Transcript Sacrament Reconciliation

The Catholic Faith In
Plain English
Sacred Heart Parish
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Rev. Scott J. Garrett
Bless me, for I have sinned.
The Rite Of Penance
How should it really work?
Entrance
 Confessing Sins
 Priest’s words after confessing
 The assigning of a Penance
 Act of Contrition
 Absolution
 Leaving the confessional
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Scripture and Reconciliation
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Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and
there recall that your brother has anything
against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go
first be reconciled with your brother (Mat 5: 24).
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Jesus said to his apostles, “Whose sins you
forgive are forgiven them” (John 20: 23).
Pope John Paul II
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While the sacrament of penance is a form of
healing it is not a substitute for psychoanalysis
or psychotherapy, and confessors should refer
penitents to appropriate professionals. It is a
place for clarifying conscience and the
commandments, not discussing the meaning of
life (Pope John Paul II, 1998, Purpose and
Benefits of Sacramental Penance).
The Sacrament Of What?

The Sacrament of Penance: It consecrates
(makes holy) the sinners steps of conversion,
penance, and satisfaction.
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The Sacrament of Reconciliation: It imparts to
the sinner the love of God who reconciles.
Requirements to Receive Penance

To receive the sacrament of penance, a member
of the Christian faithful must be willing to reject
sins committed, try to sin no more, and turn
back to God (Canon 987).

“A member of the Christian faithful is obliged
to confess in kind and number all grave sins of
which the person has knowledge after diligent
examination of conscience” (Canon 988, §1).
Obligations of Penitent: Canon 959
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In the sacrament of penance the faithful must
confess their sins to a legitimate minister
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They must be sorry for their sins and intend to
reform themselves.
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If they are sorry and intend to reform, they will
obtain from God through the absolution,
forgiveness for the sins they have committed
after baptism.

At the same time, they are reconciled with the
Church which they have wounded by sinning.
Reconciliation: What Happens

Those who approach the sacrament of Penance
obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense
committed against him (Catechism 1422).

At the same time, they are reconciled with the
Church which they have wounded by their sins
and which by charity, by example, and by prayer
labors for their conversion.
Reconciliation: What Happens

The whole power of the sacrament of Penance
consists in restoring us to God's grace and
joining us with him in an intimate friendship.
The sacrament of Reconciliation with God
brings about a true "spiritual resurrection,"
restoration of the dignity, and blessings of the
life of the children of God (Catechism 1468).
Reconciliation: What Happens

The sacrament of Penance repairs or restores
Communion. It heals the one restored to
communion and has a revitalizing effect on the
life of the Church which suffered from the sin
of one of her members (Catechism 1469).

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, in this life,
offers us the choice between life and death
(Catechism 1470).
Minister: Canon 966 & 976

The valid absolution of sins requires that the
minister have the power of orders and the
faculty of exercising it for the faithful to whom
he imparts absolution.

“Even though a priest lacks the faculty to hear
confessions, he absolves validly and licitly any
penitents whatsoever in danger of death from
any censures and sins, even if an approved priest
is present.
General Absolution: Many at Once

Danger of death is imminent, i.e. during a war,
you are suddenly called to fight on the front line.

There is grave necessity, i.e. 300 people are
gathered in Nome for a scheduled penance
service. Five of the eight priest get stuck at the
Anchorage Airport. Three priest show up in
Nome. They cannot hear all 300 confessions in
a suitable period of time. There is no way the
300 penitents can receive confession for a long
period of time and it is not their fault.
Censures or Reprimands

Priests in this Archdiocese have the faculty to
absolve from the censure of abortion

When a priest absolves a penitent from a
censure outside the sacrament of penance, he
uses the following formula:

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By the power granted to me, I absolve you
from the bond of excommunication. In the
name of the Father, and of the Son,  and of
the Holy Spirit.
Reconciliation And Sin

Sin is an offense against God…a rupture of
communion with him. At the same time it
damages communion with the Church.
(Catechism 1440).
The Confession of Sins

The confession of sins frees us and facilitates
our reconciliation with others.

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 (Catechism 1455)
The Different Kinds of Sin
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Sin according to their objects.
Sin according to the virtues they oppose
Sins against neighbor, God, or oneself
Sin can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins
We sin in thought, word, deed, or omission
Catechism 1852
Venial Sins

Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered
affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's
progress in the exercise of the practice of the moral
good; it merits temporal punishment.

Un-repented venial sin disposes us little by little to
commit mortal sin. However venial sin does not break
the covenant with God. With God's grace it is humanly
reparable. "Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of
sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and
consequently eternal happiness."
Saint Augustine and Venial Sins

While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at
least some light sins. But do not despise these sins
which we call light sins: if you take them for light
sins, when you weigh them…tremble when you
count them. A number of light objects makes a
great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number
of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope?
Above all, confession (Saint Augustine).
Mortal Sin
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It must be of a grave matter, i.e. and offense
against the 10 commandments
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It is committed with full knowledge, i.e. one
understands how grave it is
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It is done with deliberate consent, i.e., I know it
is a sin but I do it anyway.
Thankfully we have Jesus!

The Letter to the Galatians contrasts the works of
the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: "Now the
works of the flesh are plain: fornication,
impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery,
enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness,
dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness,
carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned
you before, that those who do such things shall
not inherit the Kingdom of God."
Confession of Mortal Sins

Confession of all mortal sins to a priest is an essential
part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins must
be recounted by the penitent in confession, even if they
are most secret and have been committed against the
last two commandments.

Thos who fail to confess all the sins that they can
remember and knowingly withhold some, place nothing
before the divine goodness for remission through the
mediation of the priest, "for if the sick person is too
ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine
cannot heal what it does not know (Catechism 1456).
Penance and Communion

After having attained the age of discretion, each
of the faithful is bound to confess serious sins at
least once a year. Anyone who is aware of
having committed a mortal sin must not receive
Holy Communion, without having first received
sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave
reason for receiving Communion and there is no
possibility of going to confession.

Children must go to the sacrament of Penance
before receiving Holy Communion for the first
time (Catechism 1457).
Imperfect Contrition
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The contrition called “imperfect” is also a gift of
God. It is born of the consideration of sin's
ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the
other penalties threatening the sinner. Such a
stirring of conscience can initiate an interior
process which, under the prompting of grace,
will be brought to completion by sacramental
absolution. By itself however, imperfect
contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave
sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in
the sacrament of Penance (Catechism 1453).
Perfect Contrition

Contrition is sorrow of the soul and detestation for the
sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin
again (Catechism 1451).
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When it arises from a love by which God is loved
above all else, contrition is called "perfect" (contrition
of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also
obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm
resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession
as soon as possible (Catechism 1452).