In Roman Catholic teaching, the Sacrament of Penance (commonly called Confession, Reconciliation or Penance) is the method given by Christ to the Church by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving Baptism. (It is not necessary to confess sins committed before baptism, as baptism itself is considered to remove the guilt of all prior sins.) This sacrament is known by many names, including penance, reconciliation, and confession (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sections 1423-1442). Official Church publications of the Latin-rite always refer to the sacrament as "Penance," or "Reconciliation" or "Penance and Reconciliation." However, many lay Catholics continue to use the term "confession" in reference to the sacrament. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church or preferably, the Catholic Church are efficacious signs, perceptible to the senses, of grace. ... This article is about the Christian religious act of Baptism. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference...

In 1215, a requirement that every Roman Catholic Christian receive this sacrament at least once a year was instituted as part of the Canon Law at the Fourth Council of the Lateran. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Canon law is the term used for... The Fourth Council of the Lateran was summoned by Pope Innocent III with his Bull of April 19, 1213. ...

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 validly by every validly ordained priest or bishop having jurisdiction to absolve the penitent.^[2] The Ministerial Priesthood in the Catholic Church includes both the orders of bishops and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. ... A bishop in the Catholic Church is a member of the College of Bishops, is an ordained minister, and holds the fullness of the priesthood. ... Ecclesiastical jurisdiction in its primary sense does not signify jurisdiction over ecclesiastics (church leadership), but jurisdiction exercised by church leaders over other leaders and over the laity. ...

Form of the Sacrament

The form of Penance has not changed 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 Roman 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 sinner may as a pious matter confess venial sins, especially if the sinner has no mortal sins to confess. 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, but Catholics also consider Matthew 9:2-8 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 to be among the Scriptural bases for the sacrament. According to the beliefs of Roman Catholicism, a mortal sin is a sin that, unless confessed and absolved (or at least sacramental confession is willed if not available), condemns a persons soul to Hell after death. ... According to Catholicism, a venial sin is a sin which meets at least one of the following critera: it does not concern a grave matter, it is not committed with full knowledge, or it is not committed with both deliberate and complete consent. ... The Council of Trent is the Nineteenth Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is a synoptic gospel in the New Testament, one of four canonical gospels. ... The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ...

The words of Absolution in the Latin 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, however, are: "I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

The penitent makes an act of contrition, a prayer acknowledging his/her faults before God. It typically commences: O my God, I am heartily sorry... Reconciliation is necessary before receiving the sacrament of Eucharist for the first time. 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. The Act of Contrition is a prayer recited by the penitent during the Latin Rite Roman Catholic sacrament of Confession. ... Perfect contrition in catholic theology is a sorrow for sins which is motivated from love of God. ...

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. Serious matters for a mortal sin, according to Roman Catholic teaching, include murder, blasphemy, fornication, the use of artificial contraception, or missing Mass without a good reason on a Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation. (A general rule for mortal sins is that: any that are directly against or easily inferred from the Ten Commandments is a mortal sin, e.g. "do not murder" includes violence.) It is a widely held belief of the Roman Catholic faith that if a person guilty of mortal sin dies without either receiving the sacrament or experiencing perfect contrition with the intention of confessing to a priest, he/she will receive eternal damnation. For other uses, see Temptation (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Mass (disambiguation). ... In the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Days of Obligation are the days, other than Sundays, on which the faithful are required to attend Mass. ... For other uses, see Ten Commandments (disambiguation). ...

The Eastern Catholic Churches do not generally use the Western terminology of mortal and venial sin. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The...

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, who has faculty to absolve, and if a reserved sin have the special faculty to absolve it.^[4] 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.

Frequency of Reception

The Code of Canon Law requires all Roman 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. While some branches of the Catholic Church do not require confession to be completed on any set schedule, 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] In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... For other uses, see Lent (disambiguation). ... μ This article is about the Christian season. ...

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." Paul VI: Frequent recourse to confession is of great value Frequent confession is the spiritual practice among some Roman Catholics of going to the sacrament of reconciliation often and regularly in order to grow in holiness. ... The Venerable Pius XII, born Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Eugenio Pacelli (Rome, March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958) served as the Pope from March 2, 1939 to 1958. ... The Blessed John XXIII wearing a Papal Tiara Angelo Roncalli was born in Sotto il Monte (province of Bergamo), Italy on November 25, 1881. ... Paul VI, Giovanni Battista Enrica Antonia Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), served as Pope from 1963 to 1978. ...

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: Official papal image of John Paul II. His Holiness Pope John Paul II, né Karol Józef Wojtyła (born May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland), is the current Pope — the Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Universal Call to Holiness and Apostolate is a teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that all people are called to be holy. ... The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ...

• 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."^[7]

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. 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 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 may not directly or indirectly disclose the matter to civil authorities himself. The Seal of the Confession(al) is the absolute confidentiality for Roman Catholic priests, of anything that they learn from penitents during the course of confession. ... Confidentiality has been defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to have access and is one of the cornerstones of Information security. ... Attorney/client privilege is a legal concept that protects communications between an attorney and their client(s) and keeps those communications confidential. ... Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ...

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. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article...

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.^[8]

Civil authorities in the United States are usually respectful of this confidentiality. However, several years ago an ambitious 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 Vatican. The tape has since been sealed (and later destroyed), and the Federal Court has since ruled that the taping was in violation of the 4th Amendment, and ordered an injunction against any further tapings.[1] Nickname: Location of Portland in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country State Counties Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter[1]  - Commissioners Sam Adams Randy Leonard Dan Saltzman Erik Sten  - Auditor Gary Blackmer Area  - City 376. ... Cardinal George is the current Archbishop of Chicago. ... The Bill of Rights in the National Archives. ...

The Manuals of confession in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages the manuals of confession constituted 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. See http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/projects/arroyo/manuels.htm (in French) about manuals of confession in medieval Spain.

Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Catholicism

Within the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, it is understood that the Mystery of confession and repentance has more to do with the spiritual development of the individual and much less to do with purification. Sin is not seen as a stain on the soul, but rather a mistake that needs correction. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ...

In general, the Eastern Christian chooses an individual to trust as his or her spiritual guide. In most cases this is the parish priest but may, in fact, be any individual, male or female, who has received permission from a bishop to hear confessions. This person is often referred to as one's spiritual father or mother. Once chosen, the individual turns to his spiritual guide for advice on his or her spiritual development, confessing sins, and asking advice. Eastern Christians tend to confess only to this individual and the intimacy created by this bond makes the spiritual guide the most qualified in dealing with the person, so much so, that no one can override what a spiritual guide tells his or her charges. What is confessed to one's spiritual guide is protected by the same seal as would be any priest hearing a confession.

In general practice, after one confesses to one's spiritual guide, 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. It is highly possible that the person confesses his sins to his spiritual guide on a regular basis but only seeks out the priest to read the prayer before communing. epitrachelion The Epitrachelion (from the Greek, επιτραχηλιον around the neck; often called simply a stole in casual English-language usage) is the liturgical vestment worn by priests and bishops of the Orthodox Church as the symbol of their priesthood, corresponding to the Western stole. ...

In some Eastern Catholic Churches, clergy make their confession in the sanctuary, in public view but quietly. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      The... Ajax prepares to violate the sanctuary of Athena by abducting Cassandra by force: red-figure vase, c. ...

References

1. ^ can. 959, CIC 1983
2. ^ can. 966, CIC 1983
3. ^ can. 960. CIC 1983
4. ^ can. 966 CIC 1983, can. 722, CCEO 1990
5. ^ can. 960 CIC 1983
6. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church #2041-2043
7. ^ The Spiritual and Psychological Value of Frequent Confession by Fr. John Hardon
8. ^ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Decree, Congregatio pro Doctina Fidei in AAS 80 (1988) p 1367, quoted in Sacraments: Initiation, Penance, Anointing of the Sick Woestman, WM, Ottawa 2004, pg 277

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