Xxxix. Of The Part Of The Penitent In The Sacrament Of Penance; Of Contrition, Confession, And Satisfaction
XXXIX. OF THE PART OF THE PENITENT IN THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE; OF CONTRITION, CONFESSION, AND SATISFACTION
(A)
Has the penitent a part in the effect of this sacrament?
Yes, because the acts he performs are part of the sacrament itself (XC. 1).
In what way do the acts of the penitent form a part of this sacrament?
The acts of the penitent make part of the sacrament of Penance, because in this sacrament the acts of the minister give the form whilst those of the penitent constitute the matter (XC. 1).
What are these acts of the penitent which constitute the matter of this sacrament?
They are contrition, confession, and satisfaction (XC. 2).
Why are these three acts required as the matter of the sacrament of Penance?
Because it is the sacrament of reconciliation between a sinner and God. But in a reconciliation of this nature, the sinner must give to God some compensation which is pleasing to Him in such wise that the sin is pardoned and its effect blotted out. For this three things are necessary: (1) That the sinner have the will to offer that compensation such as it pleases God to determine; (2) that he come to the priest who stands in the place of God to receive the conditions of this compensation; (3) that he offer the compensation and acquit himself thereof faithfully. These three things are fulfilled by contrition, confession, and satisfaction (XC. 2).
Can the sacrament of Penance exist without one or other of these parts?
It cannot exist without a certain exterior manifestation of these different parts; but it can exist without the interior reality of contrition or without the fulfilling of the satisfaction; but in either case the virtue of the sacrament is hindered or paralyzed (XC. 3).
(B)
What is meant by contrition?
It is that sorrow, of the supernatural order, which the sinner has in thinking of the sins he has committed; thereon he resolves to go to the priest, the minister of God, in order to confess them and to receive some penalty in satisfaction which he resolves to perform faithfully (Supplement, I. 1).
What is necessary for this sorrow to be supernatural?
In order to be supernatural it is necessary for this sorrow to be caused by some motive which refers to the order of grace; this motive may commence with the fear of punishment with which, as one knows by faith, God threatens the sinner; so with the hope of obtaining pardon one does penance, whereby one comes to detest the sin in itself which threatens death to the soul, or at least in so far as it is contrary to one's supernatural good and perfect life, and above all, by reason that it offends God, the supreme object of our love (I. 1, 2).
If one detest sin for the sole reason of the punishment which God will inflict for sin either in this life or the next, would one have contrition?
No, for to have contrition it is necessary to detest sin because of the evil it does the soul; this evil is the loss of God, who can be possessed by us in this life through grace, and in the next life by glory (I. 2).
What then is that sorrow called which consists in detesting sin only because of the fear of punishment?
It is called attrition (I. 2, Obj. 2).
What then is the precise difference between attrition and contrition?
The first is sorrow for sin caused by a motive of servile fear; whereas contrition is caused by a motive of filial fear or of the pure love of God (I. 2).
Does attrition suffice in order to obtain pardon of one's sins in the sacrament of Penance?
With attrition one may approach the sacrament of Penance; at the moment, however, of receiving the grace of the sacrament by the absolution of the priest, this attrition is succeeded in the soul by contrition (I. 3).
Must contrition be directed to all sins committed?
Yes, and in particular at the beginning of the movement of sorrow for sins, especially if the sins be mortal; but at the end of this movement of sorrow it is sufficient that sorrow be directed in a general way towards the sins committed by detesting sin as an offence against God (II. 3,6).
(C)
How may one make an act of contrition?
In this wise: "O my God, I am sorry from the bottom of my heart for having committed many sins which deserve to be severely punished by Thee; my sins have taken away Thy grace from me because they have wronged Thine infinite goodness. Have mercy on me and deign to pardon me; give me once more Thy holy grace that I may live and grow therein until the day of my death. Willingly I accept from Thy hands all the pains and the sufferings Thou hast destined for me; and I unite them with the sufferings and death of my beloved Saviour Jesus Christ in expiation of my sins, so that I may never be separated from Thee again."
(D)
What must the sinner do after having conceived sorrow for his sins, whether this sorrow be attrition or contrition?
He must go to the priest and confess his sins (VI. 1-5).
When does the Church oblige one to confess?
For all the faithful once a year, at Easter time by preference, by reason of the Easter communion which no one may receive if he have mortal sin on his soul (VI. 5; Code, Canon 906).
Why is confession necessary in order to receive the sacrament of Penance?
Because it is only by confession that the penitent can make known his sins to the priest, whose duty it is to judge whether the penitent is worthy to receive absolution, and to impose some Penance as satisfaction for the sins committed, in order that a just compensation might be offered to God for the renewal of His grace (VI. 1).
What does confession entail for the sacrament to be valid?
As far as possible the sinner must make known to the priest in detail the number and the species of mortal sins committed; and he must confess them with a view to obtaining the sacramental absolution from the priest (IX. 2).
If at the moment of self-accusation the sinner lack both contrition and attrition for his sins, does the absolution given by the priest remit the sins?
No, they are not remitted; but they would be confessed, and there would be no need of repeating them to the priest again in order for them to be remitted by the virtue of the sacrament; it is sufficient for the sinner to conceive contrition for them and to accuse himself in his next confession of the want of contrition in his preceding confession (IX. 1).
If one has forgotten to confess some mortal sin in confession, and afterwards one remembers, is one bound to confess this sin in the next confession?
Yes, because every mortal sin must be submitted directly to the power of the keys (IX. 2).
In what capacity does the priest receive the confession of the sinner?
He receives it in the name and in the place of God Himself; and this in such wise that in his life as man, and outside his ministry as confessor, he knows nothing whatever of the sins confessed to him (XI. 1).
(E)
After the confession what must the penitent do?
He must with the greatest care perform the Penance imposed upon him by the priest in the name of God (XII. 1, 3).
What are the different kinds of Penances one may perform in satisfaction for sin?
They all come under these three good works: almsgiving, fasting, and prayer. Indeed, for satisfaction's sake, we should deprive ourselves of something in order to offer it to God in His honour. Now there are three sorts of goods which we can thus offer to God: the goods of our fortune; the goods of the body; and the goods of the soul. The offerings of the first come under the name of almsgiving; of the second under the general name of fasting; and of the third under the general name of prayer (XV. 3).
If one does not perform the Penance imposed by the priest, does one lose the grace of the sacrament?
No, unless one voluntarily omits it through contempt; but if it come about by forgetfulness or by negligence, the grace of remission in the sacrament endures; but always, in justice to God, the penalty due to the sin must be paid either in this or in the next world; moreover, the grace of the sacrament does not receive that increase attaching to the performance of the sacramental Penance (Third Part, XC. 2, Obj. 2).