Saturday, February 5, 2011

Part III. Chapter XXVI. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE

380. What is the sacrament of Penance?
Penance is the sacrament by which sins are forgiven which are committed after Baptism.
381. By whose power are sins forgiven in the sacrament of Penance?
Sins are forgiven in the sacrament of Penance by the power of God, which Christ gave to his apostles and, through them, to the priests of his Church.
382. When did Christ give to his apostles the power to forgive sins?
Christ gave to his apostles the power to forgive sins when He said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained (John xx, 23).
383. How does the priest exercise the power of forgiving and retaining sins?
The priest grants absolution from their sins to those who are rightly disposed, and refuses it to those who are not yet rightly disposed.
384. What is absolution?
Absolution is the sentence of pardon given by the priest when he says: I absolve thee from thy sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
385. What must a sinner do to dispose himself to obtain pardon in the sacrament of Penance?
To obtain pardon in the sacrament of penance a sinner must have true contrition for his sins, confess them to the priest, and accept the satisfaction or penance imposed on him.
386. How are we to prepare for the sacrament of Penance?
To prepare for the sacrament of Penance we should pray to God for the grace to receive it worthily, examine our conscience to discover the sins we have committed, and strive earnestly to be truly sorry for them.
387.How should we examine our conscience?
We should examine our conscience by calling to mind the commandments of God and of the Church, and the duties of our state in life, to find out in what things and how often we have sinned by thought, word, deed or omission.

I. Contrition

388. What is contrition?
Contrition is a sincere sorrow and hatred of our sins, because they offend God, with a firm resolution of sinning no more.
389. How many kinds of contrition are there?
There are two kinds of contrition: perfect contrition and imperfect contrition, which is also called attrition.
390. What is perfect contrition?
Contrition is perfect when we are sorry for our sins because they offend God, who is infinitely good in Himself.
391. What is imperfect contrition?
Contrition is imperfect when we are sorry for our sins from some motive less than the pure love of God, such as gratitude to God, or fear of his punishments.
392. What kind of contrition is sufficient in the sacrament of Penance?
To receive the sacrament of Penance worthily, imperfect contrition is sufficient, but we should always strive to have perfect contrition.
393. Can a person in mortal sin regain the state of grace before receiving the sacrament of Penance?
A person in mortal sin can regain the state of grace by making an act of perfect contrition, but he must intend to receive the sacrament, and must confess the sin in his next confession.
394. What qualities must all sorrow have to obtain pardon of sin?
Sorrow for sin must have these four qualities: it must be true sorrow of the heart, it must spring from a supernatural motive, it must extend to all mortal sins committed, and must regard sin as the greatest of all evils.
395. Is a purpose of amendment always necessary for forgiveness?
A purpose of amendment, that is, a firm resolution of sinning no more, is always necessary for forgiveness, because we are not truly sorry for sin, unless we are firmly resolved to avoid sin and to take the means necessary for avoiding it.
396. How can we acquire true sorrow for our sins?
We can acquire true sorrow for our sins by thinking of the goodness of God, the love of our Divine Redeemer, as shown in his Passion and Death, the loss of heaven, and the torments of hell.

II. Confession

397. What is confession?
Confession is a declaration of our sins made to a priest in the sacrament of Penance in order to obtain absolution.
398. What sins is a penitent bound to confess?
A penitent is bound to confess all mortal sins, with their number and kind, which have not yet been confessed and forgiven in the sacrament of Penance.
399. Is it wrong to conceal a mortal sin in confession?
To conceal a mortal sin in confession is a grevious sin of sacrilege, and the sins confessed are not forgiven.
400. What must they do who have concealed a mortal sin in confession?
They who have concealed a mortal sin in confession must confess that sin, the sacrilege of which they have been guilty, and all the other mortal sins committed since their last confession.
401. Is a mortal sin forgiven which has been omitted without fault in confession?
Yes, a mortal sin omitted without fault in confession is forgiven, but it must be told in the next confession.
402. Can a person receive the sacrament of Penance who has no mortal sin to confess?
Yes, a person can receive the sacrament of penance if he confesses a sin of his past life, or at least one venial sin for which he is truly sorry.

III. Satisfaction

403. What should we do after receiving the sacrament of Penance?
After receiving the sacrament of Penance, we should give God thanks for having forgiven us our sins and perform the penance or satisfaction imposed by the confessor.
404. What is meant by satisfaction?
By satisfaction we mean the prayers or other good works imposed on the penitent by the confessor to satisfy for the temporal punishment, which is often due to sin after its guilt has been remitted.
405. Does the sacrament of Penance remit all punishment due to sin?
The sacrament of penance remits the eternal punishment due to mortal sin, but it does not always remit the temporal punishment, which God requires as satisfaction for our sins.
406. Why does God require a temporal punishment as a satisfaction for sin already forgiven?
God requires a temporal punishment, in order to repair the offence against his divine majesty, to teach us the evil of sin and to prevent us from sinning again.
407. Does the penance imposed by the confessor satisfy in full for the temporal punishment due to sin?
The penance imposed by the confessor does not always satisfy in full for the temporal punishment, but whatever is wanting can be supplied by our other good works and by indulgences.
408. By what good works can we satisfy for the temporal punishment due to sin?
We can satisfy for the temporal punishment due to sin by any good work performed in the state of grace, especially by prayer, fasting, almsgiving and other works of mercy, and the patient endurance of sufferings.

IV. Indulgences

409. What is an indulgence?
An indulgence is a remission by the Church for the temporal punishment due to sin already forgiven.
410. How many kinds of indulgences are there?
There are two kinds: a plenary indulgence, which remits all the temporal punishment due to our sins, and a partial indulgence, which remits a portion of such punishment.
411. Why can the Church grant indulgences?
The Church can grant indulgences, because she can apply to us the merits of Christ and the saints.
412. What are the conditions necessary for gaining an indulgence?
To gain an indulgence we must be in the state of grace, have at least a general intention of gaining the indulgence, and perform the special works required by the Church.
413. For whom can we gain indulgences?
We can gain indulgences only for ourselves and for the souls in purgatory.

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