PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
CHAPTER TWO: THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
CHAPTER
TWO
THE
SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
1420
Through the sacraments of Christian initiation, man receives the new life of Christ.
Now we carry this life "in earthen vessels," and it remains
"hidden with Christ in God."1 (2 Cor 4:7; ⇒ Col 3:3. ) We are still in our "earthly
tent," subject to suffering, illness, and death. 2 (2 Cor 5:1. ) This new life as a child
of God can be weakened and even lost by sin.
1421
The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins
of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health,3 (Cf. ⇒ Mk 2:1-12. ) has willed that his Church
continues, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation,
even among her own members. This is the purpose of the two sacraments of
healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
ARTICLE 4 THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION
1422
"Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's
mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time,
reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by
charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion."4
I.
What is This Sacrament Called?
1423
It is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present
Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father 5 (Cf. ⇒ Mk 1:15; ⇒ Lk 15:18. ) from whom
one has strayed by sin. It
is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's
personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction.
1424
It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of
sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense
it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the
holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man.
It
is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental
absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace."6
It
is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the
live of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God."7 (2 Cor 5:20.) He who lives by
God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first, be
reconciled to your brother."8 (Mt 5:24. )
II. Why a Sacrament of Reconciliation after Baptism?
1425
"YOU were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."9 (1 Cor 6:11. ) One must appreciate
the magnitude of the gift God has given us in the sacraments of Christian
initiation in order to grasp the degree to which sin is excluded for him who
has "put on Christ."10 (Gal 3:27. ) But the apostle John also says: "If we
say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."11 (1 Jn 1:8[ETML:C/]. ) and the Lord himself taught us to pray: "Forgive us our
trespasses,"12 (Cf. ⇒ Lk 11:4; ⇒ Mt 6:12. ) linking our forgiveness of one another's offenses to the
forgiveness of our sins that God will grant us.
1426
Conversion to Christ, the new birth of Baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit and
the Body and Blood of Christ received as food have made us "holy and
without blemish," just as the Church herself, the Bride of Christ, is
"holy and without blemish."13 (Eph 1:4; ⇒ 5:27. ) Nevertheless the new life received in
Christian initiation has not abolished the frailty and weakness of human
nature, nor the inclination to sin that tradition calls concupiscence, which
remains in the baptized such that with the help of the grace of Christ they may
prove themselves in the struggle of Christian life.14 (Cf. Council of Trent (1546) DS 1515. ) This is the struggle of
conversion directed toward holiness and eternal life to which the Lord never
ceases to call us.15 (Cf. Council of Trent (1547): DS 1545; LG 40. )
III. The Conversion of the Baptized
1427
Jesus calls to conversion. This call is an essential part of the proclamation
of the kingdom: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent, and believe in the gospel."16 ( Mk 1:15.) In the Church's preaching, this call
is addressed first to those who do not yet know Christ and his Gospel. Also,
Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental conversion. It is
by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism17 ( Cf. ⇒ Acts 2:38.) that one renounces evil and gains
salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life.
1428
Christ's call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians.
This second conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who,
"clasping sinners to her bosom, (is) at once holy and always in need of
purification, (and) follows constantly the path of penance and renewal."18 ( LG 8 # 3.)This endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a
"contrite heart," drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful
love of God who loved us first.19 ( Ps 51:17; cf. ⇒ Jn 6:44; ⇒ 12:32; ⇒ 1 Jn 4:10.)
1429
St. Peter's conversion after he had denied his master three times bears witness
to this. Jesus' look of infinite mercy drew tears of repentance from Peter and,
after the Lord's resurrection, a threefold affirmation of love for him.20 ( Cf. ⇒ Lk 22:61; ⇒ Jn 21:15-17. ) The
second conversion also has a communitarian dimension, as is clear in the Lord's
call to a whole Church: "Repent!"21 (Rev 2:5, ⇒ 16. ) St.
Ambrose says of the two conversions that, in the Church, "there are water
and tears: the water of Baptism and the tears of repentance."22
IV. Interior Penance
1430
Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him,
does not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting
and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion.
Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures, and works of penance.23
1431
Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a
conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil,
with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time, it
entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's
mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is
accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi
cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart).24
1432
The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give a man a new heart.25 (Cf. ⇒ Ezek 36:26-27. )Conversion is, first of all, a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts
return to him: "Restore us to thyself, O LORD, that we may be
restored!"26 (Lam 5:21. ) God gives us the strength to begin anew. It is in discovering
the greatness of God's love that our heart is shaken by the horror and weight
of sin and begins to fear offending God by sin and being separated from him.
the human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced:27
Let
us fix our eyes on Christ's blood and understand how precious it is to his Father,
for, poured out for our salvation it has brought to the whole world the grace
of repentance.
1433
Since Easter, the Holy Spirit has proved "the world wrong about
sin,"29 (Cf. ⇒ Jn 16:8-9. ) i.e., proved that the world has not believed in him whom the
Father has sent. But this same Spirit who brings sin to light is also the
Consoler who gives the human heart grace for repentance and conversion.30 (Cf. ⇒ Jn 15:26; ⇒ Acts 2:36-38; John Paul II, DeV 27-48. )
V. The Many Forms of Penance in Christian Life
1434
The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various
ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting,
prayer, and almsgiving,31 (Cf. ⇒ Tob 12:8; ⇒ Mt 6:1-18.) which express conversion in relation to oneself, to
God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism
or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: an effort at
reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the
salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice
of charity "which covers a multitude of sins."32
1435
Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern
for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right,33 (Cf. ⇒ Am 5:24; ⇒ Isa 1:17.) by the admission
of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life,
examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering,
endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross
each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.34
1436
Eucharist and Penance. Daily conversion and penance find their source and
nourishment in the Eucharist, for in it is made present the sacrifice of Christ
which has reconciled us with God. Through the Eucharist, those who live from the
life of Christ are fed and strengthened. "It is a remedy to free us from
our daily faults and to preserve us from mortal sins."35
1437
Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father -
every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and
repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.
1438
The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and
each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the
Church's penitential practice.36 (Cf. SC 109-110; ⇒ CIC, cann. 1249-1253.; CCEO, Cann. 880-883) These times are particularly appropriate for
spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance,
voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing
(charitable and missionary works).
1439
The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable
of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father:37 (Cf. ⇒ Lk 15:11-24. ) The
fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father's house; the
extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune;
his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse,
at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has
lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father;
the journey back; the father's generous welcome; the father's joy - all these
are characteristic of the process of conversion. the beautiful robe, the ring,
and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life - pure worthy, and joyful
- of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the
Church. Only the heart of Christ Who knows the depths of his Father's love
could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful way.
VI.
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
1440
Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him.
At the same time, it damages communion with the Church. For this reason
conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church,
which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance
and Reconciliation.38
Only
God forgives sin
1441
Only God forgives sins.39 (Cf. ⇒ Mk 2:7[ETML:C/]. ) Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself,
"The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" and exercises
this divine power: "Your sins are forgiven."40 (Mk 2:5, ⇒ 10; ⇒ Lk 7:48. ) Further, by virtue of
his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.41 ( Cf. ⇒ Jn 20:21-23.)
1442
Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church
should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he
acquired for us at the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of the
power of absolution to the apostolic ministry which he charged with the
"ministry of reconciliation."42 (2 Cor 5:18. ) The apostle is sent out "on
behalf of Christ" with "God making his appeal" through him and
pleading: "Be reconciled to God."43
Reconciliation
with the Church
1443
During his public life, Jesus not only forgave sins but also made plain the
effect of this forgiveness: he reintegrated forgiven sinners into the community
of the People of God from which sin had alienated or even excluded them. A
remarkable sign of this is the fact that Jesus receives sinners at his table, a
gesture that expresses in an astonishing way both God's forgiveness and the
return to the bosom of the People of God.44
1444
In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives
them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This ecclesial
dimension of their task is expressed most notably in Christ's solemn words to
Simon Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven."45 (Mt 16:19; cf. ⇒ Mt 18:18; ⇒ 28:16-20. ) "The office of binding and
loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles
united to its head."46
1445
The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will
be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your
communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is
inseparable from reconciliation with God.
The
sacrament of forgiveness
1446
Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his
Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and
have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to
them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to
recover the grace of justification. the Fathers of the Church present this
sacrament as "the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is
the loss of grace."47
1447
Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this
power received from the Lord has varied considerably. During the first
centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had committed particularly grave
sins after their Baptism (for example, idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied
to a very rigorous discipline, according to which penitents had to do public
penance for their sins, often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To
this "order of penitents" (which concerned only certain grave sins),
one was only rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime.
During the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic
tradition, took to continental Europe the "private" practice of penance,
which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works
before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the sacrament has
been performed in secret between penitent and priest. This new practice
envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened the way to a regular
frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the forgiveness of grave sins and
venial sins to be integrated into one sacramental celebration. In its main
lines, this is the form of penance that the Church has practiced down to our
day.
1448
Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has
undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be
discerned. It comprises two equally essential elements: on the one hand, the
acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit:
namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God's action
through the intervention of the Church. the Church, who through the bishop and
his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner
of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the
sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion.
1449
The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential
elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all
forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of
his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the
Church:
God,
the Father of mercies,
through
the death and the 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.48
VII. The Acts of the Penitent
1450
"Penance requires . . . the sinner to endure all things willingly, be
contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and practice complete humility and
fruitful satisfaction."49
Contrition
1451
Among the penitent's acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is
"sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with
the resolution not to sin again."50
1452
When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is
called "perfect" (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits
venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm
resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.51
1453
The contrition called "imperfect" (or "attrition") is also
a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration
of sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties
threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can
initiate an interior process that, under the prompting of grace, will be
brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself, however, imperfect
contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to
obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52
1454
The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of
conscience made in the light of the Word of God. the passages best suited to
this can be found in the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic
Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings.53
The
confession of sins
1455
The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view,
frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an
admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility
for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the
Church in order to make a new future possible.
1456
Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance:
"All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are
conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret
and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for
these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than
those which are committed openly."54
When
Christ's faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they
undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who
fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine
goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, "for if the
sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot
heal what it does not know."55
1457
According to the Church's command, "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."56 ( Cf. ⇒ CIC, Can. 989; Council of Trent (1551): DS 1683; DS 1708.) Anyone who is aware of
having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he
experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental
absolution unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is
no possibility of going to confession.57 (Cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1647; 1661; ⇒ CIC, can. 916; CCEO, can. 711.) Children must go to the sacrament of
Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.58 ( Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 914. )
1458
Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins)
is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 (Cf. Council of Trent: DS 1680; ⇒ CIC, can. 988 # 2.) Indeed the regular
confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil
tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the
Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the
Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:60 ( Cf. ⇒ Lk 6:36.)
Whoever
confesses his sins . . . is already working with God. God indicts your sins; if
you also indict them, you are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak,
two realities: when you hear "man" - this is what God has made; when
you hear "sinner" - this is what man himself has made. Destroy what
you have made, so that God may save what he has made .... When you begin to
abhor what you have made, it is then that your good works are beginning, since
you are accusing yourself of your evil works. the beginning of good works is
the confession of evil works. You do the truth and come to the light.61
Satisfaction
1459
Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair
the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone
slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But
sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships
with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all
the disorders sin has caused.62 (Cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1712.) Raised up from sin, the sinner must still
recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for
the sin: he must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his
sins. This satisfaction is also called "penance."
1460
The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent's
personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far
as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist
of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary
self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we
must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our
sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ,
"provided we suffer with him."63
The
satisfaction that we make for our sins, however, is not so much ours as though
it were not done through Jesus Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if
just by ourselves, can do all things with the cooperation of "him who
strengthens" us. Thus man has nothing of which to boast, but all our
boasting is in Christ . . . in whom we make satisfaction by bringing forth
"fruits that befit repentance." These fruits have their efficacy from
him, by him they are offered to the Father, and through him, they are accepted
by the Father.64
VIII. The Minister of This Sacrament
1461
Since Christ entrusted to his apostles the ministry of reconciliation,65 (Cf. In 20:23; ⇒ 2 Cor 5:18.) bishops who are their successors, and priests, the bishops' collaborators,
continue to exercise this ministry. Indeed bishops and priests, by virtue of
the sacrament of Holy Orders have the power to forgive all sins "in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
1462
Forgiveness of sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church.
Since ancient times the bishop, visible head of a particular Church, has thus
rightfully been considered to be the one who principally has the power and
ministry of reconciliation: he is the moderator of the penitential
discipline.66 (Cf. LG 26 # 3.) Priests, his collaborators, exercise it to the extent that they
have received the commission either from their bishop (or religious superior)
or the Pope, according to the law of the Church.67 (Cf. ⇒ CIC cann. 844; ⇒ 967-969; ⇒ 972; CCEO, can. 722 ## 3-4. )
1463
Certain particularly grave sins incur ex-communication, the most severe
ecclesiastical penalty, which impedes the reception of the sacraments and the
exercise of certain ecclesiastical acts, and for which absolution consequently
cannot be granted, according to canon law, except by the Pope, the bishop of
the place or priests authorized by them.68 ( Cf. ⇒ CIC, cann. 1331; ⇒ 1354-1357; CCEO, can. 1431; 1434; 1420.) In danger of death any priest, even
if deprived of faculties for hearing confessions, can absolve from every sin
and excommunication.69 (Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 976; CCEO, can. 725. )
1464
Priests must encourage the faithful to come to the sacrament of Penance and
must make themselves available to celebrate this sacrament each time Christians
reasonably ask for it.70
1465
When he celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the
ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan
who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him
on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgment is both just
and merciful. the priest is the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love
for the sinner.
1466
The confessor is not the master of God's forgiveness, but its servant. the
minister of this sacrament should unite himself to the intention and charity of
Christ.71 (Cf. PO 13. ) He should have proven knowledge of Christian behavior, the experience
of human affairs, respect and sensitivity toward the one who has fallen; he
must love the truth, be faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and lead the
penitent with patience toward healing and full maturity. He must pray and do penance
for his penitent, entrusting him to the Lord's mercy.
1467
Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to
persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound
under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that
his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that
confession gives him about penitents' lives.72 (Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 1388 # 1; CCEO, can. 1456. ) This secret, which admits of no
exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent
has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament.
IX.
The Effects of This Sacrament
1468
"The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to
God's grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship."73 (Roman Catechism, II, V, 18.) Reconciliation
with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who
receive the sacrament of Penance with a contrite heart and religious disposition,
reconciliation "is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience
with strong spiritual consolation."74 (Council of Trent (1551): DS 1674.) Indeed the sacrament of
Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection,"
restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of
which the most precious is friendship with God.75 ( Cf. ⇒ Lk 15:32.)
1469
This sacrament reconciles us with the Church. Sin damages or even breaks
fraternal communion. the sacrament of Penance repairs or restores it. In this
sense, it does not simply heal the one restored to ecclesial communion but has
also a revitalizing effect on the life of the Church which suffered from the
sin of one of her members.76 ( Cf. ⇒ 1 Cor 12:26. ) Re-established or strengthened in the communion of
saints, the sinner is made stronger by the exchange of spiritual goods among
all the living members of the Body of Christ, whether still on pilgrimage or
already in the heavenly homeland:77 ( Cf. LG 48-50.)
It
must be recalled that . . . this reconciliation with God leads, as it were, to
other reconciliations, which repair the other breaches caused by sin. the
forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in his inmost being, where he
regains his innermost truth. He is reconciled with his brethren whom he has in
some way offended and wounded. He is reconciled with the Church. He is
reconciled with all creation.78
1470
In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of
God, anticipates in a certain way the judgment to which he will be subjected at
the end of his earthly life. For it is now, in this life, that we are offered
the choice between life and death, and it is only by the road of conversion
that we can enter the Kingdom, from which one is excluded by grave sin.79 ( Cf. ⇒ 1 Cor 5:11; ⇒ Gal 5:19-21; ⇒ Rev 22:15.) In
converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to
life and "does not come into judgment."80 (Jn 5:24. )
X.
Indulgences
1471
The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to
the effects of the sacrament of Penance.
What
is an indulgence?
"An
indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins
whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly
disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the
Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with
authority the treasury of the satisfaction of Christ and the saints."81
"An
indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of
the temporal punishment due to sin."82 ( Indulgentiarum doctrina, Norm 2; Cf. Norm 3. ) Indulgences may be applied to the
living or the dead.
The
punishments of sin
1472
To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to
understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of
communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the
privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the
other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to
creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the
state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the
"temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be
conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as
following from the very nature of sin. A conversion that proceeds from a
fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a
way that no punishment would remain.83
1473
The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the
remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin
remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when
the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this
temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and
charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off
completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man."84
In
the Communion of Saints
1474
The Christian who seeks to purify himself of his sin and to become holy with
the help of God's grace is not alone. "The life of each of God's children
is joined in Christ and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all
the other Christian brethren in the supernatural unity of the Mystical Body of
Christ, as in a single mystical person."85
1475
In the communion of saints, "a perennial link of charity exists between
the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are
expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth.
between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things."86 (Indulgentiarum doctrina, 5. ) In
this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the
harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of
saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of
the punishments for sin.
1476
We also call these spiritual goods of the communion of saints the Church's
treasury, which is "not the sum total of the material goods which have
accumulated during the course of the centuries. On the contrary the 'treasury
of the Church' is the infinite value, which can never be exhausted, which
Christ's merits have before God. They were offered so that the whole of mankind
could be set free from sin and attain communion with the Father. In Christ, the
Redeemer himself, the satisfactions and merits of his Redemption exist and find
their effficacy."87
1477
"This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their
value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the
saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by
his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the mission the Father
entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the
same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the unity of the Mystical
Body."88
Obtaining
indulgence from God through the Church
1478
An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of
binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of
individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ
and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the
temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply
to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of
devotion, penance, and charity.89
1479
Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same
communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for
them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.
XI.
The Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance
1480
Like all the sacraments, Penance is a liturgical action. the elements of the
celebration are ordinarily these: a greeting and blessing from the priest,
reading the word of God to illuminate the conscience and elicit contrition, and
an exhortation to repentance; the confession, which acknowledges sins and makes
them known to the priest; the imposition and acceptance of penance; the
priest's absolution; a prayer of thanksgiving and praise and dismissal with the
blessing of the priest.
1481
The Byzantine Liturgy recognizes several formulas of absolution, in the form of
invocation, which admirably expresses the mystery of forgiveness: "May the
same God, who through the Prophet Nathan forgave David when he confessed his
sins, who forgave Peter when he wept bitterly, the prostitute when she washed
his feet with her tears, the Pharisee, and the prodigal son, through me, a sinner,
forgive you both in this life and in the next and enable you to appear before
his awe-inspiring tribunal without condemnation, he who is blessed for ever and
ever. Amen."
1482
The sacrament of Penance can also take place in the framework of a communal
celebration in which we prepare ourselves together for confession and give
thanks together for the forgiveness received. Here, the personal confession of
sins and individual absolution are inserted into a liturgy of the word of God
with readings and a homily, an examination of conscience conducted in common, a
communal request for forgiveness, the Our Father and a thanksgiving in common.
This communal celebration expresses more clearly the ecclesial character of
penance. However, regardless of its manner of celebration the sacrament of Penance is always, by its very nature, a liturgical action, and therefore an
ecclesial and public action.90
1483
In case of grave necessity, recourse may be had to a communal celebration of
reconciliation with general confession and general absolution. Grave necessity
of this sort can arise when there is imminent danger of death without
sufficient time for the priest or priests to hear each penitent's confession.
Grave necessity can also exist when, given the number of penitents, there are
not enough confessors to hear individual confessions properly in a reasonable
time, so that the penitents through no fault of their own would be deprived of
sacramental grace or Holy Communion for a long time. In this case, for the
absolution to be valid, the faithful must have the intention of individually
confessing their sins in the time required.91 (Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 962 #1. ) The diocesan bishop is the judge
of whether or not the conditions required for general absolution exist.92 (Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 961 # 2. ) A
large gathering of the faithful on the occasion of major feasts or pilgrimages
does not constitute a case of grave necessity.93
1484
"Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary
way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless
physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession."94 ( OP 31.) There are profound reasons for this. Christ is at work in each of the
sacraments. He personally addresses every sinner: "My son, your sins are
forgiven."95 (Mk 2:5[ETML:C/]. ) He is the physician tending each one of the sick who needs him
to cure them.96 (Cf. ⇒ Mk 2:17. ) He raises them up and reintegrates them into fraternal
communion. Personal confession is thus the form most expressive of
reconciliation with God and with the Church.
IN
BRIEF
1485
"On the evening of that day, the first day of the week," Jesus showed
himself to his apostles. "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 20:19, (⇒ 22-23).
1486
The forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism is conferred by a particular
sacrament called the sacrament of conversion, confession, penance, or
reconciliation.
1487
The sinner wounds God's honor and love, his own human dignity as a man called
to be a son of God, and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each
Christian ought to be a living stone.
1488
To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse
consequences for sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world.
1489
To return to communion with God after having lost it through sin is a process
born of the grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation
of men. One must ask for this precious gift for oneself and for others.
1490
The movement of return to God, called conversion and repentance, entails sorrow
for and abhorrence of sins committed, and the firm purpose of sinning no more
in the future. Conversion touches the past and the future and is nourished by
hope in God's mercy.
1491
The sacrament of Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent
and the priest's absolution. the penitent's acts are repentance, confession or
disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do
works of reparation.
1492
Repentance (also called contrition) must be inspired by motives that arise from
faith. If repentance arises from love of charity for God, it is called
"perfect" contrition; if it is founded on other motives, it is called
"imperfect."
1493
One who desires to obtain reconciliation with God and with the Church, must
confess to a priest all the unconfessed grave sins he remembers after having
carefully examined his conscience. the confession of venial faults, without
being necessary in itself, is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.
1494
The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of
"satisfaction" or "penance" to be performed by the penitent
in order to repair the harm caused by sin and to re-establish habits befitting
a disciple of Christ.
1495
Only priests who have received the faculty of absolving from the authority of
the Church can forgive sins in the name of Christ.
1496
The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:
-
reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
-
reconciliation with the Church;
-
remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;
-
remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
-
peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
-
an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle.
1497
Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains
the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church.
1498
Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal
punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in
Purgatory.
GO TO:
CHAPTER TWO
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCHPART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
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