The Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII., by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, Feb. 14, 1815, granted the following indulgences to all the faithful who shall practice the devotion of the Three Hours' Agony, on Good Friday, beginning it after midday, and continuing it for the three hours following, up to that moment in which the memory of our divine Redeemer's death is annually recalled. This pious praclice may be performed either in public or in private, alone or with others, under the direction of a priest or other sacred minister, or using any pious book that is approved, and meditating, according to each one's ability, on the great sufferings which our Saviour endured during those three hours, and on the seven words He uttered on the cross, or, instead of this, by reciting psalms, hymns or prayers:

An Indulgence of Two Hundred Days to all who, on every Friday of the year, shall, with devotion, recall the memory of our Saviour's agony, and pray devoutly, for some time, in the manner aforesaid.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, dost hang in agony on the cross, there by Thy pains to pay the penalty of my sins, and dost open Thy divine mouth to obtain me pardon for them from eternal justice: O Jesus! pity all those faithful souls who now are in their last sad agony, and pity me when I, too, shall be in mine. By the merit of Thy most precious blood shed for our salvation, vouchsafe us all such lively sorrow for our sins, as shall make us breathe forth our souls into the bosom of Thy boundless mercy.

My God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope; Thou art my love. I repent of my sins, because by them I have offended Thee.

Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, dost hang in agony on the cross, and with such readiness and bounty dost meet the good thief's cry of faith, when in Thy humiliations he acknowledges Thee to be the Son of God, and dost then assure him of paradise prepared for him: oh ! pity all faithful souls now in their last agony, and pity me when I, too, shall be in mine. By the merit of Thy most precious blood, renew in our souls such firm and steadfast faith as shall never waver at any suggestions of the evil one; that so we also may obtain the blessed prize of paradise.

My God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope; Thou art my love. I repent of my sins, because by them I have offended Thee.

Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, dost hang in agony on the cross, and, unmindful of thine own sorrows, dost leave us Thy own most holy mother as a pledge of Thy love, that we, through her, may, in our greatest straits, seek Thee with confidence: have pity on all faithful souls now in their last agony, and pity me when I, too, shall be in mine. By the inward martyrdom of Thy dear mother, quicken in our hearts a firm hope in the infinite merits of Thy most precious blood, that so we may escape the sentence of eternal death, which we know we well deserve for our sins.

My God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope; Thou art my love. I repent of my sins, because by them I have offended Thee.

Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, dost hang in agony on the cross, and, heaping woe on woe, besides Thy sacred body's pain, dost bear with infinite patience the most afflicting desolation of spirit, because thou wast forsaken by Thine eternal Father: pity all faithful souls now in their last agony, and pity me when I, too, shall be in mine. By the merit of Thy most precious blood, grant us all Thy grace to suffer with true meekness all the pain and anguish of our agony, that joining our pains with Thine, we, too, may in paradise be made partakers of Thy glory.

My God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope; Thou art my love. I repent of my sins, because by them I have offended Thee.

Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, dost hang in agony on the cross, and Who, ever thirsting for insults and for sufferings, dost will yet more and more to suffer, that all men may be saved, thus showing that all the torrent of Thy passion is not enough to quench the thirst of Thy most loving heart: pity all faithful souls now in their last agony, and pity me when I, too, shall be in mine. By the merit of Thy most precious blood, kindle such a fire of charity within us that, with burning longing, we may thirst ever to be one with Thee for all eternity.

My God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope; Thou art my love. I repent of my sins, because by them I have offended Thee.

Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, dost hang in agony on the cross, and from this pulpit of the truth dost declare the work of our redemption finished--that work by which, from children of wrath and of eternal woe, we were made sons of God and heirs of heaven: pity all faithful souls now in their last agony, and pity me when I, too, shall be in mine. By the merit of Thy most precious blood, detach us wholly from the world and from ourselves, and, at the moment of our agony, grant us grace to offer Thee, with all our hearts, the sacrifice of our life in atonement for our sins.

My God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope; Thou art my love. I repent of my sins, because by them I have offended Thee.

Jesus, my love! Who, for love of me, dost hang in agony on the cross, and Who, to accomplish the great sacrifice, dost submit to the will of Thy eternal Father, commending Thy spirit into His hands, and then dost bow Thy head and die: pity all faithful souls now in their agony, and pity me when I, too, shall be in mine. By the merit of Thy most precious blood, give us in our agony an entire conformity to Thy divine will, that, ready to live or die as it shall please Thee, we may desire nothing but that Thy adorable will may ever find its full accomplishment in us.

My God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope; Thou art my love. I repent of my sins, because by them I have offended Thee.

"And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head. They began to spit upon Him and they gave Him blows. Others smote His face and said: 'Prophesy who is it that struck Thee?'"

O holy Redeemer! Thou art clothed with a scarlet cloak a reed is placed in Thy hands for a sceptre and the sharp points of a thorny crown are pressed into Thy adorable head.

My soul thou canst never conceive the sufferings the insults and indignities offered to our Blessed Lord during this scene of pain and mockery.

The Jєωs mock Thee I salute Thee and offer Thee supreme homage as King of heaven and earth the Redeemer of the world the Eternal Son of the living God.

O my afflicted Savior! O King of the world Thou art ridiculed as a mock king. I believe in Thee and adore Thee as the King of kings and Lord of lords as the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth.

O Jesus! I devoutly venerate Thy sacred head pierced with thorns struck with a reed overwhelmed with pain and derision.

I adore the Precious Blood flowing from Thy bleeding wounds. To Thee be all praise all thanksgiving and all love for evermore.

O meek Lamb, Victim for sin! May Thy thorns penetrate my heart with fervent love that I may never cease to adore Thee as my God, my King and my Savior.

O my beloved Savior, at sight of Thy most holy face disfigured by suffering, at sight of the Thy Sacred Heart so full of love, I cry out with St. Augustine: "Lord Jesus, imprint on my heart Thy sacred wounds, so that I may read therein sorrow and love: sorrow, to endure every sorrow for Thee; love, to despise every love for Thee."   Amen.

My Crucified Jesus, mercifully accept the prayer which I now make to Thee for help in the moment of my death when at its approach all my senses shall fail me.

When therefore O sweetest Jesus my weary and downcast eyes can no longer look up to Thee, be mindful of the loving gaze which I now turn on Thee and have mercy on me.

When my parched lips can no longer kiss Thy most sacred wounds, remember then those kisses which now I imprint on Thee and have mercy on me.

When my cold hands can no longer embrace Thy Cross, forget not the affection with which I embrace it now and have mercy on me.

And when at length my swollen and lifeless tongue can no longer speak remember that I called upon Thee now.

Jesus Mary Joseph, to you I commend my soul. Amen.

Eternal Father I offer Thee the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the wounds of our souls.

O Jesus, Who by reason of Thy burning love for us hast willed to be crucified and to shed Thy most Precious Blood for the redemption and salvation of our souls, look down upon us here gathered together in remembrance of Thy most sorrowful Passion and Death, fully trusting in Thy mercy; cleanse us from sin by Thy grace, sanctify our toil, give unto us and unto all those who are dear to us our daily bread, sweeten our sufferings, bless our families, and to the nations so sorely afflicted, grant Thy peace, which is the only true peace, so that by obeying Thy commandments, we may come at last to the glory of heaven. Amen

The faithful, who recite this prayer with devotion on Good Friday at three o'clock, the hour when our Lord jesus Christ expired on the Cross, are granted: an indulgence of 500 days.