Divine Mercy Sunday (also known as the Feast of the Divine Mercy) is a feast day that is observed in the Roman Rite calendar, as well as some Anglo-Catholics of the Church of England (it is not an official Anglican feast). It is celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, which concludes the Octave of Easter. It is originally based on the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy that Faustina Kowalska reported as part of her visions of Jesus, and is associated with special promises from Jesus and indulgences issued by the Catholic Church.
According to the diary of Kowalska, the feast of Divine Mercy receives the biggest promises of grace from Jesus in the Divine Mercy devotion. A person who goes to sacramental confession (the confession may take place some days before) and receives holy communion on that Sunday, shall obtain the total forgiveness of sins and punishments. This grace is similar to the grace received at baptism and greater than a plenary indulgence. Additionally, the Catholic Church also grants a plenary indulgence (observing the usual rules) with the recitation of some simple prayers.
Devotion to the Divine Mercy
Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, reported visions and visitations from Jesus and conversations with him. He asked her to paint the vision of his merciful divinity being poured from his Sacred Heart and specifically asked for a feast of Divine Mercy to be established on the first Sunday after Easter Sunday, so that mankind would take refuge in him:
In several entries in her diary, Kowalska reported a promise of a grace of forgiveness associated to the Feast of Divine Mercy on Mercy Sunday:
This special promise of grace of forgiveness is similar to the grace received at baptism and greater than a plenary indulgence. It forgives the punishments due to sin but also the sins themselves and does not require a complete detachment from sin like indulgences do. Kowalska wrote Jesus instructed her that the Feast of Mercy (the Sunday after Easter) be preceded by a Divine Mercy Novena which would begin on Good Friday. Michael Sopocko (Kowalska's confessor) celebrated the Mass that Sunday and obtained permission to place the image within the Gate of Dawn church in Vilnius during the Mass.
Vatican approval
The devotion was actively promoted by Pope John Paul II. On April 30, 2000, the Canonization of Faustina Kowalska took place and the second Sunday of Easter was officially designated as the Sunday of the Divine Mercy in the General Roman Calendar. On April 22, 2001, which was one year after establishing Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope John Paul II re-emphasized its message in the resurrection context of Easter:
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Jesus said to Sr Faustina one day: "Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy". Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity
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The devotion to Divine Mercy Sunday grew rapidly after its designation by Pope John Paul II and is now widely celebrated by Catholics. The Divine Mercy image is often carried in processions on Divine Mercy Sunday, and is placed in a location in the church so that it can be venerated by those who attended the Mass.
thumb|240px|Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011, at the Vatican included the [[beatification of Pope John Paul II, for which over a million pilgrims went to Rome.]]
John Paul II, who died in April 2005 on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, was himself beatified on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011, by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, and was canonized together with Pope John XXIII on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, by Pope Francis.
Plenary indulgence
In June 2002, John Paul II granted indulgences to Catholics who recite specific prayers on that day, and the grants were then formally decreed by the Apostolic Penitentiary. Priests are encouraged on that day to lead the prayers in honor of Divine Mercy, inform the parishioners about the Divine Mercy, and hear confessions.