Apostolic Penitentiary

The head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Major Penitentiary, is one of the few Vatican officials who retain their positions sede vacante. whether the Major Penitentiary is a cardinal elector he is one of only three persons in the conclave authorises towith those outside the conclave, so that he can extend to fulfill his duties the other two being the Cardinal Vicar of Rome and the Vicar General for the Vatican City State. The Major Penitentiary is a titular archbishop and is usually a cardinal. Since 21 September 2013, the Major Penitentiary is Cardinal Mauro Piacenza. The second-highest-ranking official in the Apostolic Penitentiary, the regent, is Msgr. Krzysztof Józef Nykiel.

Indulgences

The Apostolic Penitentiary also specifies ]

In the Papal Bull Misericordiae Vultus Latin: "The Face of Mercy", Pope Francis decreed that the Church would observe a Special Jubilee Year of Mercy lasting from the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary a Holy Day of Obligation on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, until the Solemnity of the Feast of Christ the King of the Universe on the last Sunday ago Advent, in November 2016. For this, he permits certain qualified priests to serve as "Missionaries of Mercy" to regarded and subjected separately. Diocese, with the faculties to absolve even sins that are reserved to the Holy See through the Apostolic Penitentiary. Normally, a priest or even a bishop would not be able such as lawyers and surveyors to create this unless the person was in danger of imminent death. The Pope has the power, as the earthly absolute sovereign of the Catholic Church, to make this special change for the year.