Holy Apostles College and Seminary The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation by Sister Paul Mary Dreger, FSE Professor Steven Schultz THL 510: Catechism 1 August 9, 2013
Introduction My name is Sister Paul Mary Dreger and I am a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. This presentation is on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation prepared for a class on the Catechism of the Catholic Church at Holy Apostles College and Seminary. It is geared toward the average person who is seeking knowledge about this Sacrament. Therefore, the goal for the recipient of this presentation is that one acquires a better understanding of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation in the Catholic Church. Sacraments of Healing In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus states, Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. 1 During His time on earth, Jesus Christ healed many persons in both body and soul. Before His death and resurrection, Jesus bestowed on His apostles this responsibility to heal in order to continue His work through the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members. 2 Thus, among the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church, there are two Sacraments of Healing: The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Both bring healing to the penitent through the grace of the Holy Spirit. For today s presentation, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation will be explored to help understand this great gift given to us by God. Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation was instituted by Christ with His Apostles. In the 3 rd century, Origin was the first to officially recognize that Jesus did establish 1 The New American Bible. (Iowa Falls: World Bible Publishers, 1986), Mk 2:17. 2 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2 nd ed. (Washington, DC: Unites States Catholic Conference, 2000), 1421. 2
this Sacrament. 3 Over the years, the actual celebration of the Sacrament has changed, but it has always kept the same basic structure. 4 It must contain the action of the priest, who acts in the name of Christ, and the action of the penitent or sinner, which requires contrition, confession, and satisfaction or penance. 5 Names of the Sacrament The Catechism of the Catholic Church indicates five different names for the Sacrament. Every name correctly identifies the Sacrament, and each of the names corresponds to an essential aspect of it. 6 The first name is the Sacrament of Conversion, which is used due to the penitent s call to turn away from evil and return to Christ. 7 The second name is the Sacrament of Penance, because we must not only internally turn from our sins but also externally do something to repair the damage our sins have done. 8 The third name is the Sacrament of Confession, which is one of the necessary acts of the penitent in order to be forgiven. 9 The fourth name is the Sacrament of Forgiveness, which is what the priest will give to the penitent during the prayer of absolution. 10 The last name is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, because penitents 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 11 The Minister of the Sacrament Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest, who is commonly called a confessor, has been given the power to forgive all sins. It is entrusted to each successor of the Apostles, 3 D Ambrosio, Marcellino. The Sacraments, Lecture 4. DVD (Notre Dame: International Catholic University, 2005). 4 John Paul II. Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio Misericordia Dei, (April 7, 2002), 1. 5 Misericordia Dei, 1. 6 Peter Kreeft, Catholic Christianity: Penance. (New Haven: Catholic Information Service, Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, 2001), 12. 7 CCC, 1423. 8 Kreeft, Catholic Christianity: Penance, 13. 9 CCC, 1424. 10 CCC, 1424. 11 CCC, 1422. 3
which are the Bishops, as well as their assistants, which are the priests. 12 This power descended from Jesus, when He said to the Apostles, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. 13 The priest, as the minister of Penance, acts in persona Christi, which means in the person of Christ. 14 He stands as a servant of Christ, who through this Sacrament offers God s mercy and love to each penitent who seeks forgiveness. He is meant to nourish and feed his flock and be a physician in this case through whom the Divine Physician can work. 15 In this way, the priest is working for the good of the total community by being an instrument of God in order to heal the wounds of his flock. In order to protect and respect each penitent, a confessor must not share any information that is told to him during the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation with anyone. 16 In fact, he is bound by a sacramental seal, in which under very severe penalties [he must] keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. 17 Acts of the Penitent The Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent and the priest s absolution, 18 which is the prayer of forgiveness within the Sacrament. The three acts of the penitent are contrition, confession of sins, and satisfaction or penance. Each must be present for the sacrament to be valid. 12 D Ambrosio, The Sacraments, Lecture 4. 13 Jn 20:21-23 NAB. 14 John Paul II. Reconciliation and Penance (Boston: Saint Paul Books and Media, 1984), 49. 15 D Ambrosio, The Sacraments, Lecture 4. 16 Code of Canon Law. c. 983 1, in Code of Canon Law (Canon Law Society of America, 1983). 17 CCC, 1467. 18 CCC, 1491. 4
The first action of the penitent is contrition. This means to be sorry for one s sins. It is not an emotional response, but a decision to avoid a sinful act, 19 as well as a resolution not to commit it again. 20 There are two types of motivation that leads one to repent of one s sins. They are identified as perfect or imperfect contrition. Perfect contrition is when one is truly sorry for one s sins because of the break in relationship with God. Imperfect contrition is when one is sorry for one s sins because of the punishment or consequences one may incur, such as hell. For example, in the Prodigal Son parable in the Gospel of Luke, the son returns to his father because he is hungry. 21 He realized that he was wrong and was very sorry for his sins against his father due to the consequences he endured and not necessarily because of a break in relationship with his father. Both forms of motivation for contrition are good. However, we must strive to build our relationship with Christ in order to awaken our hearts to perfect contrition. The second action of the penitent is confession. Unless a sin is acknowledged and repented of, it cannot be forgiven. Furthermore, conversion cannot take place without the acknowledgment of one s own sin. 22 It is required that all mortal or serious sins be confessed because they break one s relationship with God. Furthermore, confession allows the confessor to be acquainted with the penitent in order to offer the healing of the Sacrament. If a penitent knowingly withholds a mortal sin at the time of confession, then the Sacrament is invalid. Furthermore, if a penitent participates in the Sacrament with no intention to stop his sinful behavior, the Sacrament is also invalid. 23 It is strongly recommended that all venial sins be confessed although it is not necessary. However, the regular confession of our 19 D Ambrosio, The Sacraments, Lecture 4. 20 Reconciliation and Penance, 31, 3. 21 Lk 15:11-32 NAB. 22 Reconciliation and Penance, 13. 23 D Ambrosio, The Sacraments, Lecture 4. 5
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. 24 The third action of the penitent is satisfaction or penance. When one receives absolution from the priest, sin is forgiven. However, it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. 25 Therefore, one must do something in order to help change one s life and move away from sin. When the priest gives the penitent a penance, it could be 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. 26 These penances are outward acts that demonstrate inward conversion, 27 which help to repair the damage that sin creates. They are the sign of the personal commitment that the Christian has made to God, in the Sacrament, to begin a new life. 28 After Baptism When someone is baptized, All sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. 29 However, some consequences of original sin still remain. Human nature is weakened and inclined to evil, which invokes the need for spiritual battle. 30 In fact, certain temporal consequences of sin remain, such as suffering, illness, death, and such frailties inherent in life as weaknesses of character, and so on, as well as an inclination to sin 31 24 CCC, 1458. 25 CCC, 1459. 26 CCC, 1460. 27 D Ambrosio, The Sacraments, Lecture 4. 28 Reconciliation and Penance, 31, 3. 29 CCC, 1263. 30 CCC, 405. 31 CCC, 1264. 6
What is Sin? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience. 32 It is not a mistake, but a moral lapse, a free choice of the will. 33 Sin is disobedience to God, to his law, to the moral norm that he has given man, in scribing it in his heart and confirming and perfecting it through revelation. 34 It is a conscious decision to do something that breaks or seriously damages one s relationship with God. When one sins, it harms the sinner, while simultaneously directly or indirectly harming the entire Church. This is because the Church is not just an organization but a living organism. 35 Each baptized person is a member of the Body of Christ and therefore affects and is affected by all other members of the Body. As their virtuous actions contribute to the up building of the body of Christ, so sin contributes to its wounding. 36 St. Paul stated in his letter to the Corinthians, If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. 37 Since all are affected by one s sins, then there is a need for one not only to be reconciled with God, but with the Church. Repentance and Conversion In order to be reconciled with God and His Church, each baptized person is called to repentance and conversion. This is not a one-time change of mind and heart, but an ongoing process of turning away from evil toward God through penance. Moreover, it is an ongoing process because it is an ongoing need, 38 since we have been marked by original sin. 32 CCC, 1849. 33 Kreeft, Catholic Christianity: Penance, 1. 34 Reconciliation and Penance, 14. 35 Kreeft, Catholic Christianity: Penance, 4. 36 Theological-Historical Commission, God, the Father of Mercy, (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1998), 67. 37 1 Cor. 12:26 NAB. 38 Kreeft, Catholic Christianity: Penance, 8. 7
Repentance begins as an inner act of sorrow and conversion. However, there must be an outward manifestation of what we believe interiorly. 39 In other words, whatever we believe must be expressed concretely and in a tangible way. If that is done, then we are supported and affirmed in our beliefs, which, in turn, causes our beliefs to become stronger. Christ, himself, urged for this type of repentance and conversion in the Gospel of Mark when He stated, The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel. 40 This ongoing process of repentance and conversion, which begins at baptism, is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him. 41 God always calls us first and we need to respond. After baptism, one fundamental way in which we respond to God s call of conversion and continually return to Him is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. In fact, Blessed John Paul II stated, This initiative on God s part is made concrete and manifest in the redemptive act of Christ, which radiates through the world by means of the ministry of the Church. 42 The norms of the Catholic Church state that those who have committed serious sin receive the Sacrament of Penance at least once a year. 43 However, a sinner should receive the Sacrament after each time a serious sin is committed because it deprives the soul of grace and in case of death would consign the sinner to damnation and renders it illicit and invalid for the believer to receive Christ in the Eucharist and impossible to participate fully in the life of the Church. 44 39 D Ambrosio, The Sacraments, Lecture 4. 40 Mk 1:15 NAB. 41 CCC, 1432. 42 Reconciliation and Penance, 10. 43 CIC, c. 989. 44 God, the Father of Mercy, 68. 8
Effects of the Sacrament Therefore, the process of repentance and conversion leads not only to reconciliation with God, which is the purpose and effect of this Sacrament, 45 but also to the Church. According to the Catechism, Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God. 46 By receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance, one re-establishes one s relationship with God and the ecclesial community, which is the Church. Consequently, the penitent is made stronger by the exchange of spiritual goods among all the living members of the Body of Christ. 47 Furthermore, the penitent is given the hope of eternal life. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. 48 Thus, the penitent, who understands that he will be judged by God at the end of his earthly life, chooses life over death through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance within one s process of conversion. The reception of this Sacrament also provides the penitent with the remission of 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; and an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle. 49 Examination of Conscience In order for a person to come to this awareness of one s own sin, an examination of conscience must be done. This is an act in which a penitent sincerely compares oneself with the interior moral law, with the evangelical norms proposed by the Church, with Jesus Christ himself who is our Teacher and Model of life, and with the heavenly Father, who calls us to goodness 45 CCC, 1468. 46 CCC, 1445. 47 CCC, 1469. 48 Jn 5:24 NAB. 49 CCC, 1496. 9
and perfection. 50 This act is an opportunity to look at the ways in which the penitent is not fulfilling the call of a follower of Christ. In order to do this, one must look to Scripture and the Church s dogmatic teachings using the Ten Commandments, the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings. 51 General Absolution General absolution refers to a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation where the priest forgives the sins of many penitents at one time instead of hearing individual confessions. However, this is an exception to the norms of the Sacrament. General absolution can only occur when the danger of death is imminent or a grave necessity exists and confessors are not able to hear individual confessions. 52 According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 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. 53 Final Thoughts The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is vital in our fight against Satan, who uses our own sin against us. Peter Kreeft stated, The priest in the confessional is a more formidable foe to the devil than an exorcist. 54 It is important to understand that, as Blessed John Paul II stated, Reconciliation is a gift of God, an initiative on His part. 55 When one responds to God s invitation, the great gift of forgiveness is given. Through this Sacrament, the faithful are invited 50 Reconciliation and Penance, 53. 51 CCC, 1454. 52 CCC, 1483; Misericordia Dei, 4; CIC, c. 961, 1. 53 CCC, 1484. 54 Kreeft, Catholic Christianity: Penance, 2. 55 Reconciliation and Penance, 7. 10
to take responsibility for their sins and to understand that not only does sin exist, but to acknowledge that one is a sinner. The greater the sense of sin in a Christian, the greater that person s gratitude for forgiveness. 56 Furthermore, on a basic human level, everyone needs to hear and know that they are forgiven. 57 Through this gift of gratitude and forgiveness within the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, one will experience an increase of true joy. Thus, a deeper love for God will emerge. 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. 58 56 God, the Father of Mercy, 68. 57 Kreeft, Catholic Christianity: Penance, 9. 58 CCC, 1455. 11
Bibliography Code of Canon Law. Canon Law Society of America. 1983. http://www.vatican.va/archive/eng1104/_index.htm (accessed August 8, 2013). Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000. D'Ambrosio, Marcellino. "The Sacraments, Lecture 4." DVD. Notre Dame: International Catholic University, 2005. John Paul II. "Apostolic Letter inthe form of Motu Proprio." Misericordia Dei. April 7, 2002. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jpii_motu-proprio_20020502_misericordia-dei_en.html (accessed June 14, 2013).. Reconciliation and Penance. Boston: Saint Paul Books and Media, 1984. Kreeft, Peter. Catholic Christianity: Penance. New Haven: Catholic Information Service, Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, 2001. The New American Bible. Iowa Falls: World Bible Publishers, 1986. Theological-Historical Commission. God, the Father of Mercy. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1998. 12