Sacrament of Penance

In the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (commonly called Confession, Reconciliation or Penance) is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving the sacrament of Baptism. For the confession to be acceptable according to Catholic teaching, the penitent (person seeking forgiveness) must tell his or her sins directly to an ordained Catholic priest or bishop. The priest or bishop will then recite the prayers of absolution to forgive the penitent's sins. The penitent may confess his sin face to face with the priest, or anonymously through a screen known as a "penitential grill".

In 1215 the Fourth Council of the Lateran made it canon law that every Catholic Christian receive this sacrament at least once a year. In the 20th century, Pope John Paul II began a program of fostering and renewing the focus on this sacrament In 1984 he issued Reconciliatio et Paenitentia which cited the Gospel of Mark 1:15, where Jesus said: "Repent, and believe in the Gospel". In 2002 he issued Misericordia Dei which cited the Gospel of Matthew 26:73–75 which said Jesus was born to "save his people from their sins" and the teachings of Saint John the Baptist calling for repentance. Quoting the Epistle to the Romans 8:21, he stated that "Salvation is therefore and above all redemption from sin, which hinders friendship with God."

History

The history of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as Confession dates back to the time of the New Testament and the time of Jesus. Catholics believe that it was instituted by Jesus, himself. Although the issue of the institution of this sacrament by Jesus himself had been debated since the Council of Trent, in 1907 in Lamentabili Sane Exitu (items 46 and 47) Pope Pius X specifically reaffirmed the relevance of Gospel of John 20:22–23 to this sacrament, overriding any previous assertions. In Lamentabili Sane Exitu he quoted John 20:22-23: "Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

In the early Church, publicly known sins were often confessed openly or publicly in church. However, private confession was still used for private sins. Also, penance was often done before absolution rather than after absolution. Penances were and are assigned to expiate the temporal effects of sins already absolved; if not expiated in this life, those temporal effects are expiated in Purgatory, assuming one died in a state of grace. In the early Church, penances were much more harsh. For example, it would not have been unusual for someone to receive a 10 year penance for committing the sin of abortion which the Catholic Church considers to be a grave or mortal sin. With more of an emphasis later placed on the Church's ability to expiate temporal effects of sin (by prayer, sacramentals and indulgences and most especially by The Sacrifice of the Mass) penances began to be lessened or mitigated. In the 20th century, during the Second Vatican Council new approaches were taken in the presentation of this sacrament, taking into account the concern of scrupulosity, or the exaggerated obsessive concern for detail. This further distinguished the role of penance from forms of psychotherapy.

Recently, several electronic applications have been introduced that can aid a penitent in making a good confession, similar to printed works known as "examinations of conscience". Such electronic aids, according to Vatican statements, cannot replace confession direct to a priest, as only a priest can confer sacramental absolution. As of February 2011, one widely publicized example was an app for the iPhone called "Confession: A Roman Catholic App".

Minister of the sacrament

A penitent confessing his sins in the former Latin rite Catholic, now Ukrainian Byzantine Rite Greek-Catholic church of the Bernhardines in Lviv, Ukraine.

Catholics believe that no priest, as an individual man, however pious or learned, has the power to forgive sins apart from God. However, the priest does not merely announce that the penitent has received God's forgiveness. Rather, it is in fact the priest himself who, by reciting the formula of absolution, forgives the sins of the penitent in God's place. Thus, God can and does accomplish the forgiveness of sins through the Catholic priesthood in the Sacrament of Penance, which is validly administered by any validly-ordained priest or bishop having jurisdiction to absolve the penitent. In cases of mortal danger, any priest, even if laicised or without faculties to hear confessions, is obliged to hear confessions. Priests, once ordained, must be given the faculty, or the express privilege, to hear confessions by their bishop once an examination or some other adequate means proves they have the knowledge and character to do so, and if they are a religious, they must secure this permission from the local superior of their order to hear confessions. Religious order priests working within a diocese also must have the permission of the local bishop as well as permission from their superior; diocesan clergy working with an order must have the superior's and their bishop's permission. These faculties can be granted for a limited period, or on a permanent basis. Once granted, a diocesan priest can hear confessions in his parish, and may be able to hear them anywhere in the diocese. A religious order priest may hear confessions from anyone in their community. Once a diocesan priest or religious order priest loses the right to hear confessions, he may no longer hear them anywhere in the diocese or in his community or order.

Any bishop ordinarily has the authority to hear confessions worldwide, unless the local bishop where the confession takes place or the penitent's own bishop has made an objection. The Pope, as the supreme earthly Catholic judge, and all cardinals, have the right to hear confessions of any Catholic anywhere in the world by virtue of Canon Law. A Catholic of one rite may have a confessor of another rite in communion with Rome. Major superiors, rectors of seminaries and heads of houses of formation, and heads of novitiates should not ordinarily be the ones to hear the confessions of those they supervise unless the person freely requests it of them (they may not make use of any information learned in confession when they are disciplining their charges because of the seal of confession).

It is generally held to be true that even if a person has mortal sins that they have not confessed and he or she dies, they may still hope to be forgiven. Forgiveness may be obtained if before they died, they expressed perfect contrition (sorrow) for each of their mortal sins and, they expressed a desire (even if not possible) to go to sacramental confession and do proper penance and restitution. This exception is based on the belief that God, in his love and mercy and in his utmost desire for all to be saved, knowing that they are sorry will allow them to formally apologize and make reparation (in some way) when they are judged. However, if they are able to make a valid sacramental confession before death, they are required to do so, as that is the ordinary way to be reconciled to God.

Why is there an ipod app for this?

Rite of the sacrament

The form of Penance did not change for centuries, although at one time confessions were made publicly. The role of the priest is as a minister of Christ's mercy. He acts in persona Christi. In the Catholic tradition, after making an examination of conscience, the penitent begins by saying, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been (state a time) since my last confession", or using more informal language. Serious sins (mortal sins) must be confessed within at most a year and always before receiving Holy Communion, while confession of venial sins also is recommended. The intent of this sacrament is to provide healing for the soul as well as to regain the grace of God, lost by sin. The Council of Trent (Session Fourteen, Chapter I) quoted John 20:22–23 as the primary Scriptural proof for the doctrine concerning this sacrament.

The words of absolution in the Roman Rite take this form:

God the Father of mercies,

through the death and resurrection of his Son

has reconciled the world to himself

and sent the Holy Spirit among us

for the forgiveness of sins;

through the ministry of the Church

may God give you pardon and peace,

and I absolve you from your sins

in the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

The essential words are: "I absolve you from your sins." Then the priest invites the penitent to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good" and dismisses the penitent with some words.

The pre-1974 form of absolution was somewhat different, and expressed in Latin.

Before the absolution, the penitent makes an act of contrition, a prayer declaring sorrow for sinning against God. It typically commences: "O my God, I am heartily sorry..." . The Catholic Church teaches that the individual and integral confession and absolution (as opposed to collective absolution) is the only ordinary way in which a person conscious of mortal sins committed after baptism can be reconciled with God and the Church. Perfect contrition (a sorrow motivated by love of God rather than of fear of punishment) removes the guilt of mortal sin even before confession or, if there is no opportunity of confessing to a priest, without confession, but the obligation to approach the sacrament continues. Such contrition includes the intention of confessing when and if the opportunity arrives.

Receiving the sacrament of penance from a priest is distinct from receiving from him pastoral counseling or psychotherapy - even if that priest is one's spiritual director or a member of the pastoral team of one's parish. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church have insisted on this point in order to avoid confusion, as both confidential processes have distinct roles in church life.

A confessional in the Bohemian style, in Jaroměř, Czech Republic.

A revised rite of the Sacrament of Reconciliation was given to the Church by Pope Paul VI on December 2, 1973. The new rite presents the sacrament in three different ritual forms:

The first form — The Rite for Reconciliation of Individual Penitents — is similar to the way most Roman Catholics remember "confession"; however, provision is made for the reading of sacred Scripture, and the penitent is given the option of speaking to the priest face-to-face or remaining anonymous. The priest may offer advice and gives a suitable penance. The priest pronounces absolution (the prayer for absolution was revised and extended) and the rite concludes with a short thanksgiving.

The second form — The Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution — usually begins with readings from scripture, hymns, prayers, a homily and an examination of conscience, followed by a call to repentance. Private confession and reconciliation follow and a final thanksgiving, blessing and dismissal. Paul VI said in 1974 that he hoped this communal rite would "become the normal way of celebration."

The third form — The Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution — is similar to the second, except that the penitents do not make an actual confession, but only manifest contrition (general confession). The prayer of absolution is given collectively or "generally" to all those gathered to celebrate the sacrament (general absolution). The penitents are obliged to actually confess each grave sin in their next confession. Form three is intended for emergencies and other situations when it is not at all possible for the priest(s) to hear all the individual confessions. This rite has been discouraged for widespread use by the Vatican in many countries recently.

Frequency of reception

The Code of Canon Law requires all Catholics to confess mortal sins at least once a year, although frequent reception of the sacrament is recommended. Traditionally, the sacrament has been received during the liturgical seasons of Lent or Advent, or prior to special times in life such as confirmation or marriage. Canon Law 920 requires all Catholics to receive communion during the Easter season. This implies that serious sins, if any, be confessed at least once a year. This is commonly known as the second precept of the Church. There is evidence from the UK and USA that at least three-quarters of professed Catholics do not adhere to this requirement of canon law.

Frequent confession has been recommended by Popes. Confession of even venial sin, while not strictly required, is "strongly recommended by the Church." (CCC 1458) According to Pius XII and Pope 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 and who stressed the universal call to holiness as a characteristic mark of Vatican II, enumerated these advantages of frequent confession:

• we are renewed in fervor,
• strengthened in our resolutions, and
• supported by divine encouragement

Because of what he considered misinformation on this topic, he strongly recommended this practice and warned that those who discourage frequent confession "are lying."

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, and anyone who witnesses or overhears the confession (say, an interpreter, caregiver, or aide of a person with a disability), 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. Many other forms of confidentiality, including in most states attorney-client privilege, allow ethical breaches of the confidence to save the life of another. A priest, or anyone else who witnesses or overhears any part of the confession, who breaks that confidentiality incurs latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication reserved to the Holy See (Code of Canon Law, 1388 §1). 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 cannot make this a condition of the absolution and he may not directly or indirectly disclose the matter to civil authorities himself.

Traditional confessional (St. Elisabethschurch in Grave, The Netherlands).

There are limited cases where portions of a confession may be revealed to others, but always with the penitent's permission and always without actually revealing the penitent's identity. This is the case, for example, with unusually serious offenses, as some excommunicable offenses are reserved to the bishop or even to the Holy See, and their permission to grant absolution would first have to be obtained.

It is worth noting that the Sacramental seal can bring penalties if misuse is attempted.

With due regard for c.1388, whoever by any technical instrument records or publishes in the mass media what was said in the sacramental confession by the confessor or the penitent, real or feigned, by him/herself or another person, incurs a latae sententiae excommunication. This decree goes into effect the day of promulgation.

Civil authorities in the United States are usually respectful of this confidentiality. However, in 1996, an attorney in Portland, Oregon secretly recorded a confession without the knowledge of the priest or the penitent involved. This led to official protests by then local Archbishop Francis George and the Holy See. The tape has since been sealed (and later destroyed), and the Federal Court has since ruled that the taping was in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and ordered an injunction against any further tapings.[3]

Confession is the best known example of theology's internal forum, dealing with individual issues of conscience. A violation of the privacy of the forum is a serious matter.

Manuals of confession

Beginning in the Middle Ages, manuals of confession emerged as a literary genre. These manuals were guidebooks on how to obtain the maximum benefits from the sacrament. There were two kinds of manuals: those addressed to the faithful, so that they could prepare a good confession, and those addressed to the priests, who had to make sure that no sins were left unmentioned and the confession was as thorough as possible. The priest had to ask questions, while being careful not to suggest sins that perhaps the faithful had not thought of and give them ideas. Manuals were written in Latin and in the vernacular.

Such manuals grew more popular as the printed word spread, and recently have made the transition to electronic form as well. The first such app to be approved on the iPhone was mistakenly reported by many mainstream press outlets as an app for confession itself; in reality the app in question was an electronic version of this long-standing tradition of material to be used in preparing oneself to make a good confession.

Eastern Catholicism

In general practice, after one confesses to one's spiritual director, the parish priest (Who may or may not have heard the confession but canonically should have) covers the head of the person with his Epitrachelion (Stole) and reads the prayers of repentance, asking God to forgive the transgression of the individual.

In some Eastern Churches, clergy take confessions in the sanctuary, in public view but quietly (almost silent).

See also

• Penitential canons
• Handbook for a Confessor

Further reading

• Bieler, Ludwig (ed. and tr.) (1963). The Irish Penitentials. Scriptores Latini Hiberniae 5. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
• Curran, Thomas (2010). Confession: Five Sentences that will Heal Your Life. MCF Press.
• Frantzen, Allen J. (1983). The Literature of Penance in Anglo-Saxon England. New Brunswick, New Jersey.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Frantzen, Allen J. "The Anglo-Saxon Penitentials: A cultural database".
• Hamilton, Sarah (2001). The Practice of Penance, c. 900-c. 1050. Royal Historical Society Studies in History. Woodbridge.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Payer, Pierre J. (1984). Sex and the Penitentials: The Development of a Sexual Code 55-1150. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
• Smith, Julie Ann (2001). Ordering Women's Lives: Penitentials and Nunnery Rules in the Early Medieval West. Aldershot: Ashgate.
• Wise, R. Todd Wise (1995). An Empirical Phenomenological Analysis of the Rite of Reconciliation from the Perspective of the Penitent. Ann Arbor: UMI.