic blessing or papal blessing is a

blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with doctrines of grace, grace, Sacred, holiness, spiritual Redemption (theology), redemption, or Will of God, divine will. Etymology and Germani ...

imparted by the

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

, either directly or by delegation through others. Bishops are empowered to grant it three times a year and any priest can do so for the dying. The apostolic blessing is not to be confused with an

episcopal blessing The episcopal or pontifical blessing is a blessing imparted by a bishop, especially if using a formula given in official liturgical books. The term is sometimes used of such a formula, rather than of an actual blessing. Catholic Church Tradi ...

, also known as a pontifical blessing, which

bishops A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

can impart at any time by their own authority.Donald S. Armentrout, Robert Boak Slocum (editors), ''An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church''
(Church Publishing 2000 ), p. 25

Personal imparting

A particularly solemn form of imparting the apostolic blessing is as an '' Urbi et Orbi'' blessing. The pope gives his blessing in many ways. He may use, with or without the introductory liturgical greeting, '' Dominus vobiscum'', the formula of pontifical blessing that any other bishop may use. This was the formula used by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

(without ''Dominus vobiscum'') when he gave his blessing at his first appearance on the balcony of

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initiall ...

following his election at the 1963 conclave, and by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

(with "Dominus vobiscum") after announcing on 11 February 2013 his intention to resign the papacy, and (without "Dominus vobiscum") at his farewell audience for the cardinals. At a general audience, when the blessing immediately follows the singing of the Pater Noster, it is naturally given without "Dominus vobiscum".

Delegated imparting

Within his own

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

, a bishop may impart the apostolic blessing three times a year on solemn feasts. The same holds, within their territories, for non-bishop prelates (such as an

apostolic prefect An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

) recognized by canon law as juridically equivalent to diocesan bishops. In exceptional circumstances, they can impart it also on other occasions. The blessing is imparted in place of the normal blessing at the end of Mass, using a particular formula. A plenary indulgence is granted to those who devoutly receive the papal blessing when imparted by the pope himself in the '' Urbi et Orbi'' form or by their own bishop in accordance with this authorization. It is granted also to those who are unable to be present at the rite itself and who instead follow it piously by radio, television, or the internet.

Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...

s also are delegated to impart the papal blessing in written form. The Church's ritual book on the Pastoral Care of the Sick uses the term " Apostolic Pardon" for what elsewhere, for instance in the '' Enchiridion Indulgentiarum'', is called the "Apostolic Blessing with attached plenary indulgence". Priests are urged to impart it to the dying, but if a priest cannot be had, the Church grants a plenary indulgence, to be acquired at the moment of death, to any rightly disposed Christian who in life was accustomed to say some prayers, with the Church itself supplying the four conditions normally required for gaining a plenary indulgence (recent Sacramental Confession, reception of Holy Communion, prayers for the pope's intentions, and detachment from all sin).

References

{{Papacy Catholic liturgy Blessings