65. The Sacrament of Penance
Through the sacraments of Christian initiation, a person receives a new life in Christ. Still, we carry this life in “earthen vessels” (2 Cor 4:7). Jesus, the physician of our souls, wanted his Church to continue the work of healing and salvation that he began. This is the purpose of the sacraments of healing: Penance and Anointing of the Sick.1
Human life is in some way a constant returning to our Father’s house. We return through contrition, through the conversion of heart which means a desire to change, a firm decision to improve our life and which, therefore, is expressed in sacrifice and self-giving. We return to our Father’s house by means of that sacrament of pardon in which, by confessing our sins, we put on Jesus Christ again and become his brothers, members of God’s family.2
57. The Virtue of Penance
Before studying the Sacrament of Penance, we must briefly consider the virtue of penance, since they are closely related.
The virtue of penance is a supernatural habit that inclines the person to be promptly sorry for a sin committed, insofar as it is an offense to God, with the resolve not to do it again. That resolve, or purpose of amendment, is a necessary element of true sorrow.3
The virtue of penance is a radical reorientation of the whole life, a return and conversion to God. This conversion of heart is accompanied by contrition or repentance (animi cruciatus or compunctio cordis), and includes:
· hatred for sin,
· sorrow for the offense done to God,
· the desire to atone for the sins committed, and
· the resolve not to sin in the future.
In Sacred Scripture and the writings of the Fathers of the Church, the internal virtue of penance finds its expression in three exercises: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. To these expressions of penance, we should add all the works of mercy—corporal and spiritual—practiced in daily life. These include gestures of reconciliation, attention to the poor, defense of justice and rights, acknowledgment of our faults, fraternal correction, amendment of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, and enduring persecution for justice’s sake. The safest way of penance is to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus.
The Eucharist is “the antidote to free us from our daily faults and to preserve us from mortal sin.”4 Reading Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy of the Hours, or any sincere act of piety or devotion awakens the desire for conversion in us. The times and days of penance (Lent, Fridays of the year) are particularly suitable for spiritual retreats, reception of the Sacrament of Penance, penitential pilgrimages, and other acts of expiation.5
57a) The Necessity of the Virtue of Penance
The virtue of penance is necessary for all sinners, both as a means and by precept (cf. Lk 13:5).6
Those in the state of mortal sin should, logically, make an act of contrition as soon as possible. If they have been in that state for a long time or are in danger of death, refusing to repent would mean an additional sin.
Furthermore, contrition is needed whenever the state of grace is required (for example, for the reception of a sacrament of the living).
In all these cases, the required act of penance is the reception of the Sacrament of Penance if it is possible to receive it.
58. The Existence of the Sacrament of Penance
Only God can forgive sins (cf. Mk 2:7). Jesus forgave sinners and gave the apostles the power to forgive sins and the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church.
Even in the first centuries, abundant witnesses attest to the Church’s exercise of the “power of the keys” or “binding and loosing,” that is, of forgiving sins. Christ promised this power first to Peter (cf. Mt 16:19), later granted it to all the apostles (cf. Mt 18:18), and, through them, gave it to all their successors (cf. Jn 20:23). Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.7
Extant ancient writings discuss the scope of this power in depth: whether all sins could be forgiven or whether some particularly grievous ones could or should not be forgiven by the Church. The conclusion that they reach is that the Church can forgive all sins without exception.8
There are also abundant testimonies dating from the first centuries on the practice of public penance. This was reserved for particularly grievous and sometimes public sins. In these cases, the procedure required for reconciliation with God and the Church was also public.
The direct testimonies on private penance, which is the form practiced now, are from a later time. This may be due to the very private nature of this form of reconciliation. This led some to say—from the first Protestants to recent times—that the present practice of penance was a more or less recent ecclesiastical invention, unknown in the early Church.
In spite of the scarcity of testimony just mentioned, the Magisterium explicitly teaches, “the method that the Catholic Church has always observed from the very beginning, and still observes, of confessing secretly to the priest alone,” is not “foreign to the institution and command of Christ,” nor is it “of human origin.”9
59. Nature and Institution of the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance is also called the Sacrament of Conversion, of Confession, of Forgiveness, and of Reconciliation.
Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance to forgive by sacramental absolution, in the manner of a judgment, all the sins committed after Baptism by a person who confesses them with due repentance. The new Code of Canon Law concisely states:
In the sacrament of penance the faithful who confess their sins to a lawful minister, are sorry for those sins and have a purpose of amendment, receive from God, through the absolution given by that minister, forgiveness of sins they have committed after baptism, and at the same time they are reconciled with the Church, which by sinning they wounded.10
The institution of the Sacrament of Penance principally took place after Christ’s Resurrection, when he told the apostles, “‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (Jn 20:21–23).11
The whole scene—the solemn gesture of blowing over them, telling them to receive the Holy Spirit, comparing their mission with his own, and, above all, the last words—clearly shows that the power to forgive sins was conferred. Clearly, it is not just a command to announce the forgiveness of sins, as the prophets often did.
Furthermore, as the Council of Trent defined in condemning the Protestant errors, this sacrament was instituted in the manner of a judgment.12 Holy Scripture clearly shows this judicial character in the promise of the power of the keys, which is the power to judge according to divine law and to forgive or not to forgive (cf. Mt 16:19; 18:18; Jn 20:23). The minister, precisely because he has to judge and pass a sentence, must know the case, including the sins and the present dispositions of the penitent. Therefore, the penitent must reveal both to the minister through a confession.
In the early Church, the reconciliation of those who had committed very grievous sins (homicide, adultery, idolatry) was tied to long periods of public penance. In the seventh century, following the monastic tradition of the East, Irish monks introduced the practice of “private” penance, even for venial sins, as it is practiced today in the European continent.13
60. The Proximate and Remote Matter of Penance
The proximate matter is the three acts of the penitent: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. We will study them in detail.
The remote matter is the sins committed after Baptism, insofar as one loathes them and wants to be freed of them.14
The necessary matter is all the mortal sins committed after Baptism that are not yet confessed and forgiven by sacramental absolution.15
The free matter is all the venial sins committed after Baptism16 and all venial or mortal sins that are already absolved in prior confessions.
The matter can be certain or doubtful, depending on whether one positively knows that the sins concerned are indeed sins or is not sure that they are sins.
For the validity of the sacrament, there must be sufficient matter, that is, necessary or free matter, provided it is certain. Mere imperfections and doubtful sins are insufficient matter. Therefore, if one wants to go to Confession and has no necessary and certain matter, one must mention some free and certain matter in order to receive the sacrament.
61. The Form of the Sacrament of Penance
The form of the sacrament is the words of the absolution pronounced by the confessor. Its nucleus is the words, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”17
The absolution must be given orally in the presence of the penitent. Only for serious reasons can the absolution be conditional: for example, when there is doubt as to whether the penitent is alive or not or whether he has sufficient use of reason.
62. The Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance may be administered according to three different rites:18
(1) The rite for the reconciliation of one penitent. This is the usual manner of administering the Sacrament of Penance.
(2) The rite for the reconciliation of several penitents with individual confession and absolution. This rite may be followed when one wants to give special solemnity to this sacrament as, for example, during a mission, or in Lenten retreats.
The rite consists of some scriptural readings, the preaching of a sermon, a time for examination of conscience, and the common recitation of the general confession prayer. Afterward, each of the penitents individually confesses to one of the confessors present. The confessors individually judge, impose the penance, and absolve the penitents one by one.
This rite is at times referred to as the “communitarian celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.” This and the previous rite are the only ordinary means by which one of the faithful, conscious of having fallen into mortal sin, can be reconciled with God and the Church.19
(3) The rite for the reconciliation of many penitents with a general confession and absolution. In contrast to the previous two rites, this rite does not have individual confessions. A general penance is imposed, which each penitent may supplement with voluntary acts, and general absolution is given to all at the same time.
Aside from true contrition, there is an additional requirement for the validity of this absolution: At the moment it is granted, each penitent must make the resolution to go to individual confession as soon as possible.20
This rite is often called “general absolution.”
63. Regulations on General Absolutions
By its nature, general absolution is to be given only on exceptional occasions. This is acknowledged by the very decree that established it, which also says that individual, integral confession and the corresponding absolution is still the only ordinary way for the faithful to be reconciled with God and the Church. Only when it is physically or morally impossible can individual confession be dispensed.21
This decree specifies the cases in which this rite may be used: (a) when one is in danger of death, and (b) when a large number of penitents, due to the lack of confessors to hear them individually and through no fault of their own, would be deprived of sacramental grace or Communion for a long time. However, if confessors were to be available at a nearby place or in the near future, this rite would not be licit. The document specifically declares that a great gathering of penitents, as in a pilgrimage or an important holy day, does not justify the use of this rite.
When the faithful receive a general absolution, the sins thus forgiven must be mentioned in the next individual confession. This must be done as soon as possible and before receiving another general absolution. Further, the Church’s precept of going to Confession at least once a year is not fulfilled by a general absolution.
Clearly, general absolutions are the exceptions to the rule and do not do away with the need for individual confession. It would be a great abuse of the sacrament to present this rite as a valid alternative to individual confession.
64. Effects of the Sacrament of Penance
The effects of the Sacrament of Penance are the following:22
· The Sacrament of Penance can forgive all sins, mortal as well as venial (cf. Ez 18:21–23; Is 1:18).
· Venial sins may also be forgiven through acts of repentance done outside the sacrament.23 Even so, sins for which one does not repent are not forgiven, even within the Sacrament of Penance. These are the sins for which one retains some attachment and lacks the resolve to correct.24
· Reconciliation with God occurs through sanctifying grace infused in the soul.25 That is why, in Confession, mortal sins are either all forgiven or all retained.
· Reconciliation with the Church is accomplished.
· Remission of eternal punishment due to mortal sins takes place.
· Partial remission of the temporal punishment due to mortal sins also occurs.26
· Merits obtained through good works while in the state of grace and lost through mortal sin are revived through penance (cf. Ez 33:12).27
· Peace, serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation are found.
· Sacramental grace is a sort of spiritual force to successfully fight off temptations in areas related to the sins confessed.
65. Necessity of the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance (or the sincere and active intention to receive it) is necessary as a means for salvation for all who have committed mortal sins after Baptism or after their last good confession.28
By divine precept, sacramental confession is an obligation:
· in itself, for sinners in danger of imminent death, and a few times during one’s life,
· on the occasions when a person who is in mortal sin wants to receive a sacrament of the living.
By ecclesiastical law, “after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.”29 One should not restrict oneself to the bare minimum required by the law; when confessions are far apart, it is more difficult to distinguish mortal sin from venial sin. Also, it is not advisable to fulfill the precept of yearly communion with a great load of venial sins.
Children should go to the Sacrament of Penance before receiving their first communion.30
66. Minister of the Sacrament of Penance
Christ entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the apostles (cf. Jn 20:23; 2 Cor 5:18). The bishops (their successors) and the priests (collaborators of the bishops) continue exercising this ministry. For the validity of the Sacrament of Penance, divine law requires the minister to have received priestly ordination31 and to have jurisdiction over the penitent.32
Jurisdiction is necessary due to the judicial character of the Sacrament of Penance. A judge can pronounce sentence only on someone under his jurisdiction.33
66a) The Power to Hear Confessions
Generally speaking, those entitled to hear confessions by right are the pope, the cardinals, and bishops. Those entitled by office are the bishop, the canon penitentiary, the parish priest, and those who take their place. Other priests have this power by delegation of the bishop.
Regarding the scope of this faculty, one who has it in one place automatically has it in all places. The local bishop, however, can deny this faculty to alien bishops (as to the lawfulness) and priests (as to the validity).
These regulations eased out the stricter norms of the previous Code, as was required by the increased mobility of the laity and clergy in our times.34
Any priest can validly absolve a penitent who is in danger of death, even if he has no license and even if a qualified confessor is also present.35
The pope or the local bishop can limit jurisdiction by reserving the absolution of some sins to himself, especially those that, at a given time, are considered particularly pernicious (reserved sins).36 The present Code, however, does not mention this reservation.37
66b) The Obligations of the Confessor
As we have already said, for the validity of the sacrament, the confessor must have received Holy Orders and have jurisdiction.
In addition to those mentioned in the above section, for some specific cases, the requirements for its lawful administration are the following:
· The confessor must be in the state of grace, as is necessary for the administration of all the sacraments (cf. Lv 22:3).
· He should have sufficient knowledge. Those granting the license to hear confessions should ascertain the qualifications of the candidates through an examination or in some other way.38
· He should practice prudence and other Christian virtues, such as zeal for souls, patience, and fortitude.
· He must be able to pass a just judgment on the sins heard and on the need to repair the damages caused to third parties, if any.
· He must be able to discern whether the penitent has the required dispositions, so that he may accordingly give, postpone, or deny the absolution.39 For this, he can prudently ask questions from the penitent—at times, he must do so.40 He should deny absolution if the penitent refuses to avoid voluntary (that is, not unavoidable) proximate occasions of grave sins.
· He must know how to teach and encourage the penitent, eliciting true contrition and resolution of amendment.41
· He must impose the appropriate satisfaction for the penitent.42
· The proper place for hearing confessions is the confessional box, which should meet the requirements set by the bishops’ conference. In any case, a confessional with a separation screen should be available for the penitents who want to use it. Apart from a case of real necessity, confessions should be heard in a confessional equipped with a fixed grille.43 The minister can lawfully decide to follow this general rule, for a just reason, even if the penitent requests otherwise. It is highly advisable to always hear confessions of women inside a confessional with separation screen. Actually, in most places, it is obligatory to do so, except in special cases like sickness. The bishops may prescribe more concrete regulations for the priests and the faithful under their care.
· The confessor must strictly keep the sacramental seal, that is, he should keep secret all that the penitent said as part of the confession, as well as whatever may put the sacrament in a bad light. This obligation admits no exceptions.44
66c) The Duty to Hear Confessions
The duty to hear confessions is:
· A serious obligation of justice for pastors toward those entrusted to them,
· A serious obligation of charity, in case of urgent need, for all confessors; in case of danger of death, this extends to all priests (even if they have no licenses, are excommunicated, or defrocked).
Generally speaking, a confessor should always be willing to hear the confessions of the faithful when they reasonably ask for it. Furthermore, all those who have souls in their care should make it easy for the faithful to go to Confession by being available at regular and convenient times.45
67. Abuses Against the Sacrament of Penance
The most serious abuses of the Sacrament of Penance, which are heavily penalized by ecclesiastical legislation, are the absolution of one’s accomplice in sins of impurity (which is valid and licit only in case of danger of death) and solicitation against chastity during Confession,46 which the penitent is obliged to denounce. The false accusation of such solicitation on the part of the penitent is also heavily penalized.47
68. The Subject of the Sacrament of Penance and Acts of the Penitent
The subject of the Sacrament of Penance is the baptized person who has committed some sin after Baptism and is capable of repenting it.
As we saw earlier, the proximate matter of the sacrament is the three acts that the penitent must perform: repentance, confession, and satisfaction.
68a) Repentance
Repentance, or contrition in its broad sense, is “a deep sorrow and detestation for sin committed, with a resolution of sinning no more.”48
When this sorrow is due to charity, that is, when one is sorry for the offense caused to God, it is called perfect contrition or simply contrition (in its strict sense). If the sorrow is due to fear of the deserved punishment, it is called imperfect contrition or attrition.
Attrition is sufficient for the forgiveness of sins if it is accompanied by confession and absolution.49 Contrition is sufficient for the forgiveness of sins if it is accompanied by the effective desire to go to Confession, even if one does not actually manage to do so because it is not possible.50
Contrition, either perfect or imperfect, has to be:
· internal. The mere external recitation of the formula for contrition is not enough;
· supernatural. It should be based on supernatural motives. The shame of having done something improper or debasing is not enough for repentance;
· supreme in one’s appreciation. One must consider sin as the worst evil and be ready to suffer anything rather than fall into sin again. But this does not mean that the penitent ought to consider and imagine all the possible sufferings before choosing them rather than sin; a general consideration is enough;51
· universal. It should extend to all mortal sins that are not yet forgiven, without exception.
Another requirement for the validity of the sacrament is the resolution not to sin again. It must be at least implicit, and without it, there is no true repentance.52 This resolution has to be:
· firm. This is perfectly compatible with the fact that the penitent may eventually sin again, or that he foresees the possibility—or even the probability—of falling again. What is required is that, at the moment of the confession, the penitent resolutely wants to fight in order to avoid falling again. The fact that one falls back into sin is no indication that the resolution of amendment was not sincere, “for even as he truly runs who afterwards sits, so he truly repented who subsequently sins”53;
· effective. The penitent must really want to apply all the necessary means to avoid falling again: prayer, watchfulness, etc. He should effectively want to avoid the occasions of sin and be willing to repair, within his capacities, the damage caused to others (e.g., in the case of theft, scandal, slander);
· universal. He should want to avoid all types of mortal sin. If the confession is about some free matter, the resolution should extend to all the sins confessed. This implies all mortal sins, if already forgiven mortal sins were mentioned. If not, it could extend to one venial sin, a certain type of venial sin, all deliberate venial sins, or limiting their frequency.
68b) Confession
Confession, strictly speaking, refers to the self-accusation of sins committed after Baptism, made to the confessor so that he may forgive them.54
Confession is necessary by divine precept as well as by ecclesiastical decree. It is necessary by divine precept because Christ established this sacrament as a judgment, and no one can judge the unknown. This is the interpretation of Tradition and the Council of Trent.55 Necessity by ecclesiastical precept is documented as early as the Fourth Lateran Council.56
(1) Characteristics of Confession
Confession has to be:
· simple, without useless or verbose explanations,
· humble, since one is seeking pardon,
· done with rectitude of intention, that is, one should seek forgiveness and not intend to show off or have other such motives,
· modest and discreet, without using obscene language or revealing the sins of others,
· an accusation of guilt, not just a narration of events in order to inform,
· truthful, without any falsehood as to the number, species, and circumstances that change the species of mortal sins (it is highly desirable, of course, that truthfulness should extend to all that is mentioned in Confession),
· oral, that is, expressed in words said and not by gestures or in writing, except in case of unavoidable necessity,
· secret—no one can be obliged to publicly confess his sins (public confessions are usually not prudent), and, above all,
· complete, as we will now see more in detail.
(2) Integrity of Confession
According to the Council of Trent, the penitent, according to his capacities, is obliged to confess all the mortal sins that were committed after Baptism and are not yet confessed.57
Material integrity refers to absolutely all the sins committed. Such integrity is not always necessary, as we will see later.
Formal integrity refers to all mortal sins that, all circumstances considered, the penitent has to confess immediately. Formal integrity is always necessary for Confession. It is normally achieved through an earnest examination of conscience.
(3) Extent of integrity in Confession
For the confession of mortal sins to be complete, one must mention the following:
· The species of the sin.58 It is not enough to say that one has committed a sin against a particular commandment or virtue. The species or type of sin must be mentioned, down to the most specific class or division.
· The number of sins committed.59
· All the circumstances altering the species of mortal sins or changing a venial sin into a mortal sin. Stealing a “silver object” is not the same as stealing a blessed chalice. Petty theft is not the same as stealing valuable objects.60
· Whether there was an external act or not. The latter in itself does not modify the morality of the internal decision, but it is a great help for the confessor to assess the intensity of that voluntary act.
· The effects of such act, so that the confessor may judge whether it is necessary to repair possible damages.
There is no need to confess doubtful sins unless the doubt is well grounded, that is, there is real possibility of having committed them. In that case, the following criteria apply:
· If one doubts whether an act that is clearly a sin has been committed or not, there is no strict obligation to confess it, but it is advisable to do so, specifying that one is not sure.
· If the doubt refers to the seriousness of a sin certainly committed:
o when one doubts the gravity of the matter, it is advisable to confess it in order to form one’s conscience. In any case, one is bound to resolve the doubt;
o when the doubt refers to one’s full consent or perfect advertence, those who commit that sin with relative frequency must confess it, specifying that there is doubt. Those who seldom fall into such sin are not bound but are advised to do so;
o If one doubts whether a mortal sin had been confessed or not, it must be confessed again unless the grounds for doubting are extremely weak.
The confession of venial sins is not strictly necessary, but is highly recommended by the Church. The habitual confession of venial sins serves to form one’s conscience, fight bad inclinations, allow oneself to be cured by Christ, and progress in the life of the Spirit.61
(4) Causes excusing from material integrity in Confession
· Physical impossibility:
o Extreme illness, as in the case of a dying person who could hardly speak or think
o Muteness or ignorance of the confessor’s language
o Lack of time due to imminent danger of death
o Invincible ignorance or forgetfulness
· Moral impossibility:
o Persons prone to scruples
o Danger to the life of the penitent, the confessor, or a third party
o Danger of scandal or sin for the confessor (which is extremely rare)
o Danger of breaking the sacramental seal
o Danger to the good name of the penitent because it is not possible to mention the sin without being overheard by others
As much as possible, one should not reveal the identity of an accomplice unless it is absolutely necessary for the integrity of the confession. Without mentioning the accomplice, a husband could never accuse himself of having convinced his wife to take contraceptives, or a wife could not confess having convinced her husband to make bad use of the conjugal act.
In order to ensure the integrity of the confession, one is required to examine one’s conscience before going to the sacrament. This examination must be done with due diligence. However, it should never become agonizing out of fear of omitting some sin.62
(5) Sins forgotten in Confession
When one or more mortal sins are not mentioned in Confession out of forgetfulness, they are also forgiven by that same confession. However, the obligation remains to mention them in the next confession, identifying them as forgotten in the previous confession. Thus, if a person who usually goes to Confession every 15 days suddenly remembers a mortal sin that he failed to confess, he may go on receiving Communion as usual and mention it in his next confession.
On the other hand, knowingly concealing a mortal sin makes the confession invalid. One has to go again to Confession and mention:
· the sacrilege of making a bad confession,
· the omitted sin, and
· all the mortal sins that were mentioned on that occasion, which were not forgiven because the confession was invalid.
These latter must also be confessed again when the confession is invalid for other reasons, either by the penitent’s fault (lack of contrition) or the confessor’s (he was not a real priest, or he did not give the absolution).
(6) General confession
General confession is the confession of sins already forgiven on previous occasions, covering all or a major part of one’s life. It is not advisable for scrupulous persons. It may be beneficial in other cases. The opinion of one’s own confessor should be sought if one wants to make a general confession.
68c) Satisfaction
The sacramental absolution takes away the sin, but one still has to fight the disorder that sin left behind. Further, one has to “satisfy” or “atone” for one’s sins. This satisfaction, often called penance, is the atonement for the temporal punishment incurred through sin by means of good works imposed by the confessor and accepted by the penitent.
The confessor is obliged to impose penance,63 which has to be proportionate to the number and seriousness of the sins confessed, considering, of course, the capacity of the penitent.
In order for the sacrament to be valid, the penitent has to accept the penance and have the desire to fulfill it. If the penance is left unfulfilled, the confession remains valid, but a new sin is committed, which could be mortal (if the penance imposed was heavy) or venial (if it was light). If the penance is not fulfilled due to involuntary forgetfulness or because some circumstance made its fulfillment impossible, no sin is committed. If circumstances make it difficult to fulfill the penance imposed, the penitent may ask the same confessor, or even another, to change it.
69. Ecclesiastical Penalties
Ecclesiastical penalties are usually studied as an appendix to the Sacrament of Penance.
Some penalties are essentially punitive, aimed at the restoration of the damaged order and causing an exemplary and healthy aversion to the fault in question. Among these are demotion and the privation of a position. They can be lifted by dispensation.
Other penalties have a corrective purpose and are thus called “medicinal.” These are mainly the so-called censures: excommunication, interdict (interdictum), and suspension. They are lifted through absolution.
Censures can either be established by the laws of the Church or applied to a person by passing a condemnatory judicial sentence. The former can automatically accompany the crime (latae sententiae, “implied sentence”) or may require a sentence by a judge (ferendae sententiae, “requiring a sentence”).
Excommunication is the exclusion of a person from communion with the Church. The excommunicated person cannot administer or receive the sacraments or hold any ecclesiastical office. If the penalty is imposed or declared by a condemnatory sentence, its consequences are reinforced, that is, the excommunicate cannot validly perform acts of government in the Church, and his ministerial participation in acts of worship has to be rejected.64
An interdict does not sever communion with the Church, but the faithful that are affected cannot receive the sacraments or exercise their ministry in the sacred ceremonies. In the past, places could also be put under interdict (local interdict). According to the terms of the interdict, it would be forbidden to say Mass, to give ecclesiastical burial, etc. in the place put under interdict. This type of interdict is not included in the new Code.65
A suspension forbids clerics the exercise of all or some of the acts proper to Holy Orders, the power of government, and their office. Thus, the suspension a divinis forbids the participation in acts of divine worship.66
For the imposition and absolution of these penalties, the procedures established by canon law must be followed in detail. The absolution of some penalties is reserved to the Roman pontiff.
70. Indulgences
The point of departure for understanding indulgences is the abundance of God’s mercy, made manifest in the cross of Christ. Jesus crucified is the greatest “indulgence” that the Father has offered humanity, allowing the forgiveness of sins and the possibility of filial life (cf. Jn 1:12–13) in the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 4:6; Rom 5:5; 8:15–16).
However, this gift, in the logic of the Covenant that is the heart of the entire economy of salvation, does not reach us without our acceptance and correspondence.
Keeping this in mind, it is not difficult to understand how reconciliation with God, freely offered and rich in mercy, implies at the same time a laborious process, which involves man’s personal responsibility and the Church’s sacramental mandate. For the pardon of those sins committed after Baptism, this process is centered on the Sacrament of Penance, but is also developed after its celebration. In fact, man must be progressively “cleansed” of the negative consequences that sin has produced in him (and that the theological tradition calls “penalties” and “residues” of sin).
At first glance, speaking of penalties after sacramental pardon could seem inconsistent. The Old Testament, however, shows us how it is normal to undergo reparation penalties after the pardon. In fact, in 2 Samuel, the humble confession of King David obtains for him God’s forgiveness, but not the suppression of his punishment (cf. 2 Sm 12:13–14). The paternal love of God does not exclude punishment, though it is always included within the merciful justice that works for the good of man by re-establishing the order violated by sin (cf. Heb 12:4–11).
Thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that sin has a double consequence: First, mortal sin deprives us from communion with God and makes us incapable of eternal life; this deprivation is called eternal punishment for sin. Second, every sin—even venial—entails an inordinate attachment to some creature. This attachment should be purified, either here on earth through penance, or after death in a state called purgatory. This purification cleanses the temporal punishment for sin.67 In this context, temporal punishment expresses the condition of suffering of a person who is both reconciled to God and still marked by the “residue” of sin, and thereby unable to fully open himself to grace. Precisely in view of this complete healing, the sinner is called to embark on a road of purification toward the fullness of love.
A Christian is not alone in this purification. He counts on God’s grace, and the treasury of merits of all other Christians, on earth and in heaven, all united in the Mystical Body of Christ. The same temporal punishment is “medicinal” insofar as man lets it work toward his deep conversion. This is also the meaning of the “satisfaction” required in the Sacrament of Penance.
The meaning of indulgences must be understood within this horizon of the total renewal of man in virtue of the grace of Christ the Redeemer, through the ministry of the Church. Indulgences have their historical origin in the ancient Church’s awareness of being able to express the mercy of God by lessening the canonical penance required for the sacramental remission of sins. However, this mitigation was always balanced by personal and communitarian responsibility, which would take on, by way of substitution, the “medicinal” function of the penalty.
Now, we can understand how indulgences are the “remission in the sight of God of the temporal punishment due to sins, the guilt of which has already been forgiven. A member of Christ’s faithful who is properly disposed and who fulfils certain specific conditions, may gain an indulgence by the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the merits of Christ and the Saints.”68
Therefore, the Church has a treasury from which she “dispenses” by means of indulgences. Such “distribution” is not meant as a sort of automatic transferal, as if they were “things.” It is rather an expression of the Church’s full faith in being heard by the Father when it asks him to mitigate or annul the sorrowful aspect of the penalty—in view of the merits of Christ and, as his gift, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints. This shows forth the medicinal aspect of the way of grace.
It is therefore clear that, far from being a sort of “discount” for the obligations of conversion, indulgences are instead an aid to carry out those obligations more quickly, generously, and radically.
The Roman pontiff can grant indulgences for the entire Church, and a bishop, with certain limitations, can do so for his diocese. Other persons can also grant indulgences when authorized by law or by the Roman Pontiff.69
Plenary indulgences fully forgive the temporal punishment; partial indulgences forgive only part of it.70
To receive a plenary indulgence. a spiritual disposition is required that excludes “every affection towards all sin, even venial.”71
It would be a mistake to think that this gift can be received by simply carrying out some exterior deed. On the contrary, the deeds are required as an expression and support on the road to conversion. In particular, they manifest the faith in God’s abundant mercy and in the wonderful reality of communion that Christ has realized, indissolubly uniting the Church to himself as his body and his spouse.
Partial indulgence forgives a portion of temporal punishment equivalent to what would be forgiven by performing that same work if it were not endowed with indulgence. We could say that the indulgence doubles the merit of the work.72 In the past, partial indulgences were measured by periods of time. This seems to refer to the periods of public penance practiced in the early Church.
In order to gain an indulgence, one must:
· have the intention of receiving it,
· be in the state of sanctifying grace, and
· perform the work prescribed.
In order to gain a plenary indulgence, one must:
· go to Confession within eight days before of after performing the enjoined work,
· receive Communion on the day or within eight days after performing the work,
· pray for the Roman pontiff, and
· not be attached to any sin, no matter how small.
In the unfathomable mystery of divine wisdom, this gift of intercession can benefit even the faithfully departed, who receive its fruits according to their condition. The merit of an indulgence may be applied to oneself or to the holy souls in purgatory.73 However, since these souls do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Church, the application of the indulgences is done as a supplication (per modum suffragii), which the Church addresses to our Lord in favor of that particular soul.
Footnotes:
1. Cf. CCC, 1422–1498.
2. St. Josemaría Escrivá, Christ is Passing By, 64.
3. Cf. ST, III, q. 85, aa. 1–3.
4. DS 1638.
5. Cf. CCC, 1430–1439.
6. Cf. ST, III, q. 86, a. 2.
7. Cf. CCC, 1441–1445.
8. Cf. DS 802.
9. DS 1706; cf. DS 1679–83.
10. CIC, 959.
11. Cf. DS 1670.
12. Cf. DS 1679, 1685, 1789.
13. Cf. CCC, 1446–1449.
14. Cf. ST, III, q. 84, a. 2.
15. Cf. DS 1680.
16. Cf. DS 1680.
17. Cf. DS 1323, 1673.
18. Cf. Ordo Paenitentiae: AAS 66 (1974) 172; CCC, 1480–1484.
19. Cf. CIC, 960.
20. Cf. Ibid., 962.
21. Cf. Pastoral Norms for the Doctrine of the Faith: AAS 64 (1972) 510–514. A summary of these norms is included in the above-mentioned Ordo Paenitentiae, and an even briefer one is found in CIC, 961–963, and in CCC, 1483.
22. Cf. CCC, 1468–1470, 1496.
23. Cf. DS 1680.
24. Cf. ST, III, q. 87, a. 2, ad 2.
25. Cf. DS 1600.
26. Cf. DS 668, 1543.
27. Cf. DS 1582.
28. Cf. DS 1671.
29. New Ordo Paenitentiae, Dec. 2, 1973, 34; cf. CIC, 989; CCC, 1457.
30. Cf. CIC, 914; CCC, 1457.
31. Cf. DS 1710; CIC, 965; CCC, 1461–1467.
32. Cf. DS 812, 1323, 1686; CIC, 966.
33. Cf. DS 1687.
34. Cf. CIC, 967–969.
35. Cf. Ibid., 976.
36. Cf. DS 1687.
37. Canons 893–900 of the 1917 Codex Iuris Canonici were devoted to these sins, but the present CIC does not consider them.
38. Cf. CIC, 970.
39. Cf. Ibid., 980.
40. Cf. Ibid., 979.
41. Cf. Ibid., 978.
42. Cf. Ibid., 981.
43. Cf. Ibid., 964.
44. Cf. Ibid., 983–984.
45. Cf. Ibid., 986; CCC, 1464.
46. Cf. CIC, 977, 1387.
47. Cf. Ibid., 1390, 982; CCC, 1463.
48. DS 1676; cf. CCC, 1451–1454.
49. Cf. DS 1558.
50. Cf. DS 1677.
51. Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Quodlibetales, 1.9.
52. Cf. DS 1676.
53. ST, III, q. 84, a. 10, ad 4.
54. Cf. DS 1680; CCC, 1455–1458.
55. Cf. DS 1679.
56. Cf. DS 812.
57. Cf. DS 1682, 1707.
58. Cf. DS 1682, 1707.
59. Cf. DS 1682, 1707.
60. Cf. DS 1681, 1682, 1707.
61. Cf. DS 1680; CIC, 988; CCC, 1458.
62. Cf. DS 1682, 1707; CCC, 1454.
63. Cf. DS 1692, CIC, 981, CCC, 1459–1460.
64. Cf. CIC, 1331; CCC, 1463.
65. Cf. CIC, 1332.
66. Cf. Ibid., 1333.
67. Cf. CCC, 1472.
68. CIC, 992; cf. CCC, 1471–1479.
69. Cf. CIC, 995.
70. Cf. Ibid., 993.
71. Sacred Penitentiary, Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, norm 6: AAS 60 (1968) p. 25.
72. Cf. Paul VI, Ap. Const. Indulgentiarum Doctrina, 12 and norm 5: AAS 59 (1967) 5–24; Sacred Penitentiary, Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, norm 6: AAS 60 (1968) 413–419.
73. Cf. CIC, 994.
Human life is in some way a constant returning to our Father’s house. We return through contrition, through the conversion of heart which means a desire to change, a firm decision to improve our life and which, therefore, is expressed in sacrifice and self-giving. We return to our Father’s house by means of that sacrament of pardon in which, by confessing our sins, we put on Jesus Christ again and become his brothers, members of God’s family.2
57. The Virtue of Penance
Before studying the Sacrament of Penance, we must briefly consider the virtue of penance, since they are closely related.
The virtue of penance is a supernatural habit that inclines the person to be promptly sorry for a sin committed, insofar as it is an offense to God, with the resolve not to do it again. That resolve, or purpose of amendment, is a necessary element of true sorrow.3
The virtue of penance is a radical reorientation of the whole life, a return and conversion to God. This conversion of heart is accompanied by contrition or repentance (animi cruciatus or compunctio cordis), and includes:
· hatred for sin,
· sorrow for the offense done to God,
· the desire to atone for the sins committed, and
· the resolve not to sin in the future.
In Sacred Scripture and the writings of the Fathers of the Church, the internal virtue of penance finds its expression in three exercises: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. To these expressions of penance, we should add all the works of mercy—corporal and spiritual—practiced in daily life. These include gestures of reconciliation, attention to the poor, defense of justice and rights, acknowledgment of our faults, fraternal correction, amendment of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, and enduring persecution for justice’s sake. The safest way of penance is to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus.
The Eucharist is “the antidote to free us from our daily faults and to preserve us from mortal sin.”4 Reading Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy of the Hours, or any sincere act of piety or devotion awakens the desire for conversion in us. The times and days of penance (Lent, Fridays of the year) are particularly suitable for spiritual retreats, reception of the Sacrament of Penance, penitential pilgrimages, and other acts of expiation.5
57a) The Necessity of the Virtue of Penance
The virtue of penance is necessary for all sinners, both as a means and by precept (cf. Lk 13:5).6
Those in the state of mortal sin should, logically, make an act of contrition as soon as possible. If they have been in that state for a long time or are in danger of death, refusing to repent would mean an additional sin.
Furthermore, contrition is needed whenever the state of grace is required (for example, for the reception of a sacrament of the living).
In all these cases, the required act of penance is the reception of the Sacrament of Penance if it is possible to receive it.
58. The Existence of the Sacrament of Penance
Only God can forgive sins (cf. Mk 2:7). Jesus forgave sinners and gave the apostles the power to forgive sins and the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church.
Even in the first centuries, abundant witnesses attest to the Church’s exercise of the “power of the keys” or “binding and loosing,” that is, of forgiving sins. Christ promised this power first to Peter (cf. Mt 16:19), later granted it to all the apostles (cf. Mt 18:18), and, through them, gave it to all their successors (cf. Jn 20:23). Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.7
Extant ancient writings discuss the scope of this power in depth: whether all sins could be forgiven or whether some particularly grievous ones could or should not be forgiven by the Church. The conclusion that they reach is that the Church can forgive all sins without exception.8
There are also abundant testimonies dating from the first centuries on the practice of public penance. This was reserved for particularly grievous and sometimes public sins. In these cases, the procedure required for reconciliation with God and the Church was also public.
The direct testimonies on private penance, which is the form practiced now, are from a later time. This may be due to the very private nature of this form of reconciliation. This led some to say—from the first Protestants to recent times—that the present practice of penance was a more or less recent ecclesiastical invention, unknown in the early Church.
In spite of the scarcity of testimony just mentioned, the Magisterium explicitly teaches, “the method that the Catholic Church has always observed from the very beginning, and still observes, of confessing secretly to the priest alone,” is not “foreign to the institution and command of Christ,” nor is it “of human origin.”9
59. Nature and Institution of the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance is also called the Sacrament of Conversion, of Confession, of Forgiveness, and of Reconciliation.
Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance to forgive by sacramental absolution, in the manner of a judgment, all the sins committed after Baptism by a person who confesses them with due repentance. The new Code of Canon Law concisely states:
In the sacrament of penance the faithful who confess their sins to a lawful minister, are sorry for those sins and have a purpose of amendment, receive from God, through the absolution given by that minister, forgiveness of sins they have committed after baptism, and at the same time they are reconciled with the Church, which by sinning they wounded.10
The institution of the Sacrament of Penance principally took place after Christ’s Resurrection, when he told the apostles, “‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (Jn 20:21–23).11
The whole scene—the solemn gesture of blowing over them, telling them to receive the Holy Spirit, comparing their mission with his own, and, above all, the last words—clearly shows that the power to forgive sins was conferred. Clearly, it is not just a command to announce the forgiveness of sins, as the prophets often did.
Furthermore, as the Council of Trent defined in condemning the Protestant errors, this sacrament was instituted in the manner of a judgment.12 Holy Scripture clearly shows this judicial character in the promise of the power of the keys, which is the power to judge according to divine law and to forgive or not to forgive (cf. Mt 16:19; 18:18; Jn 20:23). The minister, precisely because he has to judge and pass a sentence, must know the case, including the sins and the present dispositions of the penitent. Therefore, the penitent must reveal both to the minister through a confession.
In the early Church, the reconciliation of those who had committed very grievous sins (homicide, adultery, idolatry) was tied to long periods of public penance. In the seventh century, following the monastic tradition of the East, Irish monks introduced the practice of “private” penance, even for venial sins, as it is practiced today in the European continent.13
60. The Proximate and Remote Matter of Penance
The proximate matter is the three acts of the penitent: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. We will study them in detail.
The remote matter is the sins committed after Baptism, insofar as one loathes them and wants to be freed of them.14
The necessary matter is all the mortal sins committed after Baptism that are not yet confessed and forgiven by sacramental absolution.15
The free matter is all the venial sins committed after Baptism16 and all venial or mortal sins that are already absolved in prior confessions.
The matter can be certain or doubtful, depending on whether one positively knows that the sins concerned are indeed sins or is not sure that they are sins.
For the validity of the sacrament, there must be sufficient matter, that is, necessary or free matter, provided it is certain. Mere imperfections and doubtful sins are insufficient matter. Therefore, if one wants to go to Confession and has no necessary and certain matter, one must mention some free and certain matter in order to receive the sacrament.
61. The Form of the Sacrament of Penance
The form of the sacrament is the words of the absolution pronounced by the confessor. Its nucleus is the words, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”17
The absolution must be given orally in the presence of the penitent. Only for serious reasons can the absolution be conditional: for example, when there is doubt as to whether the penitent is alive or not or whether he has sufficient use of reason.
62. The Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance may be administered according to three different rites:18
(1) The rite for the reconciliation of one penitent. This is the usual manner of administering the Sacrament of Penance.
(2) The rite for the reconciliation of several penitents with individual confession and absolution. This rite may be followed when one wants to give special solemnity to this sacrament as, for example, during a mission, or in Lenten retreats.
The rite consists of some scriptural readings, the preaching of a sermon, a time for examination of conscience, and the common recitation of the general confession prayer. Afterward, each of the penitents individually confesses to one of the confessors present. The confessors individually judge, impose the penance, and absolve the penitents one by one.
This rite is at times referred to as the “communitarian celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.” This and the previous rite are the only ordinary means by which one of the faithful, conscious of having fallen into mortal sin, can be reconciled with God and the Church.19
(3) The rite for the reconciliation of many penitents with a general confession and absolution. In contrast to the previous two rites, this rite does not have individual confessions. A general penance is imposed, which each penitent may supplement with voluntary acts, and general absolution is given to all at the same time.
Aside from true contrition, there is an additional requirement for the validity of this absolution: At the moment it is granted, each penitent must make the resolution to go to individual confession as soon as possible.20
This rite is often called “general absolution.”
63. Regulations on General Absolutions
By its nature, general absolution is to be given only on exceptional occasions. This is acknowledged by the very decree that established it, which also says that individual, integral confession and the corresponding absolution is still the only ordinary way for the faithful to be reconciled with God and the Church. Only when it is physically or morally impossible can individual confession be dispensed.21
This decree specifies the cases in which this rite may be used: (a) when one is in danger of death, and (b) when a large number of penitents, due to the lack of confessors to hear them individually and through no fault of their own, would be deprived of sacramental grace or Communion for a long time. However, if confessors were to be available at a nearby place or in the near future, this rite would not be licit. The document specifically declares that a great gathering of penitents, as in a pilgrimage or an important holy day, does not justify the use of this rite.
When the faithful receive a general absolution, the sins thus forgiven must be mentioned in the next individual confession. This must be done as soon as possible and before receiving another general absolution. Further, the Church’s precept of going to Confession at least once a year is not fulfilled by a general absolution.
Clearly, general absolutions are the exceptions to the rule and do not do away with the need for individual confession. It would be a great abuse of the sacrament to present this rite as a valid alternative to individual confession.
64. Effects of the Sacrament of Penance
The effects of the Sacrament of Penance are the following:22
· The Sacrament of Penance can forgive all sins, mortal as well as venial (cf. Ez 18:21–23; Is 1:18).
· Venial sins may also be forgiven through acts of repentance done outside the sacrament.23 Even so, sins for which one does not repent are not forgiven, even within the Sacrament of Penance. These are the sins for which one retains some attachment and lacks the resolve to correct.24
· Reconciliation with God occurs through sanctifying grace infused in the soul.25 That is why, in Confession, mortal sins are either all forgiven or all retained.
· Reconciliation with the Church is accomplished.
· Remission of eternal punishment due to mortal sins takes place.
· Partial remission of the temporal punishment due to mortal sins also occurs.26
· Merits obtained through good works while in the state of grace and lost through mortal sin are revived through penance (cf. Ez 33:12).27
· Peace, serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation are found.
· Sacramental grace is a sort of spiritual force to successfully fight off temptations in areas related to the sins confessed.
65. Necessity of the Sacrament of Penance
The Sacrament of Penance (or the sincere and active intention to receive it) is necessary as a means for salvation for all who have committed mortal sins after Baptism or after their last good confession.28
By divine precept, sacramental confession is an obligation:
· in itself, for sinners in danger of imminent death, and a few times during one’s life,
· on the occasions when a person who is in mortal sin wants to receive a sacrament of the living.
By ecclesiastical law, “after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.”29 One should not restrict oneself to the bare minimum required by the law; when confessions are far apart, it is more difficult to distinguish mortal sin from venial sin. Also, it is not advisable to fulfill the precept of yearly communion with a great load of venial sins.
Children should go to the Sacrament of Penance before receiving their first communion.30
66. Minister of the Sacrament of Penance
Christ entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the apostles (cf. Jn 20:23; 2 Cor 5:18). The bishops (their successors) and the priests (collaborators of the bishops) continue exercising this ministry. For the validity of the Sacrament of Penance, divine law requires the minister to have received priestly ordination31 and to have jurisdiction over the penitent.32
Jurisdiction is necessary due to the judicial character of the Sacrament of Penance. A judge can pronounce sentence only on someone under his jurisdiction.33
66a) The Power to Hear Confessions
Generally speaking, those entitled to hear confessions by right are the pope, the cardinals, and bishops. Those entitled by office are the bishop, the canon penitentiary, the parish priest, and those who take their place. Other priests have this power by delegation of the bishop.
Regarding the scope of this faculty, one who has it in one place automatically has it in all places. The local bishop, however, can deny this faculty to alien bishops (as to the lawfulness) and priests (as to the validity).
These regulations eased out the stricter norms of the previous Code, as was required by the increased mobility of the laity and clergy in our times.34
Any priest can validly absolve a penitent who is in danger of death, even if he has no license and even if a qualified confessor is also present.35
The pope or the local bishop can limit jurisdiction by reserving the absolution of some sins to himself, especially those that, at a given time, are considered particularly pernicious (reserved sins).36 The present Code, however, does not mention this reservation.37
66b) The Obligations of the Confessor
As we have already said, for the validity of the sacrament, the confessor must have received Holy Orders and have jurisdiction.
In addition to those mentioned in the above section, for some specific cases, the requirements for its lawful administration are the following:
· The confessor must be in the state of grace, as is necessary for the administration of all the sacraments (cf. Lv 22:3).
· He should have sufficient knowledge. Those granting the license to hear confessions should ascertain the qualifications of the candidates through an examination or in some other way.38
· He should practice prudence and other Christian virtues, such as zeal for souls, patience, and fortitude.
· He must be able to pass a just judgment on the sins heard and on the need to repair the damages caused to third parties, if any.
· He must be able to discern whether the penitent has the required dispositions, so that he may accordingly give, postpone, or deny the absolution.39 For this, he can prudently ask questions from the penitent—at times, he must do so.40 He should deny absolution if the penitent refuses to avoid voluntary (that is, not unavoidable) proximate occasions of grave sins.
· He must know how to teach and encourage the penitent, eliciting true contrition and resolution of amendment.41
· He must impose the appropriate satisfaction for the penitent.42
· The proper place for hearing confessions is the confessional box, which should meet the requirements set by the bishops’ conference. In any case, a confessional with a separation screen should be available for the penitents who want to use it. Apart from a case of real necessity, confessions should be heard in a confessional equipped with a fixed grille.43 The minister can lawfully decide to follow this general rule, for a just reason, even if the penitent requests otherwise. It is highly advisable to always hear confessions of women inside a confessional with separation screen. Actually, in most places, it is obligatory to do so, except in special cases like sickness. The bishops may prescribe more concrete regulations for the priests and the faithful under their care.
· The confessor must strictly keep the sacramental seal, that is, he should keep secret all that the penitent said as part of the confession, as well as whatever may put the sacrament in a bad light. This obligation admits no exceptions.44
66c) The Duty to Hear Confessions
The duty to hear confessions is:
· A serious obligation of justice for pastors toward those entrusted to them,
· A serious obligation of charity, in case of urgent need, for all confessors; in case of danger of death, this extends to all priests (even if they have no licenses, are excommunicated, or defrocked).
Generally speaking, a confessor should always be willing to hear the confessions of the faithful when they reasonably ask for it. Furthermore, all those who have souls in their care should make it easy for the faithful to go to Confession by being available at regular and convenient times.45
67. Abuses Against the Sacrament of Penance
The most serious abuses of the Sacrament of Penance, which are heavily penalized by ecclesiastical legislation, are the absolution of one’s accomplice in sins of impurity (which is valid and licit only in case of danger of death) and solicitation against chastity during Confession,46 which the penitent is obliged to denounce. The false accusation of such solicitation on the part of the penitent is also heavily penalized.47
68. The Subject of the Sacrament of Penance and Acts of the Penitent
The subject of the Sacrament of Penance is the baptized person who has committed some sin after Baptism and is capable of repenting it.
As we saw earlier, the proximate matter of the sacrament is the three acts that the penitent must perform: repentance, confession, and satisfaction.
68a) Repentance
Repentance, or contrition in its broad sense, is “a deep sorrow and detestation for sin committed, with a resolution of sinning no more.”48
When this sorrow is due to charity, that is, when one is sorry for the offense caused to God, it is called perfect contrition or simply contrition (in its strict sense). If the sorrow is due to fear of the deserved punishment, it is called imperfect contrition or attrition.
Attrition is sufficient for the forgiveness of sins if it is accompanied by confession and absolution.49 Contrition is sufficient for the forgiveness of sins if it is accompanied by the effective desire to go to Confession, even if one does not actually manage to do so because it is not possible.50
Contrition, either perfect or imperfect, has to be:
· internal. The mere external recitation of the formula for contrition is not enough;
· supernatural. It should be based on supernatural motives. The shame of having done something improper or debasing is not enough for repentance;
· supreme in one’s appreciation. One must consider sin as the worst evil and be ready to suffer anything rather than fall into sin again. But this does not mean that the penitent ought to consider and imagine all the possible sufferings before choosing them rather than sin; a general consideration is enough;51
· universal. It should extend to all mortal sins that are not yet forgiven, without exception.
Another requirement for the validity of the sacrament is the resolution not to sin again. It must be at least implicit, and without it, there is no true repentance.52 This resolution has to be:
· firm. This is perfectly compatible with the fact that the penitent may eventually sin again, or that he foresees the possibility—or even the probability—of falling again. What is required is that, at the moment of the confession, the penitent resolutely wants to fight in order to avoid falling again. The fact that one falls back into sin is no indication that the resolution of amendment was not sincere, “for even as he truly runs who afterwards sits, so he truly repented who subsequently sins”53;
· effective. The penitent must really want to apply all the necessary means to avoid falling again: prayer, watchfulness, etc. He should effectively want to avoid the occasions of sin and be willing to repair, within his capacities, the damage caused to others (e.g., in the case of theft, scandal, slander);
· universal. He should want to avoid all types of mortal sin. If the confession is about some free matter, the resolution should extend to all the sins confessed. This implies all mortal sins, if already forgiven mortal sins were mentioned. If not, it could extend to one venial sin, a certain type of venial sin, all deliberate venial sins, or limiting their frequency.
68b) Confession
Confession, strictly speaking, refers to the self-accusation of sins committed after Baptism, made to the confessor so that he may forgive them.54
Confession is necessary by divine precept as well as by ecclesiastical decree. It is necessary by divine precept because Christ established this sacrament as a judgment, and no one can judge the unknown. This is the interpretation of Tradition and the Council of Trent.55 Necessity by ecclesiastical precept is documented as early as the Fourth Lateran Council.56
(1) Characteristics of Confession
Confession has to be:
· simple, without useless or verbose explanations,
· humble, since one is seeking pardon,
· done with rectitude of intention, that is, one should seek forgiveness and not intend to show off or have other such motives,
· modest and discreet, without using obscene language or revealing the sins of others,
· an accusation of guilt, not just a narration of events in order to inform,
· truthful, without any falsehood as to the number, species, and circumstances that change the species of mortal sins (it is highly desirable, of course, that truthfulness should extend to all that is mentioned in Confession),
· oral, that is, expressed in words said and not by gestures or in writing, except in case of unavoidable necessity,
· secret—no one can be obliged to publicly confess his sins (public confessions are usually not prudent), and, above all,
· complete, as we will now see more in detail.
(2) Integrity of Confession
According to the Council of Trent, the penitent, according to his capacities, is obliged to confess all the mortal sins that were committed after Baptism and are not yet confessed.57
Material integrity refers to absolutely all the sins committed. Such integrity is not always necessary, as we will see later.
Formal integrity refers to all mortal sins that, all circumstances considered, the penitent has to confess immediately. Formal integrity is always necessary for Confession. It is normally achieved through an earnest examination of conscience.
(3) Extent of integrity in Confession
For the confession of mortal sins to be complete, one must mention the following:
· The species of the sin.58 It is not enough to say that one has committed a sin against a particular commandment or virtue. The species or type of sin must be mentioned, down to the most specific class or division.
· The number of sins committed.59
· All the circumstances altering the species of mortal sins or changing a venial sin into a mortal sin. Stealing a “silver object” is not the same as stealing a blessed chalice. Petty theft is not the same as stealing valuable objects.60
· Whether there was an external act or not. The latter in itself does not modify the morality of the internal decision, but it is a great help for the confessor to assess the intensity of that voluntary act.
· The effects of such act, so that the confessor may judge whether it is necessary to repair possible damages.
There is no need to confess doubtful sins unless the doubt is well grounded, that is, there is real possibility of having committed them. In that case, the following criteria apply:
· If one doubts whether an act that is clearly a sin has been committed or not, there is no strict obligation to confess it, but it is advisable to do so, specifying that one is not sure.
· If the doubt refers to the seriousness of a sin certainly committed:
o when one doubts the gravity of the matter, it is advisable to confess it in order to form one’s conscience. In any case, one is bound to resolve the doubt;
o when the doubt refers to one’s full consent or perfect advertence, those who commit that sin with relative frequency must confess it, specifying that there is doubt. Those who seldom fall into such sin are not bound but are advised to do so;
o If one doubts whether a mortal sin had been confessed or not, it must be confessed again unless the grounds for doubting are extremely weak.
The confession of venial sins is not strictly necessary, but is highly recommended by the Church. The habitual confession of venial sins serves to form one’s conscience, fight bad inclinations, allow oneself to be cured by Christ, and progress in the life of the Spirit.61
(4) Causes excusing from material integrity in Confession
· Physical impossibility:
o Extreme illness, as in the case of a dying person who could hardly speak or think
o Muteness or ignorance of the confessor’s language
o Lack of time due to imminent danger of death
o Invincible ignorance or forgetfulness
· Moral impossibility:
o Persons prone to scruples
o Danger to the life of the penitent, the confessor, or a third party
o Danger of scandal or sin for the confessor (which is extremely rare)
o Danger of breaking the sacramental seal
o Danger to the good name of the penitent because it is not possible to mention the sin without being overheard by others
As much as possible, one should not reveal the identity of an accomplice unless it is absolutely necessary for the integrity of the confession. Without mentioning the accomplice, a husband could never accuse himself of having convinced his wife to take contraceptives, or a wife could not confess having convinced her husband to make bad use of the conjugal act.
In order to ensure the integrity of the confession, one is required to examine one’s conscience before going to the sacrament. This examination must be done with due diligence. However, it should never become agonizing out of fear of omitting some sin.62
(5) Sins forgotten in Confession
When one or more mortal sins are not mentioned in Confession out of forgetfulness, they are also forgiven by that same confession. However, the obligation remains to mention them in the next confession, identifying them as forgotten in the previous confession. Thus, if a person who usually goes to Confession every 15 days suddenly remembers a mortal sin that he failed to confess, he may go on receiving Communion as usual and mention it in his next confession.
On the other hand, knowingly concealing a mortal sin makes the confession invalid. One has to go again to Confession and mention:
· the sacrilege of making a bad confession,
· the omitted sin, and
· all the mortal sins that were mentioned on that occasion, which were not forgiven because the confession was invalid.
These latter must also be confessed again when the confession is invalid for other reasons, either by the penitent’s fault (lack of contrition) or the confessor’s (he was not a real priest, or he did not give the absolution).
(6) General confession
General confession is the confession of sins already forgiven on previous occasions, covering all or a major part of one’s life. It is not advisable for scrupulous persons. It may be beneficial in other cases. The opinion of one’s own confessor should be sought if one wants to make a general confession.
68c) Satisfaction
The sacramental absolution takes away the sin, but one still has to fight the disorder that sin left behind. Further, one has to “satisfy” or “atone” for one’s sins. This satisfaction, often called penance, is the atonement for the temporal punishment incurred through sin by means of good works imposed by the confessor and accepted by the penitent.
The confessor is obliged to impose penance,63 which has to be proportionate to the number and seriousness of the sins confessed, considering, of course, the capacity of the penitent.
In order for the sacrament to be valid, the penitent has to accept the penance and have the desire to fulfill it. If the penance is left unfulfilled, the confession remains valid, but a new sin is committed, which could be mortal (if the penance imposed was heavy) or venial (if it was light). If the penance is not fulfilled due to involuntary forgetfulness or because some circumstance made its fulfillment impossible, no sin is committed. If circumstances make it difficult to fulfill the penance imposed, the penitent may ask the same confessor, or even another, to change it.
69. Ecclesiastical Penalties
Ecclesiastical penalties are usually studied as an appendix to the Sacrament of Penance.
Some penalties are essentially punitive, aimed at the restoration of the damaged order and causing an exemplary and healthy aversion to the fault in question. Among these are demotion and the privation of a position. They can be lifted by dispensation.
Other penalties have a corrective purpose and are thus called “medicinal.” These are mainly the so-called censures: excommunication, interdict (interdictum), and suspension. They are lifted through absolution.
Censures can either be established by the laws of the Church or applied to a person by passing a condemnatory judicial sentence. The former can automatically accompany the crime (latae sententiae, “implied sentence”) or may require a sentence by a judge (ferendae sententiae, “requiring a sentence”).
Excommunication is the exclusion of a person from communion with the Church. The excommunicated person cannot administer or receive the sacraments or hold any ecclesiastical office. If the penalty is imposed or declared by a condemnatory sentence, its consequences are reinforced, that is, the excommunicate cannot validly perform acts of government in the Church, and his ministerial participation in acts of worship has to be rejected.64
An interdict does not sever communion with the Church, but the faithful that are affected cannot receive the sacraments or exercise their ministry in the sacred ceremonies. In the past, places could also be put under interdict (local interdict). According to the terms of the interdict, it would be forbidden to say Mass, to give ecclesiastical burial, etc. in the place put under interdict. This type of interdict is not included in the new Code.65
A suspension forbids clerics the exercise of all or some of the acts proper to Holy Orders, the power of government, and their office. Thus, the suspension a divinis forbids the participation in acts of divine worship.66
For the imposition and absolution of these penalties, the procedures established by canon law must be followed in detail. The absolution of some penalties is reserved to the Roman pontiff.
70. Indulgences
The point of departure for understanding indulgences is the abundance of God’s mercy, made manifest in the cross of Christ. Jesus crucified is the greatest “indulgence” that the Father has offered humanity, allowing the forgiveness of sins and the possibility of filial life (cf. Jn 1:12–13) in the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 4:6; Rom 5:5; 8:15–16).
However, this gift, in the logic of the Covenant that is the heart of the entire economy of salvation, does not reach us without our acceptance and correspondence.
Keeping this in mind, it is not difficult to understand how reconciliation with God, freely offered and rich in mercy, implies at the same time a laborious process, which involves man’s personal responsibility and the Church’s sacramental mandate. For the pardon of those sins committed after Baptism, this process is centered on the Sacrament of Penance, but is also developed after its celebration. In fact, man must be progressively “cleansed” of the negative consequences that sin has produced in him (and that the theological tradition calls “penalties” and “residues” of sin).
At first glance, speaking of penalties after sacramental pardon could seem inconsistent. The Old Testament, however, shows us how it is normal to undergo reparation penalties after the pardon. In fact, in 2 Samuel, the humble confession of King David obtains for him God’s forgiveness, but not the suppression of his punishment (cf. 2 Sm 12:13–14). The paternal love of God does not exclude punishment, though it is always included within the merciful justice that works for the good of man by re-establishing the order violated by sin (cf. Heb 12:4–11).
Thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that sin has a double consequence: First, mortal sin deprives us from communion with God and makes us incapable of eternal life; this deprivation is called eternal punishment for sin. Second, every sin—even venial—entails an inordinate attachment to some creature. This attachment should be purified, either here on earth through penance, or after death in a state called purgatory. This purification cleanses the temporal punishment for sin.67 In this context, temporal punishment expresses the condition of suffering of a person who is both reconciled to God and still marked by the “residue” of sin, and thereby unable to fully open himself to grace. Precisely in view of this complete healing, the sinner is called to embark on a road of purification toward the fullness of love.
A Christian is not alone in this purification. He counts on God’s grace, and the treasury of merits of all other Christians, on earth and in heaven, all united in the Mystical Body of Christ. The same temporal punishment is “medicinal” insofar as man lets it work toward his deep conversion. This is also the meaning of the “satisfaction” required in the Sacrament of Penance.
The meaning of indulgences must be understood within this horizon of the total renewal of man in virtue of the grace of Christ the Redeemer, through the ministry of the Church. Indulgences have their historical origin in the ancient Church’s awareness of being able to express the mercy of God by lessening the canonical penance required for the sacramental remission of sins. However, this mitigation was always balanced by personal and communitarian responsibility, which would take on, by way of substitution, the “medicinal” function of the penalty.
Now, we can understand how indulgences are the “remission in the sight of God of the temporal punishment due to sins, the guilt of which has already been forgiven. A member of Christ’s faithful who is properly disposed and who fulfils certain specific conditions, may gain an indulgence by the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the merits of Christ and the Saints.”68
Therefore, the Church has a treasury from which she “dispenses” by means of indulgences. Such “distribution” is not meant as a sort of automatic transferal, as if they were “things.” It is rather an expression of the Church’s full faith in being heard by the Father when it asks him to mitigate or annul the sorrowful aspect of the penalty—in view of the merits of Christ and, as his gift, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints. This shows forth the medicinal aspect of the way of grace.
It is therefore clear that, far from being a sort of “discount” for the obligations of conversion, indulgences are instead an aid to carry out those obligations more quickly, generously, and radically.
The Roman pontiff can grant indulgences for the entire Church, and a bishop, with certain limitations, can do so for his diocese. Other persons can also grant indulgences when authorized by law or by the Roman Pontiff.69
Plenary indulgences fully forgive the temporal punishment; partial indulgences forgive only part of it.70
To receive a plenary indulgence. a spiritual disposition is required that excludes “every affection towards all sin, even venial.”71
It would be a mistake to think that this gift can be received by simply carrying out some exterior deed. On the contrary, the deeds are required as an expression and support on the road to conversion. In particular, they manifest the faith in God’s abundant mercy and in the wonderful reality of communion that Christ has realized, indissolubly uniting the Church to himself as his body and his spouse.
Partial indulgence forgives a portion of temporal punishment equivalent to what would be forgiven by performing that same work if it were not endowed with indulgence. We could say that the indulgence doubles the merit of the work.72 In the past, partial indulgences were measured by periods of time. This seems to refer to the periods of public penance practiced in the early Church.
In order to gain an indulgence, one must:
· have the intention of receiving it,
· be in the state of sanctifying grace, and
· perform the work prescribed.
In order to gain a plenary indulgence, one must:
· go to Confession within eight days before of after performing the enjoined work,
· receive Communion on the day or within eight days after performing the work,
· pray for the Roman pontiff, and
· not be attached to any sin, no matter how small.
In the unfathomable mystery of divine wisdom, this gift of intercession can benefit even the faithfully departed, who receive its fruits according to their condition. The merit of an indulgence may be applied to oneself or to the holy souls in purgatory.73 However, since these souls do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Church, the application of the indulgences is done as a supplication (per modum suffragii), which the Church addresses to our Lord in favor of that particular soul.
Footnotes:
1. Cf. CCC, 1422–1498.
2. St. Josemaría Escrivá, Christ is Passing By, 64.
3. Cf. ST, III, q. 85, aa. 1–3.
4. DS 1638.
5. Cf. CCC, 1430–1439.
6. Cf. ST, III, q. 86, a. 2.
7. Cf. CCC, 1441–1445.
8. Cf. DS 802.
9. DS 1706; cf. DS 1679–83.
10. CIC, 959.
11. Cf. DS 1670.
12. Cf. DS 1679, 1685, 1789.
13. Cf. CCC, 1446–1449.
14. Cf. ST, III, q. 84, a. 2.
15. Cf. DS 1680.
16. Cf. DS 1680.
17. Cf. DS 1323, 1673.
18. Cf. Ordo Paenitentiae: AAS 66 (1974) 172; CCC, 1480–1484.
19. Cf. CIC, 960.
20. Cf. Ibid., 962.
21. Cf. Pastoral Norms for the Doctrine of the Faith: AAS 64 (1972) 510–514. A summary of these norms is included in the above-mentioned Ordo Paenitentiae, and an even briefer one is found in CIC, 961–963, and in CCC, 1483.
22. Cf. CCC, 1468–1470, 1496.
23. Cf. DS 1680.
24. Cf. ST, III, q. 87, a. 2, ad 2.
25. Cf. DS 1600.
26. Cf. DS 668, 1543.
27. Cf. DS 1582.
28. Cf. DS 1671.
29. New Ordo Paenitentiae, Dec. 2, 1973, 34; cf. CIC, 989; CCC, 1457.
30. Cf. CIC, 914; CCC, 1457.
31. Cf. DS 1710; CIC, 965; CCC, 1461–1467.
32. Cf. DS 812, 1323, 1686; CIC, 966.
33. Cf. DS 1687.
34. Cf. CIC, 967–969.
35. Cf. Ibid., 976.
36. Cf. DS 1687.
37. Canons 893–900 of the 1917 Codex Iuris Canonici were devoted to these sins, but the present CIC does not consider them.
38. Cf. CIC, 970.
39. Cf. Ibid., 980.
40. Cf. Ibid., 979.
41. Cf. Ibid., 978.
42. Cf. Ibid., 981.
43. Cf. Ibid., 964.
44. Cf. Ibid., 983–984.
45. Cf. Ibid., 986; CCC, 1464.
46. Cf. CIC, 977, 1387.
47. Cf. Ibid., 1390, 982; CCC, 1463.
48. DS 1676; cf. CCC, 1451–1454.
49. Cf. DS 1558.
50. Cf. DS 1677.
51. Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Quodlibetales, 1.9.
52. Cf. DS 1676.
53. ST, III, q. 84, a. 10, ad 4.
54. Cf. DS 1680; CCC, 1455–1458.
55. Cf. DS 1679.
56. Cf. DS 812.
57. Cf. DS 1682, 1707.
58. Cf. DS 1682, 1707.
59. Cf. DS 1682, 1707.
60. Cf. DS 1681, 1682, 1707.
61. Cf. DS 1680; CIC, 988; CCC, 1458.
62. Cf. DS 1682, 1707; CCC, 1454.
63. Cf. DS 1692, CIC, 981, CCC, 1459–1460.
64. Cf. CIC, 1331; CCC, 1463.
65. Cf. CIC, 1332.
66. Cf. Ibid., 1333.
67. Cf. CCC, 1472.
68. CIC, 992; cf. CCC, 1471–1479.
69. Cf. CIC, 995.
70. Cf. Ibid., 993.
71. Sacred Penitentiary, Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, norm 6: AAS 60 (1968) p. 25.
72. Cf. Paul VI, Ap. Const. Indulgentiarum Doctrina, 12 and norm 5: AAS 59 (1967) 5–24; Sacred Penitentiary, Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, norm 6: AAS 60 (1968) 413–419.
73. Cf. CIC, 994.