Penance in General
1 Q. What is the sacrament of Penance?
A. The sacrament of Penance, also called Confession, is a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ to remit the sins committed after Baptism.
2 Q. Why is the name of Penance given to this sacrament?
A. The name of Penance is given to this sacrament, because to obtain pardon for sins it is necessary to detest them penitently; and because he who has committed a fault must submit to the penance which the priest imposes.
3 Q. Why is this sacrament also called Confession?
A. This sacrament is also called Confession, because to obtain pardon for sins it is not enough to detest them, but it is necessary also to accuse oneself of them to the priest, that is, to make a confession of them.
4 Q. When did Jesus Christ institute the sacrament of Penance?
A. Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance on the day of His resurrection when, entering the Supper Room, He solemnly gave His Apostles the power of remitting sin.
5 Q. How did Jesus Christ give His Apostles the power of remitting sin?
A. Jesus Christ gave His Apostles the power of remitting sin thus: Breathing upon them He said: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain they are retained."
6 Q. What is the matter of the sacrament of Penance?
A. The matter of the sacrament of Penance is divided into remote and proximate. The remote matter consists of the sins committed by the penitent after Baptism; and the proximate matter are the acts of the penitent himself, that is, contrition, confession and satisfaction.
7 Q. What is the form of the sacrament of Penance?
A. The form of the sacrament of Penance is this: "I absolve thee from thy sins."
8 Q. Who is the minister of the sacrament of Penance?
A. The minister of the sacrament of Penance is a priest authorised by the Bishop to hear confessions.
9 Q. Why do you say that a priest must be authorised by the Bishop?
A. A priest must be authorised by the Bishop to hear confessions because to administer this sacrament validly the power of Orders is not enough, but there is also necessary the power of jurisdiction, that is, the power to judge, which must be given by the Bishop.
10 Q. Which are the parts of the sacrament of Penance?
A. The parts of the sacrament of Penance are contrition, confession, and satisfaction on the part of the penitent, and absolution on the part of the priest.
11 Q. What is contrition or sorrow for sins?
A. Contrition or sorrow for sin is a grief of the soul leading us to detest sins committed and to resolve not to commit them any more.
12 Q. What does the word contrition mean?
A. Contrition means a crushing or breaking up into pieces as when a stone is hammered and reduced to dust.
13 Q. Why is the name of contrition given to sorrow for sin?
A. The name of contrition is given to sorrow for sin to signify that the hard heart of the sinner is in a certain way crushed by sorrow for having offended God.
14 Q. In what does confession of sins consist?
A. Confession of sins consists in a distinct accusation of our sins made to the confessor in order to obtain absolution and receive penance for them.
15 Q. Why is confession called an accusation?
A. Confession is called an accusation, because it must not be a careless recital, but a true and sorrowful manifestation of our sins.
16 Q. What is satisfaction or penance?
A. Satisfaction or penance is that prayer or other good work which the confessor enjoins on the penitent in expiation of his sins. 17 Q. What is absolution?
A. Absolution is the sentence which the priest pronounces in the name of Jesus Christ when remitting the penitent's sins.
18 Q. Of all the parts of the sacrament of Penance which is the most necessary?
A. Of all the parts of the sacrament of Penance the most necessary is contrition, because without it no pardon for sins is obtainable, while with it alone, perfect pardon can be obtained, provided that along with it there is the desire, at least implicit, of going to confession.
Next - Catechism of St Pius X - The Sacraments - The Sacrament of Penance - The Effects and the Necessity of the Sacrament of Penance and the Dispositions to Receive It Properly
Pius X, Pope St.. Catholic Catechism of Saint Pius X (1908) (pp. 74-77). Kindle Edition.
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