St. Vincent - Crookes, Sheffield at 40 Pickmere Road, Crookes, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 1GY UK - The Sacrament of Penance
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The Sacrament of Penance |
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In Catholic Teaching, the Sacrament of Penance is the method given by Christ to His Church by which we may be freed from sins committed after Baptism. This sacrament is known by many names, including penance, reconciliation, and confession
Minister of the Sacrament
Catholics believe that no priest, as an individual man, however pious or learned, has power to forgive sins. This power belongs to God alone; however, God can and does exercise it through the Catholic priesthood.[1] Catholics believe God exercises the power of forgiveness by means of the sacrament of penance, which can be administered by every validly ordained priest or bishop.
Form of the Sacrament
The form of Penance has not changed for centuries. The role of the priest is to be a minister of Christ's mercy. He acts in persona Christi. In the Catholic tradition, the penitent confesses mortal sins in order to restore his relationship to God and to receive the fullness of God's grace and salvation. The intent of this sacrament is to provide healing for the soul as well as to regain the grace of God, lost by serious sin.
The Council of Trent quoted John20:22-23 as the primary Scriptural proof for the doctrine concerning this sacrament, but Catholics also consider 2 Corinthians5:17-20 to be another Scriptural bases for the sacrament.
The penitent makes an act of contrition, a prayer acknowledging his/her guilt before God. The Catholic Church teaches that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the only ordinary way in which a person can receive forgiveness for mortal sins committed after baptism.[3] However, perfect contrition (a sorrow motivated by love of God rather than of fear of punishment) is an extraordinary way of removing the guilt of mortal sin before or without confession (if there is no opportunity of confessing to a priest). Such contrition would include the intention of confessing.
Mortal sin
To commit a mortal sin three conditions must be met:
the matter of the action must be grave or serious
the person must know the action to be sinful
the person commits the action with full consent of the will
Other sins would be classed as venial; confession of venial sins is strongly recommended but not obligatory, and is said to strengthen the penitent against temptation to mortal sin. It is a widely held belief of the Catholic faith that if a person guilty of mortal sin dies neither receiving the sacrament of Penance or experiencing perfect contrition with the intention of confessing to a priest, he/she could lose their soul.
Conditions for validity
In order for the sacrament to be valid the penitent must do more than simply confess his known mortal sins to a priest,
He must
a) be truly sorry for each of the sins he committed,
b) have a firm intention not to commit them again.
Also, in addition to confessing the types of mortal sins committed, the penitent must disclose how many times each sin was committed, to the best of his/her ability. A person must not conceal any serious sin in confession.
Frequency of Reception
The Code of Canon Law requires all Catholics to confess mortal sins,[5] although frequent reception of the sacrament is recommended. Traditionally many receive the sacrament during the liturgical seasons of Lent or Advent, or prior to special times in life such as confirmation or marriage. The Latin rite requires that its practitioners confess at least once a year. This is commonly known as the second precept of the Church.[6]
Frequent confession has been recommended by Popes. Confession of everyday faults is "strongly recommended by the Church." (CCC 1458) According to Pius XII and echoed by John XXIII, "We particularly recommend the pious practice of frequent confession, which the Church has introduced, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, as a means of swifter daily progress along the road of virtue." Paul VI said that frequent confession is "of great value."
John Paul II who went to confession weekly enumerated the following advantages of frequent confession:
We are renewed in fervour,
Strengthened in our resolutions, and
Supported by divine encouragement
Beware of those who give misinformation on this topic.
Seal of Confession
For Catholic priests, the confidentiality of all statements made by penitents during the course of confession is absolute. This strict confidentiality is known as the Seal of the Confessional. According to the Code of Canon Law, 983 §1, "The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason." Priests may not reveal what they have learned during confession to anyone, even under the threat of their own death or that of others. (This is unique to the Seal of the Confessional. A priest who breaks that confidentiality incurs excommunication reserved to the Holy See. In a criminal matter, a priest may encourage the penitent to surrender to authorities. However, this is the extent of the leverage he wields; he may not directly or indirectly disclose the matter to civil authorities himself.
