1.

SACRAMENTS: PENANCE
The book is a complete explanation of
the Seven Sacraments.

PENANCE
To purchase the Book, or for theological
inquiries (e-mails only), contact the author:
AUTHOR Rev. Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHMI
EDITION 1st Edition, Manila, 15 August 2018
Solemnity of the Assumption
PUBLISHER Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate
Quality Catholic Publications
Isabella De Rosis St., Multinational
1708 Parañaque City, Philippines
Tel. (02) 828-2338, 828-9509
[email protected]
www.shmiqcp.com

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 2. A CATECHIST’S PRAYER
Loving Father, giver of all that is,
help me to remember that every
gift I have comes from you. Expand
my vision so that I can appreciate
your goodness in the world around
me.
Jesus, our Redeemer, you are
the path to the treasures of my
heart and soul. Strengthen my
commitment to be a catechist and
deepen my capacity to share your
truth with those in my care.
Holy Spirit, Love Divine, all
life and energy flows from you.
Illuminate my thoughts and
intensify my desire to grow ever
deeper in my faith.
I lift up my prayer to you, God
the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, in humility and hope. Amen.

Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

 3. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
What Is Penance?
 Penance is the
Sacrament instituted
by Christ for forgiving
the sins committed after
Baptism.
 Penance is necessary
for salvation,
considering that Baptism
removes the guilt of the
Original Sin, which is
eternal damnation, but
not the concupiscence, or
the inherited tendency
towards evil.

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 4. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
When Did Jesus Institute the Sacrament of Penance?

 Jesus instituted the

Sacrament of Penance on
the eve of Easter Sunday,
when he declared to his
Apostles: “Receive the Holy
Spirit: whose sins you forgive
are forgiven them, and whose
sins you retain are retained”
(John 20: 22-23).

 In the Sacrament of
Penance, it is Christ himself
who gives the absolution to
the penitent by means of the
Priest, who acts In Persona
Christi.

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 5. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
Why Do We Need to Confess to a Priest and not Directly to God?
 In order to obtain the forgiveness of mortal sins, a Christian must
undergo the Sacrament of Penance for two reasons:

OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST: RECONCILIATION WITH THE CHURCH:

Since it was Jesus who instituted the Every sin breaks the communion with God

Sacrament of Penance, those who refuse to and wounds the Church; for this reason, the

confess their sins to the Priests disobey penitent needs to be reconciled also with the

Jesus’ command and cannot be assured of Community of the Faithful, represented by

forgiveness and salvation. the Confessor.

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 6. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
What If a Penitent Has No Sin to Confess?
 If a Christian, after a thorough Examination of Conscience, finds
no venial or mortal sin to confess, then he does not need the Sacrament
of Penance. Although rare, it is possible to remain completely sinless
with a special grace from God and absolute self-control.
 However, more often than not, those presuming to be sinless are just
blinded by ignorance or self-righteousness, like the Pharisees in the
Gospel; as St. John wrote: “If we say, ‘We are without sin,’ we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1: 8).

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 7. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
What Are the Three Essential Requirements for Absolution?
 There are three essential requirements that a penitent must possess in
order to receive sacramental absolution, namely:

REPENTANCE: RESOLUTION: REPARATION:

It is the sincere sorrow for It is the firm commitment It is the determination to

the sins one has committed; not to sin again; as Jesus remedy the injustice

as Peter who bitterly said to the adulteress: “Go, caused by sin; as

regretted betraying Jesus and from now on sin no Zacchaeus, who returned

for three times. more” (John 8:11). the stolen money.

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 8. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
What Is the Difference Between Love, Compassion, and Mercy?
 These three Virtues refer to different actions of God, and their
misunderstanding leads to error; such as claiming that God’s Love
tolerates sin, or that his Mercy extends also to the unrepentant sinners.

LOVE: COMPASSION: MERCY:

It is the virtue of doing good, It is the virtue of sharing in It is the virtue of forgiving the

notwithstanding the attitude the happy or sad emotions of repentant sinner; whereas,

of the recipient; as a mother others; God is compassionate the unrepentant one deserves

loves her children always and unconditionally; as justice; as Jesus promised

unconditionally, so does our Jesus who wept for Lazarus’ Paradise to Dimas, but not to

God. death. the blaphemous Gestas.

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 9. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
What Is This Sacrament Called?
 This Sacrament has three different names, in accordance with three
complementary perspectives.

PENANCE: CONFESSION: RECONCILIATION:

To emphasize that the To highlight that the Matter To point out that the

absolution requires concrete of the Sacrament is the Sacrament restores the

acts of repentance and the verbal confession of all communion with God and

reparation for the injustices mortal sins since the last the Church. As St. Paul

caused by sin; as the people valid absolution. As declared affirmed: “God has

of Nineveh did by wearing by John: “If we confess our reconciled us to himself

sackcloth and sitting on sins, He is faithful and just through Christ and given us

ashes (cf. Jonah 3:6) and will forgive our sins (1 the ministry of

John 1:9). reconciliation” (2

Corinthians 5:18).

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 10. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
What Is the Relationship Between Eucharist and Penance?
 The two Sacraments are
complementary: Penance is
necessary to regain the State of Grace
and becoming worthy of Christ’s Body;
and the Eucharist, to receive an
abundance of Actual Grace and
avoiding relapsing into sin.
 It is a sacrilege to receive
Communion in the State of Mortal
Sin, without first going to Confession;
and all the more, to teach others to do
so, arguing that God is unconditionally
merciful, and that Holy Communion in
itself can forgive all mortal sins.
 Saint Paul said: “Whoever eats the
bread or drinks the chalice of the Lord
unworthily will have to answer for the
Body and Blood of the Lord” (1
Corinthians 11:27).

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 11. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
Is There a Middle Ground between Sanctifying Grace and Mortal Sin?

 There can be no middle ground

between the State of Grace and of
Mortal Sin; as Jesus declared:
“Who is not with me is against me”
(Matthew 12:30). The soul is like
the human body: it is either alive
or dead, and cannot be half-way.
 Heretics claiming that those
living in Mortal Sin, such as
adulterers, do not completely lose
the State of Grace, and thus are
allowed to receive Holy
Communion without first repenting
and confessing their sins, are
already condemned by God, who
declared: “I know your deeds; you
have a reputation of being alive,
but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1).

Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

 12. THE INSTITUTION OF PENANCE
How Often Should We Go to Confession?

 Catholics should go to
Confession after attaining
the age of discretion, which
is usually at seven, and
before receiving the First
Holy Communion.
 A practicing Christian
must go to Confession at
least once a year, and
anytime he has committed
a mortal sin.
 Priests have the
obligation to attend to the
Confession anytime the
faithful reasonably ask for
it. St. Padre Pio, for
instance, confessed for
over 15 hours a day.
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 13. THE MINISTER OF PENANCE
Who Is the Minister of Penance?
 The Minister of Penance is a Catholic Priest, or Bishop, with
the Faculty of Hearing Confessions. Jesus delegated the
authority to absolve or retain sins to the Apostles, and their
successors; as he declared: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven
them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:23).

Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

 14. THE MINISTER OF PENANCE
What Is the Faculty of Hearing Confessions?
 The Faculty of Hearing
Confessions is the
authorization to administer
validly the Sacrament of
Penance, which is usually
granted by the ordaining Bishop
and applies everywhere in the
world, unless a Bishop in his
particular diocese suspends it
for serious reasons.
 Religious Priests, in addition
to the Faculty granted by the
Bishop, need also the
permission to exercise it from
their Major Superiors.
 In danger of death, any
Priest, even those without
Faculty, can validly and lawfully
absolve from any sin and
excommunication.
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 15. THE MINISTER OF PENANCE
What Is the Power of the Keys?

 The Power of the Keys is the

judiciary authority of forgiving
or retaining sins, which Jesus
has delegated to the Apostles
and their successors, when he
said: “I will give you the keys
to the Kingdom of Heaven:
whatever you bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven; and
whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven”
(Matthew 16:19).
 Penance is instituted as a
tribunal, where the Confessor,
acting as both merciful and just
judge, has the authority to
grant or refuse absolution in
accordance with the penitent’s
disposition.

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 16. THE MINISTER OF PENANCE
What Are the So-called Reserved Sins?
 The Reserved Sins are those that cause excommunication,
such as procuring abortion and breaking the Seal of Confession.
They are reserved in the sense that they can be absolved only by the
Pope, by the Bishops in their respective dioceses, or by Priests
authorized by them. In danger of death, any Priest, even if deprived
of the Faculty for Hearing Confessions, can absolve them.

Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

 17. THE MINISTER OF PENANCE
What Is the Seal of Confession?

 The Seal of Confession is the

obligation of the Priest to
keep absolute secrecy
regarding the sins confessed
to him: under no
circumstances can this seal
be broken, lest the Confessor
be excommunicated.

 St. John Nepomucene

(1345-93) was declared the
Patron of Confessors, because
he was drowned in a river by
King Wenceslaus IV of
Boemia for refusing to reveal
the sins confessed by the
Queen.
Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate
 18. THE MATTER OF PENANCE
What Is the Matter of Penance?
 The Matter of Penance is the verbal confession of all mortal sins,
in kind and quantity, since the last valid Confession, of which the
penitent is aware after a diligent examination of conscience.
 Those physically
impaired to verbally
confess their sins, such
as the mute, might use
sign language or do it in
writing.
 If a penitent
intentionally omits
one or more mortal sins,
out of shame or fear, the
Sacrament is invalid,
and the sin of sacrilege
is added to his evil
repertoire.

Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

 19. THE MATTER OF PENANCE
What Is Sin?
 Sin is an act of disobedience to the Commandments of God, done
with full conscience and deliberate consent. It can be done in four
ways: thoughts, words, actions, and omissions.

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 20. THE MATTER OF PENANCE
What Is the Difference Between Venial and Mortal Sin?

 Venial Sins imply a small matter and slightly wound the soul;
while Mortal Sins involve a serious matter and separate us from
the communion with God.
 This distinction was defined by St. John, who wrote: “There
is such a thing as deadly sin; all wrongdoing is sin, but there is
sin that is not deadly” (1 John 5:16-17).

VENIAL SIN: involves a small matter. MORTAL SIN: involves serious matter.

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 21. THE MATTER OF PENANCE
What Is the Difference Between Sin and Mistake?
 A Sin is an evil action involving our intellect and will; while
a Mistake is a wrong action performed unknowingly and
unintentionally.
 We need only to confess our Sins, not our Mistakes; though
we ought to apologize and make reparation.

THE SAME ACTION COULD BE:

A SIN: if the driver intentionally bumped the other car, did not
maintain the roadworthiness of his vehicle, disregarded the laws of
the road, was drunk, high on drugs, or on the phone.

A MISTAKE: if the driver had no intention of bumping the other car

and was following all the laws, rules and regulations.

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 22. THE MATTER OF PENANCE
What Are the Sins Against the Holy Spirit?
 The Sins against the Holy Spirit are Presumption and Despair:
these are unforgivable because they imply the refusal of pardon request.
Presumption, the belief that one can be saved on his own without God’s
grace, was the sin of the Pharisees; Despair, the belief that God has no
power to forgive heinous sins, was the sin of Judas Iscariot.

Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

 23. THE MATTER OF PENANCE
What Is the General Confession?
 The so-called General Confession refers to two different circumstances:

PRIVATE CONFESSION GENERAL CONFESSION

OF PAST FORGOTTEN SINS: AND ABSOLUTION:

It happens when a penitent resolves to confess, It refers to the Rite for Reconciliation of Several

as far as he can remember, all venial and mortal Penitents with General Confession and

sins which he had never confessed, having Absolution, which can be received in danger of

forgotten them previously. The practice is death; or, in very exceptional circumstances and

recommended in special moments in life, such as with the Bishop’s permission, when there are not

Marriage, Ordination, or in danger of death, to be enough Priests to attend to individual confession

reassured of God’s Grace. and absolution.

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 24. THE FORM OF PENANCE
What Is the Form of Penance?
 The Form of Penance are the essential words of absolution said by the
Confessor to the penitent, namely: “I absolve you from all your sins in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

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 25. THE FORM OF PENANCE
What Are the Effects of the Sacrament of Penance?

REMISSION OF THE RESTORATION OF THE RECONCILIATION WITH

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT: SANCTIFYING GRACE: THE CHURCH:

A valid Confession A good Confession A sincere Confession

absolves the penitent restores the State of reconciles the penitent

from the Eternal Grace, or the communion with the Ecclesial

Punishment due to sin, with God, which was Community, represented

which is the damnation forfeited by Mortal Sin. by the Priest.

into Hell.

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 26. THE FORM OF PENANCE
What Is the Difference Between Eternal and Temporal Punishment?
 Every Mortal Sin incurs two kinds of Punishment, Eternal and Temporal,
which must be atoned to restore the Divine Justice.

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT: TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT:

It is the everlasting damnation into Hell, which It is the contingent reparation that a penitent must

sinners justly deserve. The Sacrament of Penance do to atone for the injustices caused by his sins:

absolves the repentant sinners from eternal this can be done by the Act of Penance imposed by

damnation by the power of Christ’s redeeming the Confessor, by gaining an Indulgence, or by the

Sacrifice, but does not exempt from repairing the pains of Purgatory. Although God remitted the

injustices caused by sin. Although Jesus forgave the Eternal Punishment to the Israelites for worshiping

Eternal Punishment of Zacchaeus, he did not excuse the Golden Calf (cf. Exodus 32:14), still they had to

him from returning the stolen money (cf. Luke atone their Temporal Punishment by wandering 40

19:9). years in the desert.

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 27. THE FORM OF PENANCE
What Are the Three Rites of Penance?

PERSONAL PREPARATION COMMON PREPARATION COMMON PREPARATION

AND CONFESSION: AND PERSONAL AND GENERAL

CONFESSION: ABSOLUTION:
It involves individual

preparation, confession and It requires communitarian It includes a communitarian

absolution. This is the most preparation, followed by preparation, followed by

advisable manner, since it individual confession and general act of contrition and

allows the penitent to make absolution. This manner absolution. This is valid only

an extended examination of expresses more clearly the in imminent danger of

conscience and a detailed ecclesial character of death, or in extremely

confession of sins. Penance, but at the expense exceptional cases, with the

of silence and spiritual Bishop’s permission.

guidance.

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 28. THE FORM OF PENANCE
Should Confession Be Face-to-Face or Inside the Confessional?

 Although the Sacrament of

Penance can be validly
celebrated either face-to-face or
otherwise, the penitents have
the right to confess inside a
Confessional if they so decide.
 Introduced in the Middle
Ages, the Confessional became
compulsory in all churches since
1614, for the purpose of
concealing the penitents’ identity
and helping them overcome a
natural feeling of shame.
 It must be fitted with a fixed
grille between the penitent and
the Confessor to prevent the
face-to-face contact.

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 29. THE FORM OF PENANCE
What Is an Indulgence?
 The Indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment due to
sin, whose guilt and eternal punishment have been already forgiven in
the Sacrament of Penance.
 It can be Partial or Plenary, referring
to whether the remission of the temporal
punishment is limited or complete.
Indulgences are applied to the living or to
the dead.

 To gain an Indulgence, no more than

once a day, for oneself or for a soul, the
faithful must personally visit a designated
church and perform four deeds:
1) Confession;
2) Participation in the Holy Mass and
reception of Holy Communion;
3) Prayer for the intentions of the Pope;
4) A Corporal of Spiritual Work of Mercy.

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 30. THE FORM OF PENANCE
Examination of Conscience
 Before Confession, the penitent should make an Examination of
Conscience based on the Ten Commandments (cf. Exodus 20:1-17).

1) I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange gods before me.

- Have I nourished my faith in God with prayer and study (Faith)?

- Have I desired Paradise as our final destination (hope)?

- Have I worshipped and served God as my creator and provider (love)?

- Did I deny God’s existence (atheism) or ignore him (gnosticism)?

- Did I believe in idols (polytheism) and worship them (idolatry)?

- Did I believe false doctrines (heresy), separate from the Pope (schism), or abandon the Church (apostasy)?

- Did I adore Lucifer and his Demons (satanism)?

- Did I show no concern (indifference), no thankfulness (ingratitude), and no respect for God (sacrilege)?

- Did I show self-righteousness (presumption) or lose hope in God’s mercy (despair)?

2) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

- Have I honored God’s Name by prayer, preaching, and holiness of life (sanctifying of God’s name)?

- Have I kept my pledges and promises (keeping oaths and vows)?

- Did I misuse God’s name in interjections and curses (blasphemy)?

- Did I lie under oath or disregard a pledge (perjury)?

- Did I use God’s name for sacrilegious purposes (profanation)?

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4) Honor your Father and your Mother.

- Have I loved, supported, and defended, my family members (honoring the family)?

- Have I obeyed the civil authorities and protected my country from all enemies (respecting the State)?

- Have I prayed and provided for the Church (supporting the Church)?

- Did I dishonor my parents, instigate sibling rivalry and family feuds (sins against the Family)?

- Did I disrespect civil authorities or promoted unlawful impeachments and revolutions

(crimes against the State)?

- Did I disobey the Church’s pastors or slander the laity or the clergy (offenses against the Church)?

5) You shall not kill.

- Have I defended life from conception to natural death (promoting life)?

- Have I fostered my personal serenity and social harmony (preserving peace)?

- Have I respected the environment and all living beings (protecting nature)?

- Did I harbor feelings of hatred (anger)?

- Did I kill an innocent person (murder)?

- Did I slaughter an unborn child (abortion)?

- Did I terminate an elderly or sick person (euthanasia)?

- Did I attempt to take my life (suicide)?

- Did I become addicted to harmful stuff (substance abuse)?

- Did I unnecessarily endanger my life (life-threatening situations)?

- Did I exploit or pollute nature (environmental destruction)?

6) You shall not commit adultery. Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

7) You shall not steal.

- Have I labored to perfect myself, support my family, and improve the society (working gainfully)?

- Have I upheld the private and public goods, and respected Mother Nature (respecting other’s property)?

- Have I maintained financial stability and paid my obligations (paying taxes and debts)?

- Have I provided education, job opportunities, and assistance to the needy (promoting the common good)?

- Did I take or retain other’s property, or caused wrongful losses (stealing)?

- Did I deliberately refuse to work and live at the expenses of others (voluntary idleness)?

- Did I bet in a game of chance using public funds or at the expenses of my family wellbeing (gambling)?

-Did I conduct a scandalously luxurious lifestyle (prodigality), or become extremely greedy and careless of
the poor and the needy (avarice)?

8) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

- Have I been sincere in words or actions (truthfulness)?

- Have I been straightforward in dealing with others (honesty), while avoiding offenses and revealing

private information (discretion)?

- Have I preached the Gospel (evangelization), and practiced it in my life (good example)?

- Did I conceal the truth for an evil purpose (lying)?

- Did I injure other’s reputation by prejudice (rush judgment), gossip (detraction), or slander (calumny)?

- Did I, without sincerity and justice, praise (flattery) or please a person (complaisance)?

- Did I deceive a person by double dealing (duplicity) or pretense (hypocrisy)?

- Did I caricature (mockery) or criticize a person with sardonic words (irony)?

9) You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse.

- Have I engaged my mind with chaste and holy thoughts and desires (purity of mind)? Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate
 33. THE FORM OF PENANCE
Practical Guide to Confession 1/2
RECEPTION OF THE PENITENT

Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Penitent: Amen.

Priest: May God, who has enlightened every heart, help you to know your sins and trust in his mercy.

Penitent: Amen.

CONFESSION OF SINS AND ACCEPTANCE OF SATISFACTION

The penitent confesses all his mortal sins he has committed since his last valid Confession; if necessary, the Priest helps the

penitent to make an integral Confession.

Penitent: Father, forgive me for I have sinned.

I am a … (define the state in life, like: “I am single”, “I am married”, etc.).

My last valid Confession was … (state the month or year of the last good Confession).

My sins are … (confess all mortal sins, in number and kind, since the last valid Confession; it

is strongly recommended to confess also the venial sins).

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 34. THE FORM OF PENANCE
Practical Guide to Confession 2/2

ACT OF CONTRITION

The penitent says the Act of Contrition.

Penitent: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the

loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and

deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to

amend my life. Amen.

ABSOLUTION

Then the Priest extends his hands over the penitent’s head (or at least extends his right hand) and says the form of

absolution.

Priest: 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.

Penitent: Amen.

PROCLAMATION OF PRAISE AND DISMISSAL

After the absolution, the Priest gives praise to God for his mercy and dismisses the penitent in these words.

Priest: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate
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