May 2023 Print

By Fr. Juan Carlos Iscara, SSPX

1. What other acts must the penitent perform in order to receive the sacrament of penance?

The second act which the penitent must perform is the confession of his sins to the legitimate minister of Jesus Christ.

Although of less importance and necessity than contrition for sins (since in special circumstances—such as the complete unavailability of a confessor—the salvation of the sinner is possible without confession, but never without contrition), it forms an intrinsic and essential part of the sacrament.

2. What do we mean by “sacramental confession”?

Sacramental confession means the penitent’s voluntary accusation of the sins he has committed after baptism, done to a legitimate priest, in order to obtain absolution of those sins by virtue of the power of the keys.

It is an accusation—that is, not a simple historical narrative of sins committed, or an attempt to excuse oneself from them, or to flaunt them, but the manifestation by which the sinner declares his sins as a convict to the legitimate judge, which implies the reproach of self and the willingness to accept punishment or reparation.

Voluntary—that is, spontaneous, not forced or imposed, as confessions made in the external forum are.

Of the sins committed after baptism, because original sin or personal sins committed before baptism are blotted out by baptism itself.

Of the sins committed by the penitent, the only one who knows his own sins and is to be absolved from them. The accusation made by a person other than the penitent would be invalid, except when acting on behalf and in the presence of the penitent (for example, when confession is made through an interpreter, when the language of the penitent or confessor is unknown).

Made to a legitimate priest, that is, to one who is duly ordained and has jurisdiction over the penitent.

Made in order to obtain absolution. Only then does it have the character of a sacramental confession; therefore, if the account of sins is made only to ask for advice, or to vent, or laugh at the priest, or drag him into sin, etc., it is not a true sacramental confession.

By virtue of the power of the keys, that is, of the divine powers conferred by Christ upon His Church.

3. What must be confessed?

The principal and necessary matter of the sacrament is the mortal sins not yet confessed, which the penitent remembers after a diligent examination of conscience, together with their number and the circumstances that may alter the species of the sin.

Venial sins constitute the sufficient but free matter of the sacrament—that is, there is no obligation to confess them, as they have not caused the spiritual death of the soul. As the Council of Trent states: “For venial sins, by which we are not excluded from the grace of God and into which we fall more frequently, although they may rightly and profitably and without any presumption be declared in confession, as the practice of pious persons indicates, may be passed over in silence without guilt and may be expiated by many other remedies” (Dz 899).

All other sins, mortal or venial, that have already been duly confessed also constitute the free matter of the sacrament, but their renewed confession is very fitting and helpful. As Benedict XI said: “Although it is not necessary to confess the same sins a second time, nevertheless, because of the shame which is a large part of repentance, we consider it of benefit to repeat the confession of the same sins” (Dz 470).

4. Is the confession of sins necessary?

Yes! The theological reason is that Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of penance, conferring on His apostles and successors the power to forgive or withhold sins (Jn. 20:21-23). Now, this power cannot be exercised by the ministers of Jesus Christ in a capricious or arbitrary manner, granting or denying forgiveness just because a person is sympathetic or unfriendly, but to exercise it by way of judgment, granting forgiveness to those whom they judge to be duly willing and denying it to those who are not well disposed.

But it is clear that, to proceed with righteousness by way of judgment, the judge needs to know the reason why he will issue an acquittal or conviction, and not in a confused or general way, but with every detail and precision. And as in this sacramental judgment there is no prosecutor or accuser charged with exposing the crimes committed by the accused, there is no other solution than the explicit and sincere confession of the accused.

The confession of sins is an inevitable consequence springing directly from the institution of the sacrament by Jesus Christ in the mode of judgment (Summa Theol. Suppl. q. 6, a. 1).

St. Thomas, insisting on this need, notes that no ecclesiastical superior, not even the pope, has the power to dispense from confession, because it is required by virtue of the institution of Jesus Christ, which no man can revoke, distort or suspend.

5. Which should be the qualities of the confession?

For the validity or liceity of the sacrament, the confession must be vocal, sincere and integral.

(a) In normal circumstances, the confession must be vocal, expressed by the penitent himself.

This has been the general and common use throughout the Church from the earliest times. It is also the teaching of the Council of Florence: “The second part of the sacrament of penance is oral confession, to which it belongs that the sinner confesses to his priest all the sins of which he has memory.”

St. Thomas adds a reason of fittingness: “For the orderly manifestation of conscience in the sacramental act we must follow the usual way of manifesting our thoughts, that is, by words; other ways, as by signs, gestures, in writing, etc., are only used as supplements to the words” (Summa Theol. Suppl. q. 9, a. 3).

However, in case of necessity it is lawful to employ written confession, signs, or an interpreter.

(b) The confession must be sincere, that is, made with all honesty and truth, just as the penitent’s conscience perceives the sins he has committed, accusing what is true as true, what is doubtful as doubtful, what is grave as serious, and what is slight as slight.

He who knowingly omits a grave sin not yet confessed commits a sacrilege and does not receive absolution from any of the sins that he has just confessed. But neither is it lawful to exaggerate the gravity of sins or to increase their number.

Thus, the confession is invalid and sacrilegious:

if the penitent knowingly omits a still unconfessed mortal sin or a circumstance that seriously changes the species of sin (e.g., having sinned with a relative, or being married, or consecrated to God, etc.).

if he accuses as doubtful a mortal sin he has certainly committed.

if he knowingly diminishes the number of his mortal sins.

if he accuses himself of a recent mortal sin (not yet confessed) as if it were a sin of the past already confessed. It gravely deceives the priest, who would mistakenly absolve as free matter what constitutes, in reality, necessary matter, and it also deceives him about the present state of the penitent.

if, legitimately interrogated by the confessor, he denies the circumstances of a relapse, the habit of sinning, a near occasion, etc., which the priest is obliged to find out in order to judge the penitent’s current dispositions. But the penitent may refuse to answer any questions that are impertinent or alien to the confession.

Lying about venial sins or already confessed mortal sins does not invalidate the confession, but constitutes a venial sin of irreverence to the sacrament, a slight sacrilege. It is very dangerous to offend God, even slightly, at the very moment when He is asked to forgive sins.

[To be continued…]