RECONCILIATION
Sacrament of Reconciliation
1. What is the Sacrament of Penance?
Penance,
also called Reconciliation, is a sacrament in which, through God's mercy and
forgiveness, the sins of the penitent are forgiven. In addition the sinner is reconciled with God and
also with the Church, Christ's body, which is wounded by sin. [glossary, 1422,
1442-1445, 1468].
2. What is the scriptural basis for the
sacrament of Penance?
"On
the evening of 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 anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the
sins of anyone, they are retained' " (Jn
3. What are the essential elements of the
Sacrament of Penance?
Among
the essential elements of the sacrament of penance are three acts of the
penitent, namely: contrition or repentance, confession or disclosure of sins,
and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation. The final essential element is the prayer of
absolution by the priest. [glossary, 1491*, 980,
1422, 1440, 1448, 1449].
4. What sins must be confessed?
All
mortal sins of which the penitent is conscious, after
a diligent examination of conscience, must be recounted by him in
confession. The confession of grave sins
followed by absolution is the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God
and with the Church. Anyone aware of having committed a mortal sin must not
receive communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without first
receiving sacramental absolution, unless there is a grave reason for receiving
communion, and there is no possibility of going to confession. Confession of
everyday faults or venial sins is strongly recommended, but is not required.
[1493*, 1497*, 1455-1458].
5. What are some of the names by which the
Sacrament of Reconciliation is called?
This
sacrament is called Reconciliation,
since it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles. It is called the sacrament of conversion, since it makes sacramentally
present Jesus' call to conversion after straying from virtue by sin. It is called penance or the sacrament of
penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial
steps to conversion, penance and satisfaction.
It is called confession or the
sacrament of confession, since the
disclosure or confessing of sins is an essential element of this
sacrament. It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the
priest's sacramental absolution God grants to the penitent pardon and
peace. [1486*, 1422-1424].
6. Who is the minister of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation?
Bishops
and priests, but not deacons, exercise this ministry by virtue of having received
the Sacrament of Holy Orders. [1495*,
1461-1466].
7. What is the seal of confession?
Every
priest who hears Confession is bound under very severe penalties to keep
absolute secrecy regarding all the sins that his penitents have confessed to
him. This secret is called the
"sacramental seal" because what is confessed remains sealed by the
sacrament. [1467].
8. What are the effects of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation?
This
sacrament restores the soul to the grace and friendship with God (state of
Grace), and it reconciles us with the Church. It remits the eternal punishment
incurred by mortal sins and, at least in part, the temporal punishments
resulting from sin. In addition it brings peace and security of conscience,
spiritual consolation, and an increase in strength for the Christian
battle. [1496*, 1468-1470].
Offenses Against
God
9. What is concupiscence?
Concupiscence
comprises human appetites and desires which remain disordered due to the
temporal consequences of original sin, which persist even after baptism, and
which produce an inclination to sin. [glossary, 1264, 1426, 2515].
10. What is the worst evil in the world?
In
the eyes of faith no evil is greater than sin, and nothing has worst
consequences for sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole
world. [1488].
11 What is sin?
Sin
is an offense against God as well as a transgression against reason, truth and
right conscience. Sin is a deliberate
thought, word, deed,
or omission contrary to the eternal law of God.
In judging the gravity of sin, it is customary to distinguish between
mortal and venial sins. [glossary, 1849, 1853, 1854].
12 What is mortal sin?
Mortal
sin is a grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life
(sanctifying grace) in the soul of the sinner.
It constitutes a turning away from God, preferring an inferior good to
him. [glossary, 1855- 1861].
13. What are
the three conditions required for a sin to be mortal?
For a
sin to be mortal it must involve a grave matter, full knowledge of the evil of
the act, and full consent of the will.
Mortal sin presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, and
of its opposition to God's law.
Unintentional ignorance, promptings and feelings of passion, external
pressures and pathological disorders can diminish the voluntary and free
character of the offense. Sin committed through malice, by free and deliberate
choice of evil, is the greatest. [glossary, 1857-1861].
14 What is venial sin?
Venial sin is the failure to observe
necessary moderation, in lesser matters of the moral law, or in grave matters
acting without full knowledge or complete consent. Venial sin does not destroy
the divine life of the soul, as does mortal sin,
although it diminishes and wounds it. [glossary, 1855, 1862, 1863].
15. What is an examination of conscience?
An
examination of conscience is a prayerful self-reflection on our thoughts,
words, deeds and omissions in the light of the Gospel to determine how we have
sinned against God. The reception of the
Sacrament of Penance ought to be prepared for by such an examination. [glossary,
1454].
Conversion and Penance
16. What are conversion and repentance?
Conversion
is a radical reorientation of the whole life away from sin and evil, and toward
God. It is the movement of return to
communion with God after having lost it by sin.
Repentance entails sorrow for and abhorrence of sins committed, and the
firm purpose of sinning no more in the future. The change of heart resulting
from conversion is a central element of Christ's preaching, of the Church's
ministry of evangelization, and of the sacrament of Penance. [glossary, 1489*-90*].
17 What is the
conversion of the Baptized?
Jesus'
call to conversion is an essential part of the proclamation of the
kingdom. Baptism is the principal place
for the first and fundamental conversion of those who had not yet known
Christ. The second conversion is an
uninterrupted task for the whole Church, a movement of the contrite heart,
drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of the Lord's call to
a whole Church: "Repent!" (Rev
2:5,16). The sacrament of Reconciliation is
fundamental to the second conversion.
[1427-1429].
18 What is
interior penance?
Jesus'
call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not
aim first at outward works, but at the conversion
of the heart, at interior conversion.
Without this interior conversion the exterior works and penances remain sterile
and false. 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 way from evil. At the same time it entails the desire and
resolution to change one's life, with the help of the grace and mercy of
God. [1430-1433].
19. What is satisfaction for sins?
Acts
of satisfaction are those to be performed by the penitent to repair the harm
caused by sin, and re-establish habits befitting a disciple of Christ.
Many sins wrong our neighbor, and it is necessary,
for example, to return stolen goods, restore a slandered reputation, pay compensation for injuries. A penitent in confession must
also make satisfaction for or atone for his sins by performing a penance imposed
by the confessor. The penance that is
imposed should take into account the penitent's personal situation, must seek
his personal good, and must as far as possible correspond to the gravity and
nature of the sins committed. [1494*, 1459, 1460].
20. What are some forms of penance in Christian
life?
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. Specific expressions of penance are: efforts
to reconcile with one' neighbor, concern for the salvation of one's neighbor,
practices of charity, defense of justice and right, admission of faults to
one's brethren, conversion of life, examination of conscience, spiritual
direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution, and above all
taking up one's Cross and following Jesus.
[1434-1439].
Forgiveness
21. Who can forgive sins?
Only
God can forgive sins (Mk 2:7). Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of
himself, "The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins", and
he exercises this divine power "your sins are forgiven" (Mk 2:5; Lk
22. What is contrition?
Contrition
or repentance is sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed,
together with the resolution not to sin again.
It is the most important act of the penitent, and is necessary for
receiving absolution in the
Sacrament of Penance. [glossary, 1450-1453].
23. What should motivate repentance?
Repentance must be inspired by motives that
arise from faith, such as love of charity for God, the ugliness of sin, or the
fear of eternal damnation. [1492*].
24. What are perfect and imperfect contrition?
Perfect
contrition (contrition of charity) arises from a love by which God is loved
above all else. Such contrition remits
venial sins, and also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the
firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible. Imperfect contrition (attrition, contrition
of fear) is born of the consideration of sin's ugliness, or the fear of eternal
damnation, and other penalties threatening the sinner. By itself imperfect contrition cannot obtain
the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes the soul to obtain forgiveness
in the sacrament of Penance. [glossary, 1492*, 1451-1454].
25. What is an indulgence?
An
indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin
whose guilt has already been forgiven.
An indulgence is partial if it removes part of the temporal punishment
due to sin, and plenary if it removes all
punishment. [glossary,
1498, 1471-1479].