I. Introduction: There are many sacraments of forgiveness and reconciliation in the history of Catholicism.: • Baptism: forgiveness of sins on the past and reconciled with God. • Impose the hand of Bishop on heretics and schismatics who renounced • Eucharistic liturgy was the sign of reunion with Christ despite their sinfulness- unite with other in faith and forgiveness. o the bread and wine were often seen as a sin offering. • Middle Ages: devout participation in sacrifice as a purification from personal sinfulness. • anointing of the sick as an occasion of spiritual healing than physical • indulgences as cancel the divine punishment • throughout the history: prayer, reading of scripture, fasting and physical self- discipline, almsgiving and other charity work are as the sacramental actions. All of these, there is one stood out. It combined an admission of guilt: interior and exterior acts and assurance of divine forgiveness. o In modern church it was administered privately by a priest and received by Catholic perhaps one a year. o In patristic period it was public presided over by bishop and for the notorious sinners and one in lifetime. o In medieval ages the assurance can be given by a lay afterward by the clergy alone. The works of repentance o Presence time was the brief prayer o ancient time were usually lengthy acts of mortification. There are two elements that always found that were the confession or repentance and forgiveness.

1. SACRAMENT OF
Augustine Tran Nhu Huynh
John the Baptist Nguyen Dinh Son

2. I. Introduction
many sacraments of forgiveness and
reconciliation in the history
• Other: prayer, reading of scripture, fasting,
almsgiving and charity work

3. • modern church: administered privately by a
priest and received by Catholic perhaps one a
year.
• patristic period: public presided by bishop and
for the notorious sinners and one in lifetime.
• medieval ages: the assurance can be given by
a lay afterward by the clergy alone.

4. Work of repentance
• Presence time was the
brief prayer
• ancient time were
usually lengthy acts of
mortification.
two elements that always
found that were the
confession and
forgiveness.

5. • Latin “Paenitentia”:
repentance or
penitence, an interior
turning away from
sinful attitude and
actions.
• Greek “Metanoia”:
conversion or change
of heart
• English: penances the
short of penitence,

6. II. The concept of sin and forgiveness
throughout the ages
• Ancient: Civilization laws were often understood
as given by gods
• The role of punishment was also religious.
• Help to preserve the divinely established order
and order of society
• Mild punishments: exclusions from religious
worship, ritual of purification and sacrifice
• Severe forms: included publish prayer and fasting,
self-disfigurement , other sign of remorse, social
ostracism, physical torture and death.

7. Ancient Israel:
• was a religious society, ancient
laws were religious laws
• Break the laws were sins,
violate the covenant, defile
the relationship with a divine
person
• Punishment: sacrifices and sin
offering, prayer and
lamentations, fasting and
fines,…to restore the covenant
relationship

8. The time of Jesus:
• many penitential practices
prescribed by Torah
• Addition: day of Atonement, the
high priest confess his sins and the
sins of the people before sacrifice.
• sacrifice only in the temple of
Jerusalem: outside seek
reconciliation by: fasting, sleeping
on the ground, wearing sackcloth
and ashes, and almsgiving…

9. III. Early Christianity
• Do not much difference from Jewish:
– Paul: expel members who married his stepmother
– dispel who worship idols, drunker, charge interest
on loans and immoral practices. (1 Cr 5:1-13).
– 2Cr 2: 5-11, 2 Th 2: 6-15, receive them again in
community if they were punished enough

10. The different with Jewish
• The Rabbi did it in the authority
of the Law but early Christian
did it in the authority of Christ.
• Practice: “the Keys of heaven” to
bind and to loose people on
earth (Mt 16: 19; 18: 15-18)
• no any writing about the ritual
but be done in gather of
community (1Cr 5: 4-5).

11. Theology sense
• Jesus was the sacrament of divine forgiveness to
those who met him means the Baptism:
• Salvation came through baptism and fellowship
in the community
– Community was a sacrament of reconciliation
– Community contain the means of overcome sin and
people must acknowledge their sin (1Jn 1:8-10) and
confess to other( James 5: 16).
– All sins can be given by the mercy of God except “ sin
against Holy Spirit” or “ deadly sin”

12. 2nd Century
• Shepherd of Hermas:
God in his mercy had
provided for sinners who
turned from their evil
ways should be received
back but no repeated
• Clement of Alexandria :
Fallen Christian could be
forgiven after their
baptism but only once

13. • Teaching of the Twelve:
“Confess your sin in the
assembly and do not come to
your prayer with a guilty
conscience” (4,14).
• Ignatius of Antioch: speak of
fraternal correction and pray
for other
• St Polycarp of Smyrna: pastor
must have compassionate and
merciful to the sheep in
Christ’s flock who went astray.

14. Third cent
the pattern
• went to bishop and confessed
their error, have to reform
their lives.
– Excluded from Eucharistic
worship
– Wait until bishop and
community were convinced
– Perform work of penance:
fasting, praying, almsgiving,
some be exorcised
• penitence can be few weeks
or years
• The bishop imposed the
hands on them as receive
back the Holy Spirit

15. Emperor Decius 249-250: Lapsing
• Openly offer sacrifice to Roman gods
• Pay for certificates that they had done
• Other renounce their faith and after have second
thoughts about it
• Have the letter of the martyr that promise to
intercede for them

16. 251 north African
bishop decided in favor of both forgiveness and
severity
• Certificates of sacrifice: be readmitted with long
period of penance
• offer sacrifice: be admitted to penance discipline
but reconciled at the end of their lives.
• Those have letter of martyr was still do public
penance but less
• Those did not do penance and reconciliation with
the church only in dying were left for the mercy
of God.

17. • Roma: strict on apostasy and other sins
adulterers and fornicator, murder, thieves
• the Spanish council of Elvira: who offered
sacrifice to gods could not receive communion
though after reconcile and only once and the
same penalty on other 17 sins.

18. Theology
• the leader of the Church have the
power to bind and loosen – who
reconciled with the Church also
forgiven by God.
• Cyprian: ecclesiastical
forgiveness was needed for
divine forgiveness, for sin be
forgiven through process of
repentance but not in the rite.

19. 4th Cent persecution was over:
• council of Nicaea approved the single
repentance after baptism for apostates and
adulterer after public repentance.
• bishop have the right to act as judges
– break relationship become break divine law and
ecclesiastical law
– conversion of the heart to a penalty for violating
the law.

20. Theology:
• Athanasius “ a repentence heart
obtains their remission form the
priest”.
• Ambrose: baptism and public
repentance only one and the
minister forgive sins not by his
own power but the Lord.

21. • Augustine: serious sins
required the discipline
of public penitence
that was imposed by
bishop, the private
repentance was not
enough.
Leo: grant those who
were dying should be
reconciled even if they
had not completed
their penance.

22. 4th and 5th cent: process
• Went to bishop and ask what to do. Some to
the monk to have advice first, big cities that
function of bishop for the priest.
• Enroll “Order of penitents” brief liturgical
ceremony which set him apart from Eucharist
and community.
• Receive back that require him to renounce his
sinfulness and ask God’s mercy , be exorcised
in final time. The Rite of impose the hands by
bishop or anointing the oil.

23. The penitence
• They were mark out as sinners
• Wear sackcloth made of goat
hair
• Chain to signify the bondage
of sin
• Rags to dramatize the poverty
of virtue
• Cut short hair as the slave of
Satan
• Sprinkle with ashes as were
death like Adam

24. Attitude of being Christian and to the
reconciliation
• official religion: those enter did not feel very great to
holiness
• Ideal of moral replace by more practice: not
understand the public repentance.
• Many committed the serious secret sins did not come
forward
• Most Christian felt no need for the public penance: only
fasting, almsgiving, prayer, Eucharistic sacrifice.
• public penitence enroll at the old ages or halfhearted
and hope for the forgiveness at the death bed

25. Reasons for avoiding public penitence:
• It was obviously harshness
• Social stigma had come to be
attached to it
• Can be receive only once
• Even after reconciled were
bound to observe for reminder:
could not marry, no sexual
relation, no engage in business,
military, public or church office

26. Unexpected effects of canonical penance
• The Bishop and priest were forbidden to become
penitence
• Clerics committed the serious sins were
underwent other discipline called degradation
• Result that few priest and no bishop received
public penance
• Lead to the celibacy of celery in the west for the
forbidden sexual relations
• The monk live the live of repentance so no marry
become the law of the Roman church
• Appear the spiritual guidance

27. IV. Confession and penance in the
Middle ages
• A young Christian Patrick:
was a slaver in Ireland to
Monk and Bishop in charge
the mission to Ireland: the
liturgy which distinguee
other though was
celebrated in Latin.

28. Mission of Ireland
• monk gave private and repeat confession and continuous
works of penitence.
• travel so on One trip to hear confession and assign penance
and the next trip pray with penitent, asking God’s mercy
• The sign of forgiveness was a blessing than imposing the hand
• Carry the book contain the sins and penance for each one.

29. Canonical penitence in this time at
Italy
• period of repentance was reduced to the forty
days of Lent
• Penitent being sign with ashes on Ash Wed
and reconciled on Holy Thursday, penance
became lighter.

30. 6th Cent
• the monk spread their way of liturgy to many
Spain, Germany, Switzerland and other..
• became success for the promise of salvation in
baptism no longer assure and avoid of older
form of repentance.
• 650 council of Chalon, France approved
confession to priest as “a medicine for the
soul”

31. Practice grew and the book of penitent were used
in various parts of Europe but the assign was
different depend the places:
• Thief: restore the stolen plus compensation
• Adultery: payment for damage plus abstinence
from intercourse
• Fighting and bloodshed: scourging and
prohibition to carry weapon
• Murder: compulsory pilgrimage that is exile
• Other include: fasting, abstaining from tasty food,
prayer, psalm, almsgiving, excluded taking
communion

32. • The time became short but the penance more
intense: like a year of mild fasting by 3 days
complete fasting
• A fine substituted for almost penalty and in
pre-Christian Ireland one man can do penance
for other
• The practice spread fast and become tradition,
the bishop want to reform must accept public
penitence for public sin and private penitence
for private sin.

33. 8th cent
• many bishop and councils recommend the
confession the grave sins before communion
• made obligatory for confession 3 times a year.
• Fourth Lateran Council degreed who commit
grave sin must confess to their pastor within a
year
• 1215 confess to priest become an official
sacrament in western. Solemn public
penitence only for excommunication.

34. The rite of reconciliation
• Begin middle ages: reconciliation granted
after the completion of the penance
• 9th cent: some priest accepted for
reconciliation after a time of penance
• 10th cent: in all cases give the reconciliation
after confession for the fear of death ahead.
• Penance was still be assign but have to be
perform after the rite of reconciliation
• The penitent book was no more and the
penance come lighter and shorter.

35. Theology of forgiveness
1. In confession sin was removed by contrition
and forgiven by God: perfect contrition by
love of God remove sins and priest’s
absolution only to satisfaction, so more
effect must make confession to some other
before to the priest and if no priest can be
with a lay person.
2. God is only one forgive the sin but the power
of the key to the Church means to the priest.
And by priest’s absolution the sin was
forgiven

36. Result of the debate:
• Distinction between the “mortal” make “death
of the soul” and “venial” mean pardonable sin
• Distinction between “imperfect” and
“perfect” contrition.
• Distinction between “ temporal” and “eternal”
punishment

37. Thomas Aquinas
• The matter: actions of the penitent confessed,
sorry for the sin; priest listen and absolve
• The Form: the word “I absolve you from your
sins..”
• Sin could be remitted by perfect contrition
even without the priest’s absolution and
sacrament of penance help for Christian
especially for those in mortal sin.

38. John Duns Scotus:
• “Penance is absolution, that is a definitive
judgment absolving the guilty”
• Confession, contrition were the conditions to
receive absolution and like that with the
penance.
• sacrament make the imperfect contrition to
perfect
• The purpose of the assign of penance was to
make short the suffer in purgatory

39. Later middle ages
• The confession, contrition and assign penance
were not essential but absolution and it made
valid the sacrament.
• Assign penance to make short the time in
purgatory but is was mild so it turned
increasing the practice of indulgences

40. Indulgences
• the power of the keys which bishop imposed
or released people from sanctions and other
penance.
• It come to abuses when bishop make amount
of contribution to build churches and
monasteries to have the grace from
indulgences.

41. Development of Indulgences:
• beginning indulgences applied only to the
punishment due to sin for individual
• 13th cent: some required more than for
themselves and applied for the soul in
purgatory
• Pope only can give plenary indulgences: 14th
and 15th cent more frequently used to collect
and build basilica

42. IV. the modern sacrament of penance
• Pope Leo X excommunication Luther in 1520
• Luther denied the existence of treasury which
the church could pay penalties for sins.
• Reject it was the sacrament institute by Christ
But urging his follower confess sins and resist
temptations.
Believe that Christ’s redemption forgive all so
confession make realize that grace.

43. • Confession not make sin forgiven but only
bring the realization that sins were forgiven
and joyfulness
• Effect of the confession is the faith of the
confess not at the word of absolution.

44. Calvin
• rejected the sacrament
• The way to experience god mercy and
forgiveness
• England: still practice confession but it was
not institute by Christ.
•

45. Council of Trent
• Situated penance as Aquinas: penance for
who sins after baptism.
• Effect on the absolution but needed of
contrition, confession and penance because
the remnants.
• Perfect contrition then sin was given but they
also lead to desire of confession.

46. Sacrament of Penance
Today
• The scholar discovered
the basic moral
category of the Bible
was not the law but
Covenant. It was the
relationship not the law.
• New way of thinking of
morality

47. The Definition of Sin (CCC 1849-51)
• An offense against reason, truth, and right
conscience
• A failure in genuine love for God and
neighbor
• An act of disobedience: revolt against God;
proud self-exaltation

48. Mortal vs. Venial Sin (CCC 1854-56)
• Mortal Sin: a grave violation of divine law that
destroys charity in the soul
• Venial Sin: a lesser violation that offends and
wounds charity

49. Conditions of Mortal
Sin (CCC 1857-1860)
• Unintentional Ignorance: an diminish or even
remove imputability of sin

50. Effects of Sin (CCC 1861-63)
• Mortal Sin: exclusion from the kingdom;
“eternal death of hell”
• Venial Sin: weakens charity; merits temporal
punishment, inclines to mortal sin

51. Penance: Sacrament of Healing
• Christological Nature of the
Sacraments of Healing:
– Christ: “The physician of our
souls and bodies” (CCC 1421)
– It is Christ who speaks in
Confession (CCC 1484)
• 3. The Parable of the
Prodigal Son (Luke 15; CCC
1439)

52. When did Jesus institute this
sacrament?
• on the evening of
Easter: “Receive the
Holy Spirit. If you forgive
the sins of any, they are
forgiven; if you retain
the sins of any, they are
retained.” (John 20:22-
23).

53. Conversion and Penance
• Confession as the “Second Conversion” (CCC
1428)
• Interior Penance: the Conversion of the Heart
(CCC 1430-32)
• Exterior Penance: many different forms
– Penitential Practices (CCC 1434-35)
– Daily Eucharist (CCC 1436)
– Lectio Divina and Prayer (CCC 1437)
– Days and Seasons of Penance (CCC 1438)

54. The Sacrament of Penance
• Sin damages both God and the Church (CCC
1440)
• “Why do I need to go to a Priest to be
forgiven?”
– a. God alone forgives Sin (CCC 1441)
– b. Christ gives authority to the Apostles to Forgive
Sins (John 20; CCC 1442)
– c. Power to “Bind and Loose”: reconciliation with
the Church (CCC 1445)
• Note: the confessor does penance with the
penitent (St. John Vianney)

55. Essential Elements (CCC 1448)
• he acts of the man who undergoes
conversion: contrition, confession, and
satisfaction;
• The Church forgives sins in the name of Jesus
Christ and determines the manner of
satisfaction

56. Contrition
• Contrition: sorrow of soul, detestation of sin,
resolution not to sin again (CCC 1451)
• a. Perfect Contrition
• b. Imperfect Contrition (or “Attrition”)
• c. An Examination of Conscience: preparation
for Confession (CCC 1454)

57. Confession (CCC 1455-58)
• Importance of Confession
• b. Confession of Mortal Sins: required
• c. Annual Confession: obligation confess
serious sins at least once a year. a mortal sin
must not receive Holy Communion; and First
Confession
• d. Confession of Venial Sins: strongly
recommended

58. Satisfaction (CCC 1459-60)
• Justice of Reparation
• Absolution forgive sin but does not remedy all
the disorders sin has caused (CCC 1459)
• Purpose of the Penance: expiation and making
amends for sin

59. The Ministers of Penance
• Bishops and Priests (CCC 1461-62)
• Availability of Priests for Confession (CCC 1464)
– encourage the faithful
– available each time Christians reasonably ask.
• Role of the Priest in Confession (CCC 1466) not
the master of God's forgiveness, but its servant
• The Sacramental Seal of Secrecy (CCC 1467): very
severe penalties

60. Sins reserved absolution
• The absolution of certain particularly grave
sins reserved to the Apostolic See or to the
local bishop or to priests who are authorized
by them.
• Any priest can absolve a person who is in
danger of death from any sin and
excommunication.

61. 1. apostasy, heresy, schism
2. violation of consecrated species
3. physical attack on the pope or bishop
4. absolution of an accomplice
5. unauthorized ordination of a bishop
6. direct violation by a confessor of the seal of confession
7. procuring an abortion
8. by means of technical instrument divulging to
communications media what was said in a confession
9. pretended celebration of the Eucharist by a non-priest
10. attempt to hear confession by one who cannot validly do
so
11. false accusation of the crime of solicitation in the
confessional
12. attempted marriage by a religious or cleric

62. Effect of the sacrament
• Restoring us to God’s
grace
• Joining us with God in an
intimate friend.

63. 1. The restoration or increase of sanctifying grace;
2. The forgiveness of sins;
3. The remission of the eternal punishment, if
necessary, and also of part, at least, of the
temporal punishment, due to our sins;
4. The help to avoid sin in the future;
5. The restoration of the merits of our good works
if they have been lost by mortal sin.

64. Matter and form
• 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.
• Form the word of absolution of the priest
(newadvent.org)

65. The revision
– 3 forms of confession: one private, one public,
and one combine form. 1973
• New forms of rite stress the idea of
reconciliation than absolution.
• Priest face the penitent
• Preface prayer by asking God’s mercy and
pardon
• Penance make meaningful