The Sacrament of Penance, also known as Confession or Reconciliation, allows Catholics to confess their sins to a priest and receive forgiveness from God. Through an act of contrition, confession of sins, and performance of a penance, the priest absolves the sins of the penitent. This sacrament dates back to Jesus giving the apostles the authority to forgive sins. Catholics are obligated to receive this sacrament at least once per year.

2.  In the teachings of the Roman Catholic
Church, the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation(commonly
called Confession, Reconciliation or Penanc
e) is the method by which individual men
and women may be freed from sins
committed after receiving
the sacrament of Baptism. The priest or
bishop will then recite the prayers of
absolution to forgive the penitent's sins. The
penitent may confess his sin face to face
with the priest, or anonymously through a
screen known as a "penitential grille".

3.  The history of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, also known as
Confession dates back to the time of
the New Testament and the time of
Jesus. Catholics believe that it was
instituted by Jesus, himself.

4.  Although the issue of the institution of this
sacrament by Jesus himself had been debated
since the Council of Trent, in 1907
in Lamentabili Sane Exitu (items 46 and
47) Pope Pius X specifically reaffirmed the
relevance of Gospel of John 20:22-23 to this
sacrament, overriding any previous assertions.
In Lamentabili Sane Exitu he quoted John
20:22-23: "Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins
you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and
whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

5.  In 1215 the Fourth Council of the Lateran made
it canon law that every Catholic Christian receive this
sacrament at least once a year. In the 20th
century, Pope John Paul II began a program of
fostering and renewing the focus on this sacrament.
In 1984 he issued Reconciliatio et Paenitentia which
cited the Gospel of Mark 1:15, where Jesus said:
"Repent, and believe in the Gospel". In 2002 he issued
Misericordia Dei which cited the Gospel of
Matthew 26:73-75 which said Jesus was born to "save
his people from their sins" and the teachings of Saint
John the Baptist calling for repentance. Quoting the
Epistle to the Romans 8:21, he stated that "Salvation is
therefore and above all redemption from sin, which
hinders friendship with God."

6.  In the 20th century, during the Second
Vatican Council new approaches were
taken in the presentation of this
sacrament, taking into account the
concern of scrupulosity, or the
exaggerated obsessive concern for
detail. This further distinguished the role
of penance from forms of
psychotherapy.

8. Reconciliation enables us to be reconciled to
God, community, and self when we have fallen away by
sin, for when we sin we alienate ourselves from
God, our community, and ultimately from our very
selves. We alienate ourselves from ourselves because
through sin we are not becoming all that we are created
to become. We are created in love and for love.
 Furthermore, when sinners are truly sorry for their
sins, confess them in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, and resolve to amend their lives, they are
assured of God's forgiveness through the ministry of the
Church which is present in the priest.

9. The Sacrament of Reconciliation offers a
face to face encounter with the love and
forgiveness of God. Who would pass such
an opportunity by? Reconciliation which is
often called "Confession," is the sign of
God's continuing love and
forgiveness. Sometime this Sacrament is
also called the sacrament of
Penance. Penance literally means
conversion not punishment.

10. 16 When the teachers of the law who
were Pharisees saw him eating with the
sinners and tax collectors, they asked
his disciples: “Why does he eat with
tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to
them, “It is not the healthy who need a
doctor, but the sick. I have not come to
call the righteous, but sinners.”

11. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for
she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to
themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
 50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in
peace.”

12. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to
be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half
of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone
by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this
house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost.”

13. Forgiveness and Prayer
 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if
you have anything against anyone,
forgive him, that your Father in heaven
may also forgive you your trespasses.

14. Jesus Warns of Offenses
 6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it
would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and
he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because
of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom
the offense comes!

16.  The Sacrament of Penance is a liturgical
action instituted by the Church for the
reconciliation of sinners to communion with
God and with the Church. Catholics are
obliged to go to confession to receive the
sacrament of penance at least once a
year -- usually during the Easter season (it
used to be called "Easter duty") -- or
whenever they are conscious of serious sin.
Receiving this sacrament is encouraged at
other times, as a means of restoring full unity
with God and His Church, and for spiritual
growth.

17.  Contrition
 Confession
 Actof Penance
 Absolution

18.  First the penitent (the repentant sinner --
the root word in "penitentiary"), must be
aware of his sinfulness and must be truly
sorry (contrite) for his sins. Another word
for repentance is "contrition". He must
repent his sins, and seek the sacrament
of penance -- that is, to go to confession
to a priest.

19.  The priest-confessor proposes certain
actions -- penance -- for the penitent to
perform.
 This may be saying certain prayers and/or
performing some other fitting action.
 This helps him to overcome his faults, and
the harm his sins have caused others -- to
be reconciled with them and with the
Church, and to return to behavior
consistent with being a disciple of Christ.

20.  After the penitent accepts the acts of
penance, the priest, by the authority that
the Church has given him, absolves the
sinner; that is, he grants God's pardon for
the sins.
 Then Jesus said to [His apostles], "Peace be unto
you; as my Father has sent me, even so send I you.
And when He had said this, He breathed on
them, and said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted, and
whose soever sins you retain, they are retained".
John 20:12, 22-23

21.  The penitent confesses to a priest all the
sins he can recall.
 Traditionally confession takes place in
the "confessional", a small room where
the priest and penitent are separated by
a screen to assure complete privacy

22.  The normal practice for administration of the
Sacrament of Penance is in private -- with only the
penitent and the priest present.
 To begin, the penitent kneels and, by custom, says:
"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned", and may
add, "It has been [time] since my last confession.“
 The priest greets the penitent. Then crossing
himself, the penitent says "In the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" and
begins his confession.

23.  Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having
offended thee, and I detest all my sins
because of thy just punishment, but most of
all because they offend Thee, my
God, who art all-good and deserving of all
my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy
grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near
occasion of sin. In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.

24.  The priest then extends his hands in blessing
over the penitent, and prays the prayer of
absolution:
 Prayer of Absolution
God, the Father of mercies, through the death
and resurrection of His Son
has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the
Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
Through the ministry of the Church may God
give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.