Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church) - Rite of The Sacrament

Rite of The Sacrament

The form of Penance did not change for centuries, although at one time some confessions were made publicly. The role of the priest is as a minister of Christ's mercy. He acts in persona Christi. In the Catholic tradition, after making an examination of conscience, the penitent begins by saying, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been (state a time) since my last confession", or using more informal language. It has also been customary to state one's state in life (single, married, religious, seminarian, priest, age, gender, etc.) to aid the priest in understanding various sins, particularly in a time when most confessions did not take place face to face. Serious sins (mortal sins) must be confessed within at most a year and always before receiving Holy Communion, while confession of venial sins also is recommended. 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.

The words of absolution in the Roman 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 are: "I absolve you from your sins." Then the priest invites the penitent to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good" and dismisses the penitent with some words.

The pre-1974 form of absolution was somewhat different, and expressed in Latin.

Before the absolution, the penitent makes an act of contrition, a prayer declaring sorrow for sin. It typically commences: "O my God, I am heartily sorry..." . The Catholic Church teaches that the individual and integral confession and absolution (as opposed to collective absolution) is the only ordinary way in which a person conscious of mortal sins committed after baptism can be reconciled with God and the Church. Perfect contrition (a sorrow motivated by love of God rather than of fear of punishment) removes the guilt of mortal sin even before confession or, if there is no opportunity of confessing to a priest, without confession, but the obligation to approach the sacrament continues. Such contrition includes the intention of confessing when and if the opportunity arrives.

Receiving the sacrament of penance from a priest is distinct from receiving from him pastoral counseling or psychotherapy - even if that priest is one's spiritual director or a member of the pastoral team of one's parish. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church have insisted on this point in order to avoid confusion, as both confidential processes have distinct roles in church life.

A revised rite of the Sacrament of Reconciliation was given to the Church by Pope Paul VI on December 2, 1973. The new rite presents the sacrament in three different ritual forms:

The first form — The Rite for Reconciliation of Individual Penitents — is similar to the way most Roman Catholics remember "confession"; however, provision is made for the reading of sacred Scripture, and the penitent is given the option of speaking to the priest face-to-face or remaining anonymous (usually behind a screen). The priest may offer advice and gives a suitable penance. The priest pronounces absolution (the prayer for absolution was revised and extended) and the rite concludes with a short thanksgiving.

The second form — The Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution — usually begins with readings from scripture, hymns, prayers, a homily and an examination of conscience, followed by a call to repentance. Private confession and reconciliation follow and a final thanksgiving, blessing and dismissal. Paul VI said in 1974 that he hoped this communal rite would "become the normal way of celebration."

The third form — The Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution — is similar to the second, except that the penitents do not make an actual confession, but only manifest contrition (general confession). The prayer of absolution is given collectively or "generally" to all those gathered to celebrate the sacrament (general absolution). The penitents are obliged to actually confess each grave sin in their next confession. Form three is intended for emergencies and other situations when it is not at all possible for the priest(s) to hear all the individual confessions. This rite has been discouraged for widespread use by the Vatican in many countries recently.